kevin_standlee (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kevin_standlee) wrote2022-09-01 11:33 pm
kevin_standlee) wrote2022-09-01 11:33 pm
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Worldcon 2022 Day 1: When Hotel Rooms Attack
We were able to sleep in a little bit for the first day of Worldcon, as our first commitment of the day was setting up the Winnipeg/Montreal table. But it was still a long day.
Lisa and I met up with members of the Winnipeg in 2023 NASFiC committee and we went to the Exhibit Hall (down in the sub-basement), where I was able to use my Staff badge to get us in before opening. (There hadn't been proper arrangements for fan table groups to get into the hall before it was open to the public.
The Winnipeg in 2023 NASFIC bid and the 2022 Montreal SMOFCon have a pair of tables near Site Selection. (Both are run by the same parent organization, CanSMOF, and I'm on the CanSMOF board.)
I was down there to work for a couple of hours as a helper at NASFIC site selection representing the Winnipeg bid. Unfortunately, there were technical problems with both Worldcon and NASFiC Site Selection. If I understand it correctly, they did not get the necessary card readers to allow them to accept credit/debit cards for the Advance Supporting Membership (voting) fees for the two elections. In the end, all voting today was cancelled, with a promise that they'd start taking votes tomorrow.
While sitting at the Winnipeg/Montreal table, Dave McCarty came by and gave me my Former Worldcon Chair ribbon. I consider this the highest "ranking" ribbon I'm entitled to wear, and I make a point of not putting any other ribbons until I have that one in place.
My next commitment was for the WSFS Mark Protection Committee Meeting over in the other tower. (I did myself no favors by mistakenly telling the MPC members it was in the East tower when it was actually in the West.) I took may computer and webcam down there and got it set up so that MPC members not at Chicon 8 could attend. As it happens, only one of the non-attending members joined the Zoom call. This was one of the most well-attended MPC meetings I can remember in years.
Returning to my hotel room, I was fiddling around getting the power cord reconnected when I banged my head on one of the metal-framed decorations on the wall of the hotel room.
It was not until somewhat later when I went to comb what's left of my hair that I realized what a bash I'd given myself.
This did hurt a bid, but I'm also concerned that I was slightly concussed. I know my head was not very clear during most of the Opening Ceremony.
After having a small bit of lunch in the hotel room, I went back to the Exhibit Hall. Lisa had been holding fort on the Luna Society table, and unfortunately she had been trapped there because C D Carson had been out running errands much longer than expected.
Chengdu had a very large booth for their Worldcon.
The Glasgow in 2024 Worldcon had a somewhat smaller table, near Site Selection.
Eventually, Chris came back and relieved Lisa. She and I checked the room where the Business Meeting will be and learned some bad news about which I'll write tomorrow. We then went to Bockwinkle's and got food for our dinner, then went back to the hotel room. Lisa stayed upstairs while I went to the Opening Ceremony.
I was on a mission: Business Meeting Chair Jared Dashoff had asked me to get the Gavel of WSFS after the ceremony was over. Here, convention chair Helen Montgomery ceremonially called the convention to order.
Most of my other photos aren't very good. Click through to see them.
After the Opening Ceremony, I went back stage and Helen Montgomery gave me the Gavel of WSFS in trust for the Business Meeting. I also chatted briefly with Toastmasters Analee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders before making my way back upstairs to the lobby, where a long queue for the elevators discouraged me from going back to the hotel room for a while.
I ran in to Jared Dashoff, who told me to hold on to the Gavel of WSFS until tomorrow and to bring it to the meeting along with the other supplies I'm carrying as Assistant Videographer.
Eventually the queue cleared and I went back to the room, where I prepared some dinner from among our supplies. Alas, it's back to getting up early so Lisa and I can be in Crystal Ballroom B well before the first Business Meeting. It's going to be a lot more difficult to record and upload the Business Meeting than we hoped, and it's as very annoying story about which I will probably write tomorrow.
Lisa and I met up with members of the Winnipeg in 2023 NASFiC committee and we went to the Exhibit Hall (down in the sub-basement), where I was able to use my Staff badge to get us in before opening. (There hadn't been proper arrangements for fan table groups to get into the hall before it was open to the public.
The Winnipeg in 2023 NASFIC bid and the 2022 Montreal SMOFCon have a pair of tables near Site Selection. (Both are run by the same parent organization, CanSMOF, and I'm on the CanSMOF board.)
I was down there to work for a couple of hours as a helper at NASFIC site selection representing the Winnipeg bid. Unfortunately, there were technical problems with both Worldcon and NASFiC Site Selection. If I understand it correctly, they did not get the necessary card readers to allow them to accept credit/debit cards for the Advance Supporting Membership (voting) fees for the two elections. In the end, all voting today was cancelled, with a promise that they'd start taking votes tomorrow.
While sitting at the Winnipeg/Montreal table, Dave McCarty came by and gave me my Former Worldcon Chair ribbon. I consider this the highest "ranking" ribbon I'm entitled to wear, and I make a point of not putting any other ribbons until I have that one in place.
My next commitment was for the WSFS Mark Protection Committee Meeting over in the other tower. (I did myself no favors by mistakenly telling the MPC members it was in the East tower when it was actually in the West.) I took may computer and webcam down there and got it set up so that MPC members not at Chicon 8 could attend. As it happens, only one of the non-attending members joined the Zoom call. This was one of the most well-attended MPC meetings I can remember in years.
Returning to my hotel room, I was fiddling around getting the power cord reconnected when I banged my head on one of the metal-framed decorations on the wall of the hotel room.
It was not until somewhat later when I went to comb what's left of my hair that I realized what a bash I'd given myself.
This did hurt a bid, but I'm also concerned that I was slightly concussed. I know my head was not very clear during most of the Opening Ceremony.
After having a small bit of lunch in the hotel room, I went back to the Exhibit Hall. Lisa had been holding fort on the Luna Society table, and unfortunately she had been trapped there because C D Carson had been out running errands much longer than expected.
Chengdu had a very large booth for their Worldcon.
The Glasgow in 2024 Worldcon had a somewhat smaller table, near Site Selection.
Eventually, Chris came back and relieved Lisa. She and I checked the room where the Business Meeting will be and learned some bad news about which I'll write tomorrow. We then went to Bockwinkle's and got food for our dinner, then went back to the hotel room. Lisa stayed upstairs while I went to the Opening Ceremony.
I was on a mission: Business Meeting Chair Jared Dashoff had asked me to get the Gavel of WSFS after the ceremony was over. Here, convention chair Helen Montgomery ceremonially called the convention to order.
Most of my other photos aren't very good. Click through to see them.
After the Opening Ceremony, I went back stage and Helen Montgomery gave me the Gavel of WSFS in trust for the Business Meeting. I also chatted briefly with Toastmasters Analee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders before making my way back upstairs to the lobby, where a long queue for the elevators discouraged me from going back to the hotel room for a while.
I ran in to Jared Dashoff, who told me to hold on to the Gavel of WSFS until tomorrow and to bring it to the meeting along with the other supplies I'm carrying as Assistant Videographer.
Eventually the queue cleared and I went back to the room, where I prepared some dinner from among our supplies. Alas, it's back to getting up early so Lisa and I can be in Crystal Ballroom B well before the first Business Meeting. It's going to be a lot more difficult to record and upload the Business Meeting than we hoped, and it's as very annoying story about which I will probably write tomorrow.
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