Science Fiction is Bigger Than You Think!

GOALS

The primary purpose of the Orlando in 2015 Bid Committee is to create a model for successfully integrating Worldcon with the new fandoms of the 21st century while remaining true to our fannish traditions.

In order to accomplish that primary purpose,  we believe Worldcon must:

• Attract new members
• Appeal to a wider audience
• Reduce costs
• Incentivize partners
• Retain its traditions in a manner that honors and preserves them while at the same time making them accessible and meaningful to a new generation of fans

DATE

Prior to launching the bid, the committee members discussed the issues surrounding the selected date, September 2-6, 2015  (Labor Day weekend).  The date was chosen as it was, due to the bidding process, the best possible date that the facilities & hotel would be available without being compromised by other groups taking room blocks and/or facility space.

Concerns with the date were – Labor Day weekend conflicts for potential attendees and Dragon*con, which is on the same weekend; both could negatively impact attendance of members, guests and dealers.

It was initially felt that these could be overcome; there are plenty of fans to go around for all conventions, there are plenty of potential guests and dealers who have a preference for Worldcon and, so far as attendee conflicts (school openings, etc) – Worldcon was almost always on that weekend for decades.

As the bidding process moves on, concerns have continued to be raised over this issue:  the possibility of moving to another week at the same location has been raised by many individuals – individuals who have said they would be far more likely to attend Worldcon if it were not on the Labor Day weekend.

The Committee remains open to suggestions regarding its selected date.

METHOD

The Committee has determined that the single largest contributing factor to Worldcon’s lack of growth has been the cost-vs-attendance issue.   As membership has generally declined (actually, failed to grow), Worldcon continually finds itself in a catch-22:  it does not raise enough revenue to adequately market itself in ways that would spur growth, which in turn continues to contribute to a very slow decline in membership.

The Committee believes that Worldcon has been the world’s Premiere Annual Science Fiction event since 1939.  Unfortunately, the list of people who share that view is dwindling, as Worldcon, for a variety of reasons, has failed to attract new members.

Worldcon has been, and should still be, viewed as the most prestigious event of the science fiction calendar.  However, we face a landscape in which Worldcon has become eclipsed by other conventions, to the point where far fewer individuals who self-identify as “fans” have ever even heard of Worldcon or the Hugo Awards.

An additional contributing factor to this problem is that much of the core fandom – those individuals who have worked hard to make Worldcon such a prestigious event – appear to equate reaching out to a new audience with “turning Worldcon into a media con”.

We believe that this is not the case.  One important purpose of science fiction conventions has always been reaching out to new attendees and turning them into us – the kind of fans that will respect Worldcon for what it is and pass the traditions onto the current and future generations.

The Orlando in 2015 Committee has decided upon two strategies that are designed to address these issues and accomplish our goals simultaneously. Those two strategies are: getting a better bang for the buck and ‘bridging’ program items.

Getting a Better Bang for the Buck

The Committee has found a fantastic location for it’s convention.  One that offers more than adequate space for all of the programming and activities normally associated with Worldcon, and one that allows the convention to be hosted at a self-contained location.

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is:

• On the grounds of Walt Disney World and enjoys all of the amenities associated with a Disney-based vacation (free airport shuttle, free luggage service, first-class customer service, etc)
• Has 1,921 rooms including 43 suites for convention use.
• Is built on 15 acres of landscaped ground that incorporates several pools, a lake (with boating) and several restaurants and bars.
• Function space including 45 individual breakout rooms# (some dedicated, others with air walls) and an 86,000 square foot exhibit hall
• Meets (and exceeds) all requirements for ease of access, including extended golf carts shuttling around the facility, and over 100 sleeping rooms for guests with special needs (such as roll-in showers, lower-to-the floor thermostats, and touch lamps for ease of use).
• Serviced by public transportation on Disney grounds that provides access to all of Walt Disney World and the greater Orlando area
• One of the easiest cities in America to fly into both nationally and internationally
• Has enormous overflow hotel capacity across the entire range of pricing (budget to luxury)
• Is filled with restaurants and entertainment activities of all kinds in the immediate vicinity and adequately serviced by public transportation
• Is a facility in a ‘right-to-work state’: dealers will not have to use union help for loading, unloading, setup or electrical connections, although it will be available for those who choose to use it.

