Conference noted::sf

    First it's on, then it's off, then it's on again.....
    
    I don't know.....

Re .1

>    First it's on, then it's off, then it's on again.....

>    I don't know.....

This is a *different* group bidding for 1998.  The MCFI bid,
which had been for 1998 and was subsequently switched to 2001,
is still active.

That's right.  There are *two* Boston bids:  1998 and 2001.

I notice that they say that it's less than a mile from the
Hynes to the hotel cluster in the Back Bay.  Looking at a
map, the distance appears to be *just barely* under a mile.
Think about walking that distance on Labor Day weekend, in
weather like we've been having the past several days.

-- Andrew

(Note:  I am completely unconnected with all WorldCon bids,
except for my habit of buying pre-supporting memberships in
most of them to save on eventual attending memberships.)

    Does the second group realize that if they win the 1998 bid, the 2001
    bid is invalid?

    >Does the second group realize that if they win the 1998 bid, the 2001
    >bid is invalid?
    
    Why?  (I have no idea how these things work.)
    
    					andrew

It's against the rules for one city to host the WorldCon two cycles in a 
row (a cycle being three years).  

Current rules divide North America into three strips, with each entitled to 
bid every three years.  The rest of the world is entitled to bid any year.
So both 1998 and 2001 are years for East Coast WorldCons.

By the way, there have been some proposals floating around to open up 2001 
to all of North America.  I believe that even if that happens, they still 
won't waive the rule about not having Worldcon in the same city within 3 
years.  

   Gary

    Thanks for the explanation.  Now: who sets up the rules?

    World Science Fiction Society.
    
    It's a very long and convoluted bidding process.
    
    The rule you are looking for is the 100 mile exclusion zone rule which
    states that a Worldcon cannot be held in the same zone two cycles in a
    row if the sites are within 100 miles of each other.
    
    As far as the opening up of 2001, it may indeed happen, but the 100
    mile rule was specifically INCLUDED in the motion.

    The exclusion zone is actually 60 miles.  That's still big enough
    that Baltimore and Washington block each other out for the next
    selection as do a couple of other pairs of cities where Worldcons have
    been held (London / Brighton UK, Los Angeles / Anaheim CA).  The
    original proposal to open up 2001 to the World would have removed
    all restrictions.  It was amended to leave in the 60 mile exclusion
    zone and, if I recall the minutes of the meeting correcting, this
    was done by Boston people.
    
    Donald
    

    Re .2
    
    (1)  Just because the Sheraton Boston and the Marriott Copley Place
    refuse to officially reserve any rooms for Worldcons does not mean
    that no one attending a Worldcon can stay at one.  In 1989, during
    Noreascon Three, there were two different unofficial rooms blocks
    in the Marriott totally 50 to 60 rooms and the sponsors of those blocks
    said they could easily have gotten more.  (I gather they set up their
    blocks by telling the hotel some story about it being a get away
    weekend and failing to mention anything about the Worlcon.)
    
    (2)  The Boston in 1998 committee currently has reserved over 350 rooms
    at smaller hotels in the immediately vicinity of the Hynes and is
    working on getting more.
    
    (3)  According to my maps, the straight line distance from the Hynes to
    the Park Plaza is 0.7 miles.  I believe that's less than the distance
    was between the Clarion and Peabody hotels for Magicon last year.  (The
    Peabody was the headquarters hotel.  The Clarion had some programming
    and events.  The Convention center was inbetween them.)
    
    (4)  If one were staying in the Park Plaza cluster it does not follow
    that one would have to walk to get to/from the Hynes.  It is possible
    to run high quaity frequent air conditioned bus service and in fact
    possible to do so for about the amount of money that Noreascon Three
    was forced to spend on legal fees and extra security because of
    problems  with the Sheraton in 1989.
    
    (5)  MCFI openly came up with a lot of good ideas on how to organize
    the daily flow of the convention and provide facilities so as cut the
    number of trips people would have to make between the main hotel
    cluster and the Hynes.
    
    Donald