From: "Ted White" <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Balticon in 2006 - Hunt Valley Inn
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 18:34:21 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 3:32 PM
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Balticon in 2006 - Hunt Valley Inn

> >>>> omni at omniphile.com 3/14/2005 3:19:30 PM >>>
>
> snippage occurs
>
> >Say!  Maybe fandom should just pool all our money and buy a hotel?  Then
=
> we
> >could hold worldcons there all the time, as well as smaller cons,
writing
> >seminars and other events of interest...keep it booked year round just =
> with
> >fans, and live like we want to?  Maybe extend it into a chain so there =
> are
> >such hotels everywhere?  No more hassles for the hotel liaisons, by
fans,
> >for fans?
>
> "The Tucker Hotel was based on a suggestion of Bob's, in 1952 when the
> ChiCon II and its prices signalled the start of the Big Convention =
> movement,
> that fans simply build a hotel of their very own for holding conventions
=
> in,
> moving it from one site to another as required.  A campaign arose to send
> Bricks to Tucker for the construction of this edifice; Rich Elsberry,
> denouncing this as a vile proish plot to get free bricks, recommended
that =
> BT
> be sent straw with which to make bricks for himself.  A group of
Anglofans
> designed, and draftsman Bob Shaw drew up plans for, a Tucker Hotel; Walt
> Willis and Chuck Harris located a fine site for it."
>  * Fancyclopedia II, <http://www.sff.net/people/diccon/TANGO.HTM>
>
> The print edition has actual plans.

Hotels are cash cows if run well.   The trick would be to book mundanes all
but one or two weekends a year, holding fannish conventions on those
reserved weekends.  Not only would this build our coffers, it would
subsidize a truly lavish convention.

The trick, of course, is to *get* such a hotel....

--Ted White