Let me add that the amount of debt you incurred to do a Worldcon is similar to the amount a sports fan might spend on season tickets, clothing, fanaphernalia, time away from work, etc. One chooses one's trade-offs.

One other thing about con bids, as we saw so clearly in the Westercon 66 bid, is it takes more than just a single devoted individual. Some folks are natural people magnets, have a talent for organizing and delegating. It takes a village...