progress report #1 1 Contents progress report 1 editor: Vesa Sisättö what is this thing we call worldcon 75? ...........................3 contributors: Eemeli Aro, Saija Aro, Jukka Halme, Paula Heinonen, Crystal Huff, Pasi 2017 site selection results .....................................................5 Karppanen, Aleksi Kuutio, Ben Roimola, Vesa Sisättö, Juha Tupasela, Nina Törnudd. tips on small talk with the guests of honour...................6 translations: Sara Norja, Sarianna Silvonen proofreading: Charlotte Laihonen on polar bears .........................................................................9 graphic design: M. Pietikäinen illustrations: memberships ...........................................................................10 Maya Hahto: 4 Petri Hiltunen: 7, 27 finland: an assortment of notes and information ....... 12 Jyrki Vainio: back cover printed at: Painotalo Casper hotels ......................................................................................14 ”World Science Fiction Society”, ”WSFS”, the word for worldcon is maailmankongressi ............. 16 ”World Science Fiction Convention”, ”Worldcon”, ”NASFiC”, ”Hugo Award”, finnish fandom: some unique characteristics ................ 19 and the distinctive design of the Hugo Award Rocket are service marks of the membership statistics ...........................................................24 World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. membership list ......................................................................27 What is this thing we call Worldcon 75? What is a Worldcon? It’s an existential ques- committee tion, but something we are excited to answer As you know, Bob, Worldcon 75 a.k.a. Helsinki World- con has a set of Chairs. Three of them, in fact: Saija Aro, for you. There are many people reading this Jukka Halme and Crystal Huff. We like to call ourselves Team HAH. Some days we feel so blessed and relaxed, Progress Report who are first-time Worldcon that we’re Team AHH. members, and many who will be attending None of us is a newbie with con running, though we have been most involved with staffing our national and Worldcon 75 as their first European or first regional conventions, which is why some of you may not have met us yet. Saija has been making Finncons Nordic convention. We want to be sure each of happen for over 20 years, working at every level from gophering to co-chairing (the last one in 2014 was on you has some idea of what you’ve signed up for! the small side with 3000 attendees). She also ran the memorable Finnish room party at Interaction, dabbles with other conventions, fandom organizations and art Worldcon is short for the World Science Fiction Con- happenings. In her civil life she manages things at an vention, and Worldcon 75 is the 75th such convention, eco company, a set of twins and the former bid chair, which will be located in Helsinki, Finland in August of Eemeli Aro. 2017. Worldcon is actually the convention of World Sci- Jukka Halme has chaired and co-chaired three Finn- ence Fiction Society. So that’s why we don’t have tickets cons, including the massive Finncon-Animecon in 2009 to get into the convention, but individual memberships. (over 10 000 attendees) and has also been in charge of It is a floating convention, meaning it is in a different programming at Finncon and Åcon for several years. place every year. It is also one of the oldest science fic- Jukka has been actively involved in Finnish and Nordic tion conventions in the world, starting from year 1939. fandom since the early 80s, doing everything possible At Worldcon you’ll have the opportunity to partic- from gophering to editing and beyond. He has also been ipate with the prestigious Hugo Awards, vote for the the fan GoH of two Eurocons. In his free time he works best novel/artist/film/fan/etc of the year. Worldcon also for the City of Helsinki and minds his two dogs with his hosts an awesome masquerade, a wonderful selection lovely wife. When this PR1 is being released, Jukka will of the best SF/F-related art with its Art Show, a veritable be in Australia, as the GUFF-delegate. cornucopia of items you can purchase at the Dealer’s Crystal Huff began staffing conventions at her very room, and several hundreds of hours of program, in a first one. She has helped run Publications, Massage Den, lovely atmosphere of fellow aficionados. Member Services, Staff Den, the Photo Booth, Staff Ser- European Worldcons tend to be slightly different vices, and Volunteers, variously, at Arisia, Boskone, and from the US ones. The convention was born in the Unit- Worldcon, with occasional side forays into volunteering ed States, thus most of the traditions have been created at Balticon, Transcending Boundaries Conference, and by the US fandom. One