Bids

The most important event at Smofcon each year is the fannish Q&A, where seated conventions and groups bidding for Worldcon, NASFiC, or Smofcon make presentations about conventions they would like to run. We will be hosting this panel at 2:30 PM Pacific time (10:30 PM in the UK, 11:30 PM CET) on Saturday, December 7, 8:30 AM Sunday in Australia Eastern time).

These are questions that have been traditionally asked at previous Q&A sessions. There are a lot of questions here, so do not wait until the week before to go through this. You may answer “N/A” on any questions that don’t apply to your event. You may resubmit and update this form if you wish (online editing will be available in November). The committee will not be vetting your answers; the members are looking for accurate and useful information. You don’t need to answer questions with essays; anything important should be found on your website in as much detail as you want.

An editing feature will be available in a couple of days, so you’ll be able to add or update your submission. For the moment, if you want to submit an updated form, you may simply submit this form again and we’ll present the newest version. These forms will be public on the website in the next few days.

General

Convention Type
 City (& state/region if needed)
 Country
 Year
log‍in identifier (for editing)
 pass‍word
contact em‍ail
Date(s)
Website

Committee

Bid Chair (if applicable)
Convention Chair
Senior Committee
Con Chair Experience: Briefly, tell us about major roles and accomplishments the chair has with Worldcons, NASFiCs, and other conventions.

Senior Committee Experience: Briefly, summarize the convention background of the vice-chair(s), executive committee, and/or major division heads.

Leadership & Succession
Will you have one or more vice-chairs? Do you have a succession plan if your chair is unable to attend or lead the convention? Do you have a governance or accountability process, as a last resort, to remove a seated chair if your membership or sponsoring organization decides the chair is not performing the job as expected?

Pass-Along Funds
Will you participate in the tradition of passing along a post-con surplus to future Worldcons, and NASFiCS? To what percentage? Give any details or restrictions you will apply to these transfers?

Travel

What are typical competitive airfares to your local airport(s) from major cities (e.g. New York, Boston, Washington/Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Sydney)?

Is your main local airport a national or international hub? From how many cities do nonstop flights come to your airport(s) daily? Are direct flights to your airport available from all continental hubs?

Can you recommend, or not recommend, alternative airlines or airports that might be less expensive or more convenient for some travelers?

What is the most practial and convenient way on public transit from your airport(s) to your main hotel? How many connections and fares are required? What is the expected travel time on public transit?
Also tell us about taxi, shared-ride, or shuttle costs and times from the airport for travelers with heavy luggage and/or accessibility needs? What is the travel time for these rides?

Facilities: Hotel(s), Convention Center

Venue(s)/Facilities
What is your main venue(s) for program and exhibit space? How many function rooms do you have (for panels, events, and other scheduled activities) and what is the total seating capacity? How much exhibit space do you have (for dealers, art show, fan tables, etc.)?

What are your main hotels? What are the room rates? How many max sleeping room nights have you contracted on the busiest night (Saturday?)? Are you using other hotels, and if so, how far away are those and what are their rates? Please include taxes.

What is the distance between main hotel and main program or exhibits site, if any.

Are you in more than one building? Are the buildings connected or adjacent? If not, what transportation is available between sites for members with mobility issues?

Where will your main events (Hugo Awards, Masquerade, etc.) be held? What is the seating capacity there?

Where can on-site socializing happen? Are arrangements required to permit serving food or alcohol?

What are the rules and laws regarding smoking? Where is smoking permitted on site (and what can be smoked )?

What will your policies be regarding public health (masking, social distancing, etc.)? Will you policies accommodate members with respiratory or immunity issues?

Neighborhood and Region


What are the parking rates for your convention center and hotel(s)?

What area of the city (or suburb) is your convention site in your city: How far is the convention from the city center, airport, or intercity rail or bus terminals, or important cultural/tourist/entertainment districts?

Summarize nearby restaurants (five minutes walk, 400 meters, 440 yards) including fast food, fine dining, and anything in between.

What is the typical weather in your area during your convention dates?

What are a few of the most notable or interesting tourist attractions in your area? Are any cool events happening in your area during or immediately before or after your convention?

Policies and Plans

Are you planning to have any membership discounts for certain demographic groups, such as young adults, military, or seniors?

Does your convention have a theme or vision? How would you include these ideas into your convention?

Are there any activities or features of your regional fannish culture that you can bring to your convention?

Do you have a Code of Conduct? What is the URL? Does your Code of Conduct include an anti-discrimination policy?

What are your plans and policies about diversity, equity, and inclusion regarding members, staff, and volunteers?

Do you have plans for remote virtual participation by members and/or program participants? If so, are you familiar with budget, technical, and staffing issues regarding virtual programming?

What is the human rights situation in your country or region? Specifically, can members who are LGBTQ+ or members of religious, ethnic, or racial minorities travel in safety to your convention?

For Worldcons: What are your plans for including Hugo finalists who attend the convention in your convention program?

More Info
Is there anything else you want to share with our members? Give us links to any pages you want to point people to. You could also give a short statement here if there's anything important not covered in the questions above.
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Bid Questionnaire Status
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