Coronado Springs is viewed as the ideal example of a Worldcon facility because:

• One facility can service and house the entire convention
• The location is as inexpensive to travel to as anywhere else in the world (and less expensive than most)
• Travel between hotel rooms and convention facilities is minimal
• The facility is recently modernized and incorporates Internet & wi-fi facilities
• The facility can be obtained by committing to a Worldcon-size room block – the function space is being provided at no charge, unlike convention centers that charge high fees.
• Disney representatives have also expressed a desire to work with and attract Worldcon, have researched its past in terms of facility, room requirements and spending and have found that the event is both a good match for the facility and the kind of name-brand, quality event they wish to attract. This means we have a facility that not only wants us, but wants to help us achieve our goals.

It should be noted that ‘reducing’ the cost of Worldcon has two components.  One is the cost reflected in the membership fees that must be charged to recoup expenses, the other is the direct cost experienced by the individual attendee, including such things as their cost of transportation to and from the event, their housing costs while at the event, their meal costs, etc.  If both are not contained and reduced, attendance will continue to stagnate and eventually suffer.

To that end, the Committee has chosen Orlando for its relatively low-cost (compared to other locations) location in terms of the non-membership related expenses and the Coronado Springs Resort because the resort has offered a room rate of only $139.00 a night (single to quad) as well as all of the facilities at no-cost.  This not only provides attendees with a relatively low-cost room rate, but provides the entire facility at a cost-savings level.

Finally, Orlando has still more to offer; if the Disney rate is too high for some budgets, numerous lower-cost hotels are accessible to the resort via public transportation; the town also offers some of the lowest rental car rates in the country.

The combination of a low room rate on the grounds of Disney and the facilities offered to Worldcon at no charge in exchange for the room block commitment, provides the Committee with a real opportunity to pass savings on to members (as a reduced membership fee) and/or to extend low-cost fees for the purpose of attracting new attendees – while doing so based out of a first-class facility.

Savings Realized Through

• Lower than average roundtrip airfare (Currently Boston – Orlando as low as $130; From LA $124; London $732)
• Very attractive room rate offered by Disney for on-site stays (lower cost rooms available within a short distance)
• Wide variety of restaurants (in terms of meal cost and cuisine) in the immediate vicinity
• Car rental not essential but among the lowest rates & widest selection in the country
• $0 charge for exhibit halls and program space

Utilization of Savings

The Committee’s plan is to utilize the savings to fund the following programs.  (Details will be determined once a pro forma budget has been completed):

• Reduced Attending Membership Fee
• Special Membership Categories (College Student, First Timer, etc)
• ‘Taster’/At-the-Door Memberships building on the work of previous Worldcons such as LA Con IV and Anticipation, among others
• Virtual Memberships (supporting membership plus online access to, minimally, select events of the convention through streaming and/or downloadable video)
• Facilities
• Marketing & Promotion

Generally speaking, the majority of the savings are expected to be realized in reduced membership fees and special category memberships.

Bridging Through Programming

The theme for Orlando’s Worldcon – Science Fiction is Bigger Than You Think! – was chosen because it reflects the true nature of science fiction fandom:  science fiction is literally everywhere in today’s culture.

And today’s culture is where new fans are found.  Movies, television, electronic games, anime, comics, toys, all are rife with prominent science fiction properties. Science fiction (and related) genres dominate the list of top grossing films. Two of the most popular televisions shows on today are science fiction-based. The top selling video games are science fiction and fantasy-based.

In decades past, new fans were acquired through shared interests – which meant primarily through the written word (on paper).  Today, fans meet through a much wider variety of media (such as the Internet).  Since many older fans do not engage with those media to the same extent as their younger counterparts, a divide has opened between new fen and those who would normally be recruiting and educating them on our fannish ways.  However, those media are vast and without the shared language, “neofen” and “trufen” sometimes never cross paths, reducing the ability to recruit and educate the neofen about the pre-existing fandom they are missing out on.

