Chicon 2000 Infobot News - 05-Feb-2000 Chicon 2000, P. O. Box 642057, Chicago IL 60664, fax: 312-946-3779 [My apologies for the "Year 100" bug that my last edition had. I won't use ELM 2.4 to send out the Infobot News anymore. -Chaz] The Chicon 2000 Infobot News is a service of the Chicon 2000 Web Site, http://www.chicon.org/ . If you know someone who'd like to subscribe, tell 'em to go to our web site at http://www.chicon.org/ and enter their e-mail address. If your e-mail address changes, or if you wish to be removed from the Chicon 2000 Infobot News mailing list, or if you don't have web access and want to be added to the list, please write to listmaster@chicon.org. In this issue: Hotel Reservations About One-Stop Chicago Hyatt Regency Chicago Fairmont Hotel Swissotel Student Science Fiction Contest Top Ten Films: Survey Results Other Information Available Online or Via E-mail Hotel Reservations * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Chicon offers you a choice of three hotels: the Hyatt Regency Chicago, the Fairmont Hotel and the Swissotel. The three facilities are close together. The Fairmont is directly south of the Hyatt, across a narrow street with little traffic. The Swissotel is to the Hyatt's immediate east, reachable across another narrow street or by the underground Pedway. All reservations must be made through our booking service, One-Stop Chicago. The one exception is suites at the Hyatt, which must be booked through Chicon's Suites Coordinator. DO NOT CALL THE HOTELS TO MAKE RESERVATIONS. Chicon rates for all three hotels are far below both their standard rates and the rates that they are currently charging attendees at other conventions. By comparison, the lowest rates available on Travelocity for the weekend before Chicon (double room) are Hyatt $179/night, Fairmont $304/night, Swissotel $189/night. Our rates are available for up to three nights before and after Chicon (that is, from Monday, August 28th, through Thursday, September 7th). Our hotel form is available online, in PDF form. We also have a plain ascii text version available via e-mail. About One-Stop Chicago * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * by Tom Veal, chair@chicon.org One-Stop Chicago is the Chicago Convention and Visitors Bureau's official booking service, used by most of the major conventions held in the Chicago area. It has been in operation for over 50 years. In fact, its direct predecessor handled hotel reservations (quite satisfactorily) for Chicon IV in 1982. One-Stop's main facility in suburban Deerfield has 192 voice phone lines and 33 round-the-clock fax lines (16 incoming, 17 outgoing). It is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every weekday. An 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. shift takes reservations by telephone, while the 5:00 to 11:00 p.m. shift handles mail and fax reservations. Reservations can also be made at any time over the Internet. Although One-Stop has a first-rate reputation and is very convenient, our initial plan was not to use a booking service for Chicon. As will be discussed below, the service would cost our members something (not a lot, but more than zero), and it didn't seem essential in light of Chicon V's mostly trouble-free experience with booking rooms directly with the hotels. What changed our plans was the Hyatt chain's decision - made only a couple of months ago - to eliminate the in-house reservation staff at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. In the future, calls to Hyatt reservations will be transferred to a central facility that is oriented primarily toward the needs of business and individual leisure travelers, not conventions. The people with whom we work at the Hyatt were the first to warn us that the new arrangement was likely to cause trouble for Chicon. In particular, we would have no effective means to prevent overbooking, special requests (such as room blocking) would be difficult to honor, and dealing with problems would require inefficient back-and-forth among the national facility, the Hyatt's front desk and Chicon's hotel liaisons. After considering various alternatives (such as setting up our own booking service, trying to make special arrangements with national Hyatt, etc.), we concluded that One-Stop Chicago would offer the best service for our members. All three of our hotels support this decision; in fact, they are paying One-Stop's $16 per reservation service charge. (Incidentally, Chicon room rates were negotiated months ago, so the One-Stop fee hasn't been loaded onto them; indeed, one hotel responded to our choice by lowering its rates.) The down side is that One-Stop requires a $120 deposit for each reservation, payable by check or credit card at the time of booking. The deposit is applied to your room charge, but, as any fan can figure out, One-Stop gets the benefit of earnings on the float. The amount involved is tiny for any individual attendee, but nobody likes to pay for anything in advance. We are sorry for the inconvenience and hope that our favorable room rates (the best quality/price ratio of any Worldcon since Chicon V, we think) will provide some consolation. Hyatt Regency Chicago * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Our headquarters hotel, the Hyatt Regency Chicago, has hosted two previous Worldcons and is enthusiastically waiting to welcome a third. And with 2000 sleeping rooms and 210,000 square feet of function rooms and exhibit halls, you never have to go out into the sun or rain unless you want to. The Hyatt Regency Chicago recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation of the rooms and elevators in the hotel. Rates Room Rates: $102 plus 14.9% tax (single through quad) Parking: $26/night (50% discount for Chicon members staying at hotel) For suites in the Hyatt, write to suites@chicon.org. Chicon Activities in this hotel * Most programming * Art Show * Dealers' Room * Concourse/Exhibits * Con Suite * Room parties * Child care Other Information Here is some basic information about our main hotel: The Hyatt Regency Chicago. * 2,019 Guest Rooms, 36 stories, two towers * over 175 Suites * 4 large to extra-large, divisible, ballrooms totalling over 60,000 square feet * Exhibition hall with over 140,000 square feet and 8 docking bays. * 43 meeting rooms * no-smoking rooms/floors * Video check-out * Oversized baths * Parking for over 2,500 cars * Voice Mail in every guest room * 4 Restaurants: All Seasons Cafe (American/casual), Stetson's (steak/fish), Knuckles (sports bar), Skyway (breakfast only) * Business Center * Adjacent to the Magnificent Mile, on the Chicago River, very near Lake Michigan, walk to the Chicago Loop, shopping, entertainment, museums, and parks. * Bus transportation, door to door, to both Midway Airport (currently $20 round trip) and O'Hare Airport (currently $28 round trip) * Part of the 83 acre indoor Illinois Center complex, featuring 150 stores and services, including 43 restaurants and connections to our two other hotels the Swissotel and the Fairmont. * A very helpful staff that is both pleased and excited to have us!!! * We have been here before, and they want us back. They know what we need, and they are willing to give it to us. * website: http://www.hyatt.com/ Fairmont Hotel * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A luxurious, European-style establishment that is offering Chicon exceptionally favorable rates. The Fairmont's larger-than-normal rooms feature gigantic bathrooms with oversized bathtubs, separate showers and mini-TV sets. No room is farther than four doors from an elevator. Most have views of Lake Michigan. Rates * Single: $119 plus tax (14.9%) * Double: $129 plus tax * Triple: $164 plus tax (includes rollaway bed) * Suite, 1BR: $350 plus tax * Suite, 2BR: $525 plus tax * Parking: $26/night Chicon Activities in this hotel * Hugo Awards Ceremony * Masquerade * Major receptions * Dances Other Information * Chicon Room Block: 450 rooms (peak night) * Restaurants: Primavera (Italian/casual), Entre Nous (American-French/gourmet) * Children 18 and younger may stay free with parents. * Rooms with two beds have "European" twins, which are longer than standard but not wide enough to sleep two people comfortably. * Passes to the Illinois Athletic Center, a first-class health club located across the street, are available for $15/day. * website: http://www.fairmont.com/ Swissotel * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Another upscale hotel with European touches. Rooms are larger than industry standard and have excellent views. Most rooms have marble bathrooms with separate showers. Rates * Single: $99 plus tax (14.9%) * Double: $109 plus tax * Triple: $119 plus tax * Quad: $119 plus tax * Parking: $30/night (50% discount for Chicon members staying at hotel Chicon Activities in this hotel * Films * Videos * Games Other Information * Chicon Room Block: 325 rooms (peak night) * Restaurants: Cafe Suisse (breakfast and lunch buffets), The Palm (steaks) * Children 16 and younger may stay free with parents. * Health club on premises. * website: http://www.swissotel.com/ 2000 Student Science Fiction Contest * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Judy Kindell, contest@chicon.org Chicon 2000, in conjunction with Baltimore Worldcon 1998, Inc. , are sponsoring a contest for the best short story with a science fiction or fantasy theme, the best science fiction or fantasy artwork, and the best science essay. This contest is open to all students in elementary school (5th grade and below), middle school (6th through 8th grade) and high school (9th through 12th grade). Each student may enter/win in any or all categories, but may only enter once in each of the categories. The winners for 2000 will be announced at a ceremony during Chicon 2000. The deadline for this year's contest is March 31, 2000. Inquiries may be sent to contest@bucconeer.worldcon.org or Student Science Fiction Contest Post Office Box 314 Annapolis Junction MD 20701 We have an entry form available on our website in PDF form or plain ascii text. Top Ten Films: Survey Results * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The current members of the 58th World Science Fiction Convention, Chicon 2000, have picked the 10 best science fiction films of the Twentieth Century based on their responses to a notice in the August 1999 progress report. The members were also asked to vote for fantasy films, but none made it into the top 10. The Top 10 List In Order of Votes 1. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) 2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 3. Blade Runner (1982) 4. Forbidden Planet (1956) 5. Aliens (1986) 6. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) 7. The War of the Worlds (1953) 8. Dark City (1998) 9. Gattaca (1997) 10. The Thing (1951) To celebrate the contribution of films to science fiction, the editor of the film section of the Chicon 2000 souvenir program book, Dr. Bob Blackwood, will create a brief essay on science fiction films in the 20th century and will edit a brief summary description of the cast, plot, and awards won by each of the top 10 sf films. If you are interested in writing a description of one of the films, list your writing experience, name the film, as well as your willingness to do any other film, and email it to Dr. Bob Blackwood or mail it to Dr. Bob Blackwood, Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave., Chicago, Il. 60634 before Jan. 30, 2000. The editorial board will meet at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans on Monday-Wednesday, March 6-8, 2000. If you wish to volunteer to join the editorial board and attend the board meeting, indicate your willingness in your message. Other Information Available Online or Via E-mail * * * * * * * * * * * Here are some other goodies that have been put on the web site. http://www.chicon.org/ * Hotel Reservation Form (PDF or plain ascii text) * Student Science Fiction Contest Entry Form (PDF or plain ascii text) * Progress Report 5 (PDF) * WSFS Constitution and Standing Rules And, if you don't have web access, you should be able to get most of them by sending e-mail to info@chicon.org with the following line as your message to get the complete index of files: send index You can put several "send" commands in your message, just put them on different lines. For example send index send hotel.form send student.txt Service Mark Notice * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Service Mark Notice: "World Science Fiction Society", "WSFS", "World Science Fiction Convention", "Worldcon", "NASFiC" and "Hugo Award" are registered service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. 20000205.txt sent to 1357 subscribers of CHICON-NEWS.