WE'RE GOING TO HELSINKI IN 2017!

(Ahem)

I heard the news Friday night, but was waiting until 10am PDT for the official confirmation at Sasquan, the 73rd WorldCon in Spokane WA.

But Helsinki, Finland has WON their bid for the 75th WorldCon -- 9-13 August 2017.

We are both so excited about this. We've been supporting their bid for some time -- they announced their bid on 13 October 2013 (DW) a week before I got out of the hospital -- and we've been ready to go back to Helsinki since we visited there in 2003.

We. Will. Make. This. Happen.



There were four bids for 2017: Tokyo, Montreal, Helsinki and a late bid for Washington DC.

From File 770:

The 2017 Worldcon will be in Helsinki, Finland. According to Kevin Standlee, who participated in the ballot count as a member of the Montreal bid, the unofficial tally went as follows:

Helsinki    1,363
DC            828
Montreal      228
Nippon        120

The total number of votes was 2,624 (which includes write-ins and no preference). The number of ballots expressing a preference was 2,605. Therefore 1,303 votes were needed to attain a first-round majority, which Helsinki achieved.

Helsinki won 52% of the votes on the first ballot. For comparison, Sasquan reported that 5,950 people voted in this year's Hugos - this was 56% of the total memberships at the end of July when Hugo voting closed. A little less that half -- 44% -- the number of people voted for Site Selection versus the Hugos.

Of course, some of this has to do with the fact that you have to buy a voting token to vote for Site Selection, which turns into a Supporting Membership to the winning WorldCon no matter who you voted for. I saw at least one comment online with someone new to the whole WorldCon scene bitterly denouncing the extra fee to keep outsiders out. Well... it's not a fee if you actually GET a discounted Supporting Membership to the WorldCon two years hence -- which does allow you to vote in future Hugo ballots AND support WorldCon. The assumption being that someone interested in WorldCon Site Selection might be interested in Supporting or Attending a future WorldCon.

Personally I think part of the reason for lower voting interest in Site Selection is it doesn't matter for most people. Some attendees will go every year wherever it is and some supporters will hardly ever get to a WorldCon due to finances or location somewhere on this planet. Plenty of people will go if it's convenient. WorldCon is wherever WorldCon ends up, most of the time. Example: We went to Chicon 7 in Chicago in 2012, because Chicago is just a short drive away. Right now I have not flown in a number of years, which ruled out San Antonio, Spokane, London, for example, but I am hoping to drive to the 74th WorldCon in Kansas City next year and MidAmeriCon II 17-21 August 2016 -- because I can. Oh, and FYI, KC hotel "bookings to open sometime in early 2016."

Also on the File 770 page is the best comment ever:

snowcrash on August 22, 2015 at 5:44 pm said:

Congrats to Helsinki! As it’s Worldcon 75, what’s the plan for the Quarter Quell?

Relevant websites:

The Official WorldCon 75 Website

Registration Site for WorldCon 75

Page for Upgrading a Supporting or Voting Membership to Attending!

Party on, Eino!

Dr. Phil

UPDATE: And... we have Attending Memberships paid for.

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