We believe that Worldcon is the perfect vehicle for helping traditional fandom recapture the fannish market-at-large. Hugo Gernsback, the Father of Science Fiction, described science fiction as ‘sugar coating for science’.  We will use the Orlando Worldcon as ‘sugar coating for fandom’.

The basic formula is to popularize the convention when promoting it to new fen by including programming, media and personalities that they are familiar with, while at the same time presenting those items in a fashion that stresses fannish tradition and the ways in which their interests are tied to, and have their roots in, traditional fandom.

Examples of that strategy in action include:

• In seeking our Guests of Honor, we will look for individuals who have ties to a wide variety of science fiction formats and, importantly, a grounding in and relationship with traditional fandom, while retaining the tradition of long service to the field. (This could be someone whose work has been reproduced as film, TV, games, comics, etc)

• “Ambassador Guests” of the convention as a separate class of guest, that are chosen for their connections to both traditional fandom and a newer media.  Worthy individuals who have both a traditional fannish background and ties to new media will be advertised as “Ambassadors” to the convention and used as a draw within the appropriate fannish communities.

• The theme of the convention – Science Fiction is Bigger Than You Think! – is big enough to encompass many expressions of science fiction within our culture.  The key to making the theme work is to insure that each program item consists of three elements during its presentation:  the historical connection to fandom, its ties to the traditions of fandom, and how it is representative of science fiction within our culture.

• Exhibits & Special Presentations such as: The History of Science Fiction, Fan History, First Fandom, Filking, Costuming, WSFS, the Business Meeting, the Hugo Awards, as well as special exhibits will be well-represented with both separate permanent function space and individual program items.  Again, each will, in addition to their core elements and by their very nature, have components that communicate their ties to history, fandom and SF in our culture.

• A series of targeted program track items will be scheduled that present science fiction, fandom and Worldcon in an introductory manner, while another series of programs will serve as introductions to a variety of different expressions of science fiction, such as Introduction and History of Science Fiction on Television (as well as introductory/historical panels on science fiction in video gaming, comics, anime, vidding, etc). Each item in this track will serve as both an introduction to science fiction’s impact on new media for traditional fans and its connection to fandom for new fans.

ADDITIONAL EFFORTS

Several other programs will serve to support and enhance the convention experience, while also serving as marketing draws and/or steps in the direction of ‘modernizing’ Worldcon.  These efforts include the ‘Virtual Membership’ and the electronic support network installed at the convention.

Virtual Membership

Membership in WSFS/Worldcon includes the right to nominate and vote on the Hugo Awards.  We believe the Hugo Awards have the potential of becoming completely marginalized in today’s culture. They were once a beacon for readers, drawing their attention instantly to the best in the field (or at least what the fans voted for as the best.), Now there are many awards which are more widely publicized to a much wider audience.

The cost of membership in WSFS has been a bar to greater participation.  About 1000 individuals vote for the awards these days, while Facebook fan communities often have tens of thousands of members.  New fandom simply does not credit, nor have any interest in, an activity that draws such a relatively small number of people.  Wider community involvement and presence must be obtained for the awards if they are going to continue to be relevant to today’s fans and, inevitably, the professional community who receive these awards.

The primary question asked by outsiders is something along the lines of “why should I pay so much to vote for an award no one I know cares about?” We care about the Hugo Award because we know its history.  It is part of our community and our traditions.

We believe that the Hugo should be perceived as ‘the most prestigious award in SF’ by not just Worldcon fans, but by anyone and everyone who is exposed to science fiction and fantasy, everywhere.  We know that getting there will not take place overnight – the four year effort to increase participation amongst Worldcon members by previous Worldcon committees is evidence enough of that.   Right now, the award is popular amongst a percentage of fandom.  The task of insuring that this continues seems to be well in hand.  However, there still remains a lot of work for all of us as fans regarding the rest of the world.

