Chicon 2000: Basic Information
Chicon 2000
Basic Information
Rev. 05-Feb-2000
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Infobot: info@chicon.org
* What is a Worldcon?
* "Why do I want to go?"
* When and Where
* "What must I do in order to attend?"
See also: MCFI's views on What Is the Worldcon?
[www]
What is a Worldcon?
Imagine getting together with a few friends to talk about something
you all love -- science fiction and fantasy. You all read the books,
see the movies, watch the stuff on TV, play the games - you've got a
lot in common. And you invite a few of the people who create these
works, too - the authors, artists, and others involved in the creation
of the things we all appreciate. And when you all get in one place you
count heads and find out there are six thousand of you. What do you
call it? Worldcon, of course.
What You Get
Five days of talking about SF, with panels and readings and
autographings all day and special events every night.
History of science fiction special exhibits: photos of every writer
the photographer has found so you can see what your favorite authors
look like so you can buy them each a drink in the bar; examples of
each year's Hugo Award trophy; past grand champion costumes on
display; examples of 50 years of amateur fan magazines.
A huge Art Show with original art by many of the major SF cover
artists, signed and numbered lithographs or photoprints of pieces you
couldn't afford otherwise, and examples of original art by
up-and-coming artists who may someday be major. All for sale at
auction.
An immense Dealers' Room. Hundreds of tables of new, used, and rare
books; cool jewelry; art prints; videos; laser discs; funny buttons;
fan writings; comics; and just plain weird stuff.
A choice of video rooms, anime rooms, and a full film program.
Science programs; how to behave at a convention programs; how to be a
writer (OK, how to sell what you've written) programs; The Masquerade,
a full costume contest stage performance; a hall costume contest, a
wandering-the-convention performance; Filking (SF for folk singing);
The Hugo Awards ceremony (like the Oscars or Emmys, but all our own).
Dances from rock to Regency; Georgette Heyer high teas; Oz fan
meetings; ERB fan meetings; gay fan meetings.
And besides all this you can VOTE. Yes, vote on what you think the
2000 Science Fiction Achievement Awards (Hugos) should be given to,
and you can vote on where all this should take place in the year 2003.
Not Chicago, because we'll be too tired to do it again that soon.
"Why do I want to go?
Why should you pay good money to attend this convention? Why should
you join early? Because you'll have a massively good time. If you join
early, you pay the lowest possible rate; the prices will go up several
times before the convention starts, and membership rates will be
higher at the door. You also have a hedge against a change in plans,
in that memberships are transferable; in other words, if you find out
in early 2000 that you can't come after all, you can sell your
membership to someone else. (Lots of people use the newsgroup
rec.arts.sf.fandom for just this purpose.)
The Worldcon is more expensive than a small or mid-sized regional
convention, like TusCon or WindyCon, yes, but that's because it's
bigger and longer. There's a lot going on at a Worldcon, and it keeps
happening for five whole days. Chicon 2000 is going to be more like
many little conventions put together. Consider also that what you're
paying for are the facilities and services that you, yourself, will
use - you're not lining the pockets of some television star on the
stage and some promoters you'll never meet. The Worldcon is put on
entirely through volunteer labor; if this were an industry trade show
of some sort, you couldn't get in the door for five times the price.
We even feed you! (Well, granted, it's mostly soda pop and chips, but
it's there for you anytime you want to visit the Con Suite.)
Another reason for you to go is the "total immersion" feature - for
five days, you're going to live, breathe, walk, and talk science
fiction, with thousands of other fans who are interested in the same
stuff. Worldcon is the gathering of the tribes of fandom - and there's
a place waiting here for you, if you're willing to come join us.
And if you don't think you can afford it, try doing this. Try saving a
dollar a day. If you get a weekly paycheck, set aside $7 each week in
an envelope in the back of your dish cupboard or something. After two
months, take $40 out and get your Supporting Membership; this will
make sure that you get our publications in the mail. After three or
four more months, send the balance of your membership fee; at the end
of a year or so, buy your plane ticket. You can do it if you start
now.
When and Where
The convention begins Thursday, 31 August 2000, and runs through Labor
Day, Monday, 4 September 2000. Most things will start around ten in
the morning and the joint will still be jumping in the wee hours every
night.
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.
But you will want to go outside. One of the "most visitable" cities in
North American, Chicago boasts leading museums, thousands of
restaurants, classic architectural landmarks, a vast variety of stores
and shops of all kinds, first-rate theater, cutting edge blues and
jazz clubs, 20 miles of beaches, the Cubs and White Sox, and hundreds
of acres of parks, zoos and arboretums. Our Worldcon site is in the
center of it all. This is definitely not your stereotypical
"downtown". (How many past Worldcons have been held within sight of a
golf course?)
"What must I do in order to attend?"
You basically need to do four things.
* Buy your membership. You need to be an attending member in order
to attend. Do this as soon as possible -- either pay the whole
thing up front, or buy your supporting membership first and
upgrade later. (As long as you do this before the next price
increase, it won't cost extra to break it into two payments this
way.)
* Make your travel arrangements. We'll have discount codes that you
can give your travel agent to get you a break on the fare; watch
for the sales, and act when you can. If you're driving, make sure
your vehicle's up to the trip. If you're outside the USA, get your
passport in order, file for a visa, and so forth.
* Make your lodging arrangements. We'll have an official Hotel
Reservation Form here sometime in early 2000; you'll need that to
stay at one of the three hotels we're using, as that will get you
the best room rate. If you're looking for a roommate matching
service, we won't be running one as such, but we will post notices
from people looking for other fans to share rooms with and you
guys can sort it out yourselves.
* Pack up and go. Make sure you get plenty of rest and solid meals
before you leave, as you're going to need all the stamina you can
muster. We'll have some more tips on things you'll want to bring,
such as why you should pack a sweater and business cards; stay
tuned.
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See also: Science Fiction Convention Survival Kit for Newbies
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