Worldcon 2005 UK - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Interaction - and of course the answers ! Where appropriate, we have also included links to other parts of the site which have additional relevant information on some of the topics.

We've organised this FAQ hierarchically. General questions are answered on this page. We are then going to create specific FAQs for specific areas like memberships, programme, and so on, as times goes on and each area becomes more detailed in its thinking and planning.

The following area FAQs are currently available. They can be accessed from here or directly from the relevant parts of the website - for instance the membership FAQ is also linked from the membership information page.

Membership FAQ

Will you have enough hotel space onsite ?

No. It is close to impossible to find sites outside the US with enough hotel space onsite, and not many in the US either. But there will be more hotel space onsite than there were in 1995.

In addition to the Moat House, which was there in 1995 as well, there is now also the City Inn, with 160 bedrooms, and a large student self-catering accomodation block just across the road. Other hotels have been granted permission to build, and the Moat House has a grant to expand, but we don't know whether they'll do so in time.

Then it will be the same long walk or expensive taxi ride from the city to the convention centre ?

No. The cheap rail line which was flooded a few months before the 1995 convention is now up and running again. With improved flood defences. This will provide adequate transportation every 15 minutes in both directions.

In addition, the taxi ride between the convention centre and the city centre is only GBP 2 (in 2000, it may of course go up a bit by 2005), so if you're several people sharing a taxi, the ride really isn't too expensive.

Why are you using pictures of the Sydney Opera House in your publications ?

That's not the Sydney Opera House, that's the Armadillo. Or the fake Sydney Opera House, if you will. It's a new addition to the SECC, primarily adding the Clyde Auditorium to the facilities. That will seat over 3000, in addition the Armadillo contains excellent smallish exhibition and function space.

You can find out a lot more about the Site and the way it has changed since Intersection on our "About the Site" page.

How can you hold another Worldcon at a place with no ceilings ?

But we do have ceilings this time around. What used to be Hall 1 (where registration was held in 1995) is now called the Loch Suite, and has been reconstructed into one hall seating 600, four halls seating 200 (all of which can be split in two smaller rooms), and two small rooms seating 30. All these rooms are separated by ceilings and walls, adequately sound-proofed.

In addition, we'll be keeping the small function rooms in the Moat House, the new City inn nearby has three function rooms of the right size, and the Armadillo also has a few small function rooms. There's no shortage of function space with ceilings this time around.

You can find out a lot more about the Site and the way it has changed since Intersection on our "About the Site" page.

Will the parties be in the city centre in stead of onsite this time as well ?

In 1995 there was only the Moat House onsite, and that really wasn't adequate for all the parties usually held at a Worldcon. This time, there's more space available. We will try to keep all official programme, including evening programme, onsite. But it's a bit early to say if we'll be able to. And some people would like the parties to be nearer to the city centre with its wider variety of restaurants and facilities.

In 1995 my hotel had a "weekend special" rate that was lower than the con rate. How will you make sure it doesn't happen again ?

We're sorry we goofed in 1995. We did try to sort it out during the con, but had been given too little warning. This time we'll try to make sure there's a clause in our hotel contracts that gives con members the lowest rate, whether that's the con rate or any special offers.

What sort of non-Worldcon activities are available in the vicinity of the site ?

Just across the river there's the Glasgow Science Centre, with an IMAX theatre. That's newly built, and we'll be negotiating with them both for special rates and maybe special treatment.

But for most types of activities you'll have to go into the city centre, and then Glasgow has the same type and number of activities as any city with a population of more than a million.

You can find out a lot more about the Glasgow area and the Science Centre on our "Out and About" page.

Do you have enough experienced con-runners in the UK for this ?

No. The Worldcon comes to the UK and Europe only once per decade or so. It's impossible for us to maintain a pool of con-runners with the right experience. But nor do most regions in the US have enough experienced con-runners. Too many people are need to run a Worldcon.

What we do have, is a lot of interest in helping out from fans all over Europe, with a lot of promised support from North American con- runners as well. We expect to be recruiting con-runners from among all the major European (including UK) conventions for the event, and are of course hoping for help from the travelling Worldcon committee, the core group of Worldcon attendees who usually help out at all Worldcons.

A UK Worldcon tends to cause a lot of people to burn themselves out, as well as reduce other fannish activity to a minimum. Knowing that, why are you doing this again?

A Worldcon is a great effort. Whether in Europe or elsewhere. As such, a few people have burned themselves out working World- cons. It's happened at some UK Worldcons, and it's happened elsewhere.

Worldcons have also tended to bring a lot of new people into fandom, they've caused enthusiasm, and they've brought people together. Several local groups all over Europe wouldn't exist today if it wasn't for the Worldcon in Glasgow in 1995, and contact across the European borders wouldn't be what they are today if it hadn't been for Intersection.

The challenge is to avoid the bad effects, and we're very conscious of this. It's one reason why we're recruiting at this early stage. Our main solution, though, is recruiting across a much wider range, by trying to attract con-runners from all over Europe and the world to work with us. Hopefully, this will also reduce the load on UK conrunners, should we end up winning this bid. Both those UK con- runners who involve themselves with Interaction, and those who don't.

Conspiracy (1987) was famous for committee divorces, and Intersection (1995) for marriages and births. What will happen this time ?

This is Britain. Don't worry, we'll think of some sort of scandal. We always do.

Page last updated 11^th July 2004