The Hugo Awards should be a household name – they deserve nothing less.  Even if you aren’t a fan (of whatever kind), we believe you ought to know what they are and perhaps even aspire to participate.  The committee believes that one of its most important jobs is to help make that happen, because a stronger Hugo Awards means a stronger Worldcon.  And a stronger Worldcon means a stronger fandom.

In order to grow the community that cares about the award (and everything else fannish), we need to entice new fans to participate.  Fandom equals participation.  Fans only participate because they care.

One way to “make people care” is to give them a taste – while barring them from the actual activity.   Virtually everyone can afford a nose-bleed seat at a baseball stadium.  They can also very clearly see that the box seats afford a far better view of the game.  Many will strive to afford a box seat and many more will wish that they could afford one.

We want every fan to be the same way: striving to participate in the Hugo Awards voting and always wishing that they could, even if they can’t always afford it.

The Virtual Membership is designed with that goal in mind.  For a fee slightly higher than Supporting Membership (which includes the right to vote), a member will be able to view portions of the convention online and/or on a DVD set.

We are well-aware of the concerns surrounding this concept: it would be far more effective as a marketing tool if the fee for virtual membership were less than supporting membership (and did not include WSFS membership), the objection being that this could potentially negatively impact Supporting memberships (and perhaps even Attending memberships).  It was determined that taking a phased approach to its introduction was therefore best.

We are also aware that Internet broadcasts and DVDs can be copied/pirated and or passwords can be provided to individuals who did not pay for the privilege.  This is viewed as actually a positive, viral benefit that can increase exposure and interest for Worldcon.

Finally, we have addressed privacy and rights concerns and believes that it can record while preserving the privacy of those who do not wish to participate:  program participants will be included on an ‘opt in’ basis: if a single panel member objects, that panel will not be recorded.

The objective of the Virtual Membership is to increase participation levels, at least by offering non-attendees a bit more than the right to vote and a few mailings.  With today’s technology, we believe such a membership has never been easier to offer to individuals. Hopefully in future this program will migrate to a lower cost than Supporting Membership – once the drive to physically attend Worldcon has once again been been firmly implanted in the community.

Electronic Network

The Coronado Springs Resort is equipped with a mixing and editing studio and has a very robust on-site wifi network.  We intend to utilize these facilities to the fullest extent.  Testing of the wifi network prior to the convention will determine if any additional capacity needs to be added to fully support access throughout the site with adequate bandwidth to support full integration of the convention, the attendees and the Internet.

A ‘media room’ will be equipped to support podcasters, bloggers and videographers.

It is also possible to record various convention events, edit them and re-broadcast them to the resort’s closed circuit system, allowing attendees to watch events they were unable to attend on television, in their rooms and even in one of the screening rooms as well.

Apps for use with tablets and mobile phones (such as Guidebook) will also be developed and will work in conjunction with those efforts previously described.  Program schedule, mapping, geolocating, alerts, etc., will be included in the app.

Utilizing technologies such as Skype and Google Voice, we can wire-in Worldcon’s Information Desk to allow members to use their mobile phones anywhere they choose to call (or even text) to ask a question or find a particular panel room, while still giving them the opportunity to walk to the physical Information Desk should they choose.

QR codes, a fast-growing and popular method of information gathering, can be utilized on-site on all physical room signs, allowing members to utilize their mobile phones to scan and quickly view the complete schedule of any individual room.  QR codes can also be utilized on the Worldcon website for information purposes, to download information directly to members’ smartphones, and for virtual storefronts of Worldcon merchandise.

It is important to the future success of Worldcon that it find ways to engage with the Web and provide materials that are suitable for web-based consumption.  By providing a dedicated facility for ‘Internet geeks’, Worldcon will gain wide and broad-based coverage from trusted sources.

