World Conventions News
Glasgow 2024, A Worldcon for Our Futures, the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention, to be held August 8-12, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland, published Media Release #7 on November 16, 2023, announcing its full Disease Mitigation Policy, which can be found at < glasgow2024.org/about/disease-mitigation-policy>. ‘‘The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that conventions need to be more mindful of communicable diseases when planning our events. This is why Glasgow 2024 is issuing a disease mitigation policy rather than a COVID policy: we need a policy which covers our position on COVID mitigations while also addressing other common infections.’’ Their policy ‘‘is based on the current National Health Service (NHS) recommendations in Scotland as of November 2023. We have augmented these recommendations with additional mitigations and recommendations for our members.’’ They ‘‘strongly recommend that members be vaccinated, wear masks, and test daily for Covid-19 while attending the convention.’’ Further, members should not physically attend if they ‘‘experience new and potentially contagious symptoms which have begun within the week prior to the event.’’ They will not ask for proof of vaccination or test results; ‘‘following this policy will be a matter for personal responsibility for each member.’’ They will, however, ‘‘enforce the Code of Conduct in all applicable situations, including when one member’s choices about disease mitigation do not match another’s.’’ They may alter this policy, ‘‘but will not revise to a standard less restrictive than we are publishing in November 2023.’’
Glasgow 2024 published Media Release #8 on November 16, 2024, announcing plans for online attendance: ‘‘These include streaming of selected programming and events, online communication and community engagement, and a range of virtual exhibits.’’ The online convention seeks to ‘‘make our membership more inclusive and diverse, opening the event up to individuals and communities who have historically faced practical and/or financial barriers to physical attendance,’’ to be ‘‘more inclusive and diverse, featuring a wider range of voices from across the global community of science fiction,’’ and to ‘‘provide a richer experience to our in-person membership (additional displays, additional ways to connect and opportunities to catch up with content they missed on the day).’’ The online portion will be based on ‘‘Hopin Events from RingCentral for video streaming and Discord for text interaction and community forums. We will be providing more details on the platform in January 2024.’’ All Adult and Young Adult Attending Members of Glasgow 2024 will automatically receive full access to the online convention, as will Adult and Young Adult Day Ticket holders. Online attendance is also available for purchase directly, ‘‘As an Online Attending Ticket, giving full access to the online experience, for £35,’’ or as ‘‘an Online Attending Membership, which also includes a WSFS Membership, for £75.’’ Existing WSFS members can upgrade to online attending for £30. These prices will remain in effect through February 28, 2024.
Glasgow 2024 published Media Release #9 on November 22, 2023, announcing that Zimbabwean author (T.L.) Tendai Huchu will appear as a Special Guest.
For more, see their website.
The Southern California Institute for Fan Interests (SCIFI) LA has announced LA in 2026, a bid to hold the 84th Worldcon in Anaheim CA. The convention would be held August 27-31, 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center and Anaheim Hilton Hotel. ‘‘We’re the same team (mostly) that put on the Los Angeles-area Worldcons at the same locales in 1984, 1996 and 2006… so, support us, vote for us in Glasgow, and then join us here in sunny Southern California for a week full of fun and wonder.’’ For more: <www.scifiinc.org/lacon2026>. The competing bid for 2026 is Pharaohcon 2026, to be held in Cairo, Egypt, which would be held September 1-5, 2026; more details on their bid are here: <chicon.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Pharaohcon-2026-Worldcon-QA-Document.pdf>. Site selection voting will take place at Glasgow 2024, the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention, to be held August 8-12, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland.
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