Those of you involved in conrunning know that from time to time organizers need to meet in person. In theory doing everything online is possible but there are many advantages to meeting in the physical space. Worldcon is not different – and at the end of May we had the Glasgow 2024 All Staff Weekend. It was not the first in person gathering but the first I managed to attend it in person.
Three Long Days
Before the All Staff we had additional ConCom gathering on Friday. That means that in total I spent three full days discussing how this year’s Worldcon would look like. It was a long and exhausting but also very pleasant weekend. Each day we had a series of meetings starting in the morning and continuing till late afternoon.
During my walks to and from the hotel I got the chance to understand how picturesque our venue and its vicinity are.
Friday was obviously smaller yet on Saturday and Sunday there were around 80 of us in the room(s). The whole weekend had a predefined structure. Some sessions required everyone’s participation other were held in smaller groups. Some of them were devoted for divisions to discuss their internal matters. Others facilitated the cross-divisional work and discussions. Those who were not able to come to Glasgow were able to join online and quite a few people used this opportunity in both plenary and smaller sessions.
On Sunday evening I was tired and the perspective of of waking up at 2:30 AM on Monday was a bit terrifying. Still should you ask me whether I would repeat it – I would say that definitely yes!
Timelining the convention during the ConCom meeting on Friday.
Meeting Friends
We discussed many topics and I was glad to see how our Worldcon takes its shape. Yet I believe that those “official” topics/matters are not the only ones that counts. At leats to me they are not the only one. Social interactions are as important. The time needed to hold a Worldcon is enormous. Glasgow 2024 started in 2015. Some members of the team were there at the beginning, others joined later. There are some who stepped down and some who came back. What connects us all is that we want to make it happen and we are doing it all for fun. And this means that the social interactions are crucial for success. Running Worldcon is difficult and doing it with people one likes makes it easier (although still not easy!).
Esther speaking in front of the team.
I remember that late in 2015 I subscribed to the newsletter of “UK in 2024” Worldcon bid. I wanted to help yet I had no idea where in the end I will land. In 2020 I officially joined the team as a person responsible for Fan Tables. Over the last few years it somehow evolved and my current role is co-DDH for Promotions. For most of the time I was not able to meet my closest peers in person. I had the plan to have an hour to chat with Noelle on my way to Corflu Craic but Lufthansa decided it was a good day to delay my flight. Yet it was thanks to Noelle that I even made it to the bus at Dublin airport!
So I was very glad to meet Meg and Noelle and have the time to chat. We managed to cover the organizational topics during a few sessions and chat a while at the social evening gatherings. I regret that Matt was not able to join us in person but I am looking forward to meeting him in Glasgow in a bit over 2 months.
Together with Noelle we took the opportunity to go to the top of Crowne Plaza hotel and take a picture with ‘our’ Armadillo.
I was also so glad to meet other members of the Promotions team and from other teams as well. Some of them I already met in person before and some I have seen for the first time. I find it utterly important.
Seeing It Done
It is hard to believe that after so many years we are finally “almost there”. Discussions we all had were not theoretical. They were treating about what, when and how will happen. Is it ready? Not everything but it soon will be :). It is both terrifying and exciting. I am glad and proud that I managed to add a little brick to this building. And I am privileged to be able to see it in the making. Listening to what other divisions planned was refreshing and fascinating.
It was also great to be able to see something I worked on. Just before the All Staff weekend our advertisement campaign in Glasgow subway was launched. Together with Noelle we made a trip on Friday after the meetings to see it “in the wild”. The ad was there and seeing it was strangely great. We tried to take some selfies but in the end other subway passengers offered us help and we got the picture below. A great memory!
Glasgow 2024 advert in the wild and part of the promotions team being visibly happy because of that.
And a Great Weekend
There were many superb things that happened to me over the course of those three days. Some of them I already mentioned but not all. So I got the Glasgow 2024 Gin bottle (well the bottle is empty but it has the marvellous sticker!). Once again thank you Meg! Oh and I should mention that finally I got the chance to see our special tartan rocket! I even took some pictures with it and I can tell you it is fabulous but also heavy!
I was happy to finally see this wonderful piece of art with my own eyes.
The weekend was tiring but also refreshing. It was a very good opportunity to discuss some important points for the next two months. I also learned a lot about what is being prepared. Now I have a way better picture of how the Glasgow 2024 would look like. As a matter of fact I participated in the venue tour so the picture is quite literal. Seeing Armadillo from the inside was somehow exciting after so many years of promoting our Worldcon with its picture!