General Public Admission

With the rise of the Internet and the relative ease of purchasing items once only found at fan conventions, dealers participating in Worldcon need all the help they can get.  Artists displaying at Worldcon likewise.  Publishers (whose direct support for Worldcon has diminished over the years in favor of larger media cons) desire more traffic and broader exposure before they will be ready to once again fully engage with Worldcon.

In order to accomplish the goal of bringing a wider potential audience to those participating in Worldcon with a commercial interest, we have decided to provide the Trade Show, Art Exhibit, Worldcon Exhibits, Tabletop Gaming and a few other activities on an Open to the Public, Free Admission basis.

The physical layout of the facility (the Veracruz Exhibit Hall) provides for excellent traffic flow and security control. Choke points for internal access to the rest of the convention will allow security to admit convention members and hotel staff beyond those points.

Taster memberships and day passes will be offered on-site (rate yet to be determined).   Art show bidding will utilize methodology that will prevent non-members from interfering with the bidding process.  Game play tickets will use a similar methodology to prevent non-members from signing up for games they will not attend. Our overall concept is to allow the largest possible traffic flow to commercial interests, while at the same time using them as a draw for day passes and as an additional method for exposing new fans to Worldcon.

Small Press Area

The science fiction community – both readers and authors – has come to rely more and more heavily on small presses over the years. We wish to recognize this and show its support by arranging a ‘small press area’ within the Dealers Room. Details on how this will be realized are still being worked on at the current time but, by way of example, there may be additional display areas for their wares, grouping to reduce direct competition and program items that draw attention to them.

Exhibit Hall Signage

The Committee plans to arrange the dealer’s room, art show and exhibits in a ‘street and road’ manner, as has been done before, but signage used to designate locations will all be named for iconic members of our community.  Program maps will reflect these namings.  A dealer might, therefore be able to tell a potential customer that their booth is at the corner of Ackerman and Clarke.

First Time Attendee Membership

First Time Attendee applicants would be evaluated against a list of members created from Worldcon attendance lists available as electronic files as well as a panel of fans chosen for their knowledge of the community.  First Time Applicants would also have to apply and justify the receipt of the benefit.  The Committee would be looking for individuals who have never attended Worldcon, who have a following or a community and who are articulate and persuasive.  Attending members receiving this benefit would be expected to prepare a report (similar to that prepared by TAFF & DUFF winners) and would also be expected to attend a minimum number of events at the convention, including opening ceremonies, introductory panels, the Award Ceremony and other items deemed to be important to the Worldcon experience.

TRADITIONS

Elements of program have been mentioned previously.  In addition to the ‘special tracks’ already detailed, the Committee plans to offer comprehensive programming similar to previous Worldcons with sections devoted to:

• Academics/Teaching
• Publishing
• Writing
• Fandom
• Theme-based (Military SF/Space Opera/New/Weird)
• Special Interest Groups
• Readings/Presentations
• Science
• Kaffeeklatsches/walks/beer & other beverage tastings
• Space Programs
• Disney & Imagineering
• Hugos & Other Awards (Chesley, Sidewise, Prometheus, etc)

Additionally, other traditional items will be scheduled appropriately including:

• Opening Ceremonies
• Dances
• Costume Masquerade
• Award Nominees Reception/Dinner
• Award Ceremony
• GoH related items
• Fan GoH related items
• ConSuite activities
• Children’s & Youth Programming
• First Fandom Programming/Special Events
• Fanzine Fandom & Special Events (Including Convention fanzine/paper)

MARKETING

Traditional methods of marketing will be used to promote the convention within traditional fannish circles.  These include such items as advertising in program books, fan tables at conventions, parties at Worldcons pre-2015.

It will also use available social networks (Facebook, Livejournal, Linkedin) for additional no-cost/low-cost reach.

Promotion of the event will rely heavily on the desirability and convenience of the facility and on the relatively low cost (when compared to other Worldcons).

We also plan to be able to provide discounted entertainment packages (in conjunction with Disney) as an additional benefit, particularly for attending families. We also plan to leverage free and or low-cost marketing programs to reach out to newer communities, particularly in those regions most likely to travel to Worldcon.