of the most obvious differences SXSW. She served as chair of Arisia 2011, Relaxacon 2011, is the fact that Worldcons in Europe have no room par- and Readercons 23, 24, and 25. Crystal lives in Boston ties. European hotel rooms are smaller than in the US with her family. and there are only a few suites available. It is also worth An operation as large as this wouldn’t be possible mentioning, that in Europe we usually don’t have a hos- without a large number of people. Worldcon 75 has pitality suite for free food, but Messukeskus does offer a the immense luck and honour to have a pair of Proj- wide variety of restaurant options! ect Managers, who dabble in the day-to-day business 3 of running the organisation and making sure that the is one of the largest SF/F-literature cons in Europe. In Chairs aren’t mucking it up too badly. Hanna Hakkara- addition, there are also similarly sized roleplaying, an- inen is a long-time con organiser, a mother of a future ime, and comics cons/festivals taking place every year in con organiser, a Cat-Lady, as well as a former Chair of Finland.. Finncon and Åcon. When she isn’t learning a new lan- The Worldcon 75 committee is made of several for- guage or hatching another con-related idea, she might mer and current chairs, vice-chairs, treasurers, program- just bake a cake. Or two. Charlotte Laihonen is a native ming heads, and then some, from the aforementioned N’awlinsian, who moved to Helsinki a few years back conventions. Not to mention the committee members with her family. Charlotte has been active in US fan- from all over the world: USA, UK, Sweden, Australia, Ire- dom for most of her life, and joining the Finnish scene land, Germany, etc. All people with more or less experi- has given her a unique perspective on the con running ence with con running, but most importantly, enthusi- cultures of both countries. She has the unenviable task asm and willingness to learn and work for the common of trying to moderate the different ways into some goal—making Worldcon 75 a true WORLDcon. semblance of a coherent unity. So far, she seems to be We want to showcase what science fiction, fantasy, doing a bang up job. and everything related to the field of speculative fic- tion, there is in Finland. We also want to bring forth the what’s going on? rest of the world, all those creators, fans and consumers Well, a lot. As one should think, organising and putting that are Out There, in China, in Russia, in Nigeria, in Bra- together an event the size and scope of a Worldcon takes zil and wherever else. There’s treasure everywhere, as a fair number of people, time and effort. While the con Calvin & Hobbes pointed out to us. You just need to go won’t take place until August next year, the large wheel out and look for it, in order to find that thing you didn’t has started turning and will keep on chugging, until the know you were looking for. last of the dead dogs have been dealt with. Of course, Worldcon 75 is not going to be “just” all Our committee is still a moveable beast, a collection that Finnish/World stuff. It will be a Worldcon as many of local talent and foreign expertise. As we are one of the people have known and loved for the 74 years prior to very few ever Worldcons held in a city/country, where now. The majority of our programming will be in En- English is not the language of the people, there are glish, all those panels, lectures, debates, plays, quizzes, many areas that need that Finnish Division/Area Head. demonstrations, readings, et al. Just like before. With Luckily, Finland has several decades of experience with some added spices. A dash of Suomi. A pinch of musiik- organising SF/F-related conventions for thousands of ki. A smidgen of salmiakki. attendees. Finncon, the national convention of Finland, We’re looking to bring a diverse and interesting Art Show to Worldcon 75. We’re already excited about the possibility to have a major contribution from Russian artists, who are woefully unknown in the West. Sever- al Finnish artists have already been enthusiastic about this opportunity to showcase their talents to the world at large. We’ll have more info soon on our website. Dealers of all kinds of wares have been asking about the rules and regulations, not to mentions the dread- ed taxes… We’ll have all the information coming to our webpages later this year. If we don’t know the answer you’re looking for, we’ll find that answer for you. As for the Programming, the volunteering and sug- gestion forms will be put online this Spring, as will the pertinent pages relating to important matters such as Accessibility and Code of Conduct. This is a work in progress. We’re not rushing things in order to make things fast. We want Worldcon 75 to be something bet- ter than good; we want it to be great.