Worldcon, Day 0: SMOF Central
Aug. 23rd, 2006 01:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeThe night before the Worldcon is SMOF night. Bids wanting to go after the dedicated folks who come in at least a day early all hold parties on the night before the con. Also, Nippon 2007 was holding a reception for staff. We'd stayed late at California Adventure, so we arrived near the end of that reception, but our timing was good, as their suite looked straight out at Disneyland, so we had a better seat for tonight's fireworks than we'd had for the show last night -- and we were in the park last night!
We made the rounds of all the bid parties we found: Australia in 2010, Kansas City in 2009, and all three of the 2008 Bidders: Columbus, Denver, and Chicago. Conrunning types were, as you might expect, thick on the ground. Indeed, it was much easier to run across people whom I needed to meet than it will be the rest of the weekend, I expect.
At one party, I spoke with Robin Johnson, chairman of Aussiecon One. Talking about Worldcon attendance figures, he mentioned how annoying he's found it that the number in the Long List for A1 is 606 when he says he knows it was over 700. I gave him my business card and told him, "If you can dig up better information, the FOLLE Committee would be happy to revise the figures for you."
Outside of Denver's party, I found L.A.con IV Chairman Christian McGuire and retrieved from him my most prized ribbon: "Former Worldcon Chair" plus my Department Head ribbon and the Committee ribbons for my staff, two of whom, Pat McMurray and Don Eastlake I soon thereafter met and presented with ribbons.
There was much smoffing going on, the rest of which I have neither time nor energy to discuss. For those of you reading this with whom I spoke and did not give name-checks here, my apologies! This will probably keep happening all weekend, as I just don't have time to list everything that happened. After more talk, some of it productive, Lisa and I headed back to the room to try and unwind a bit and get some sleep.
I have my call time for Opening Ceremonies rehearsal. Fortunately, the ceremony is not until 1 PM, and I don't have to be in place before 10 AM like I do the following three days for the Business Meeting, so for the first day of the convention, at least, I can sleep in a little bit.
We made the rounds of all the bid parties we found: Australia in 2010, Kansas City in 2009, and all three of the 2008 Bidders: Columbus, Denver, and Chicago. Conrunning types were, as you might expect, thick on the ground. Indeed, it was much easier to run across people whom I needed to meet than it will be the rest of the weekend, I expect.
At one party, I spoke with Robin Johnson, chairman of Aussiecon One. Talking about Worldcon attendance figures, he mentioned how annoying he's found it that the number in the Long List for A1 is 606 when he says he knows it was over 700. I gave him my business card and told him, "If you can dig up better information, the FOLLE Committee would be happy to revise the figures for you."
Outside of Denver's party, I found L.A.con IV Chairman Christian McGuire and retrieved from him my most prized ribbon: "Former Worldcon Chair" plus my Department Head ribbon and the Committee ribbons for my staff, two of whom, Pat McMurray and Don Eastlake I soon thereafter met and presented with ribbons.
There was much smoffing going on, the rest of which I have neither time nor energy to discuss. For those of you reading this with whom I spoke and did not give name-checks here, my apologies! This will probably keep happening all weekend, as I just don't have time to list everything that happened. After more talk, some of it productive, Lisa and I headed back to the room to try and unwind a bit and get some sleep.
I have my call time for Opening Ceremonies rehearsal. Fortunately, the ceremony is not until 1 PM, and I don't have to be in place before 10 AM like I do the following three days for the Business Meeting, so for the first day of the convention, at least, I can sleep in a little bit.