For example, Florida and Texas both have large and robust anime and media conventions circuits and both regions are within reasonable drive-time of Orlando (as well as, in the case of Texas, having numerous, relatively inexpensive flights from Dallas/Ft Worth, Austin, San Antonio and Houston into Orlando).

These locations will be marketed to aggressively – particularly Texas during the roll-up to LoneStarCon3 in 2013 – through their conventions, their websites and their publications, with tables, ads and fact items designed to present Worldcon as the kind of event they ought to be attending.

The ‘Ambassador Program’ will play a role here, as each Ambassador will be chosen for their presence and influence within a particular fannish community.  Each Ambassador will be given promotional materials (and perhaps a small budget) that will help them promote themselves and their attendance at Worldcon to their core constituencies.

The Orlando Convention & Visitor’s Bureau will be contacted and utilized to assist in publicizing the free admission nature of the trade show, art show and exhibits at the convention.  Disney may also provide some assistance in this area.

Once the convention committee begins to formalize, the participation of various individuals will have a positive impact on the fan groups they represent and they will be asked to promote to convention within those circles.  Similarly, new fan groups (with appropriate experience and skills) will be brought on board to work on the convention and will be expected to promote the event to their groups.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Bid Committee, as of April 6th, 2012, consists of the following individuals:

Bid Co-Chair ADAM BEATON
Bid Co-Chair STEVE DAVIDSON
MARY DUMAS
ROBBIE BOURGET
JOHN HAROLD
EVA WHITLEY
LYNDA MANNING-SCHWARTZ
CHARLES SCHWARTZ
COLETTE FOZARD
ADAM FERRARO
PAM LARSON
ARTHUR SANDERS
KATIE KATZ
JARROD COOPER
PATRICIAL MCCONNELL

The Chairman for the Convention is Adam Beaton.

Maps of the facility can be obtained on the front page of the bid’s website: www.orlandoin2015.org

To contact the committee:

orlandoin2015@gmail.com

Thank you for your time in reading our Manifesto.  We hope this document helps to underscore our love of Worldcon, demonstrate our competency in convention running, and showcase our overall plan for running Worldcon for you, the fabulous members who make Worldcon the premier event of the fannish calendar.

Please stop on by for your free copy of our bid art flyer and to learn more about our absolutely perfect location (Coronado Springs Resort, a Disney property) and our plans for Worldcon.

More information about Lunacon can be found  at http://2012.lunacon.org/

The artwork has received lots of positive commentary since it was first unveiled.  Check it our on File 770

Mary Dumas, Pam Larson and Steve Davidson, along with Mary Dumas’ daughter Kate and friends Renee and Jamie, manned a fan table at Arisia 2012 this past weekend at the Boston Westin Waterfront hotel.

Judging by the huge number of badge ribbons and party attendance (Orlando in 2015 hosted two open parties on Friday and Sunday of the con), the trip was a well-justified success.

Leading the way to that success was the costumed appearance of Snow White, Esmeralda and Alice (Kate, Jamie & Renee).

(L-R) Renee/Esmeralda, Jamie/Alice & Kate/Snow White

The attending members of the Bid Committee, along with enthusiastic supporters Frank and Brianna Wu, also presented Orlando in 2015′s particulars at a Worldcon panel on Sunday morning and was, in our opinion, well-received.

The table set up - not nearly as appealing....

For the seventh consecutive year, multiple industry partners join the Orlando Science Center to celebrate the role interactive technology plays in the way we live, learn, work and play during Otronicon on January 13-16, 2012.

This year, partners including EA SPORTS, Lockheed Martin, University of Central Florida, Florida Hospital, and first-time Otronicon partner, Walt Disney World Resort, demonstrate Orlando’s impact on the world of entertainment, simulation, education, training, healthcare and more.

Otronicon is the Science Center’s largest annual event with an average of 2,500 visitors each day – more than 10,000 guests for all four days. The experience has the opportunity to inspire a child’s interest in science and tech careers through the appeal of video games, interactive technology and virtual reality.

There are also classes in video game creation as well as exclusive peeks at simulators created by local experts. Simulation areas will examine how video game technology is being used in the military, medical, sports and entertainment industries as a training and design tool. Plus, connect with local simulation companies to learn about exciting careers in the field.

The event promotes the concept of “made in Orlando, played in Orlando” with many chances to interact with the creative professionals that make the games you enjoy and discover the growing career opportunities in your own backyard. EA Sports will spotlight the many aspects of game development as well as provide opportunities for open play while Disney will be showcasing how they use simulation to design rides and attractions. Military partners will be spotlighting how they use interactive technology to keep our pilots and soldiers safe.

In addition, explore the virtual reality environment of the Virtusphere or simulate surgery using the da Vinci surgical robot. There will also be live music, open play for video games on multiple platforms, and areas to explore video games as art. For the first-time during Otronicon, guests will also experience themed laser light shows on the 8-story screen of the Dr. Phillips CineDome.

Also new this year:

• An expanded EA Arena: Last year, EA SPORTS debuted at Otronicon with their Virtual Playbook.  This year, they’ll take over DinoDigs with a host of new experience and a look at what really goes “in the game”.
• Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is making their first appearance at Otronicon this year, demonstrating how they use modeling and simulation to create some of the world’s most memorable attractions.
• The military is expanding their presence with all new experience in robotics and simulation.
• Back by popular demand, not one – but two Virtusphere simulators with all new experiences.
• Expanded offerings in Medical SimCity with new advances in medical simulation and robotics.
• Competitions are changing.  Instead of a specified competition zone, spot competitions and lightning rounds are sure to keep visitors on their toes.

This event is included with general admission to the Orlando Science Center, which is $17 for adults and $12 for kids (ages 3-11). For more information, please call 407.514.2000.

Partners for Otronicon 2012 include Bright House Networks, University of Central Florida Institute for Simulation & Training, UCF Research & Commercialization, FIEA, Bank of America, EA Sports, Walt Disney World Resort, DeVry University, Florida Hospital for Children, SAIC, Florida High Tech Corridor, Florida Virtual School, Lockheed Martin, SEAY Business, National Center for Simulation, and the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission.

Well, not quite so fast. We’ve got to add a little filler text here so that a reasonably-sized version of our new promotional poster doesn’t run off the page.

We could mention Frank’s numerous Hugo wins for Best Fan Artist, we could blather incessantly about how AWESOME this piece is – which would be extremely redundant considering how self-evident the awesomeness is, or we could clue you in to the fact that it may now be revealed that Unca Hugo did not restrict himself to ‘telephots’, dry cell batteries and the adventures of Ralph. But seeing as how we’ve wasted enough space, on with the show!

It has become traditional for Worldcon Bid Committees to present themselves before the august body of SMOFcon attendees in order to participate in a Fannish Inquisition.

SMOFcon is largely attended by fans who have (nearly) made a career of convention production.  The Fannish Inquisition at SMOFcon provides an opportunity for a large number of experts to review the bid committee’s plans and is considered to be an important step in vetting and legitimizing a bid.

One of the hallmarks of the Orlando in 2015 bid is strong fiscal responsibility.  To a member, we all believe that there are less expensive and more creative ways to deliver a quality Worldcon experience.  Among many others, the committee’s goal is to lower the price of entry to the convention without affecting the experience and at the same time, hopefully increasing attendance.

With SMOFcon taking place in Amsterdam this year, the committee decided that there had to be a less-expensive alternative to the costs of an international flight, hotel room nights and meals away from home, one that would effectively serve the stated goal.

Working with members of SMOFcon, it was ultimately determined that we would submit a video presentation along with the answers to the written questionnaire.

As any good committee does, the Orlando in 2015 Bid Committee tapped into its native resource pool with various members performing scripting, narration, production and editing tasks.

The completed 3.5 minute video that was submitted to SMOFcon is presented below in its entirety.  We hope that you enjoy it and that it helps answers some of your questions about our bid.