From: "Robert MacIntosh" <macbuccfo at msn.com>
To: WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net
Subject: [WSFA] Re: A DC hotels question
Date: Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:39:36 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

The bid for '92 included the Hilton, which about 1.5 miles further down
Connecticut Ave. That hotel has the space for the "Main Tent" functions,
allowing us to put dealers and art show in the Omni and Marriot (it were a
Sheraton then). Of course, even then traffic at rush hour on Connecticut
would have travel nearly impossible. Fortunately, the Sheraton got greedy
and saved our collective back sides. Why? Because there was no way in hell
it would have ever worked. We all went to MagiCon that year.

Bob MacIntosh

>From: Eva Whitley <eva.whitley at gmail.com>
>Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
>To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
>Subject: [WSFA] Re: A DC hotels question
>Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:04:39 -0500
>
>Michael Nelson wrote:
> > -- Michael Walsh <MJW at press.jhu.edu> wrote:
> >
> >>>macbuccfo at msn.com 10/30/2006 10:51:08 AM >>>
> >>>You want to limit the convention to 3,500, those two hotels would
> >>>work.
> >>>Larger than that, forget about it. We eat too much function space
> >>>with more
> >>>folks attending than they have available.
> >>
> >>Hey, as long as *my*  friends can get in....
> >
> > I was trying to think of ways to fit a Worldcon into
> > that Connecticut Ave. space.  I've detailed my idea of
> > televising the major events to smaller function rooms.
> >
>
>So now I'm *really* confused. Why were we bidding these hotels in the
>late 80s? It's not like Worldcon was really small back then, or were we
>planning to announce a 3500 person cap if we won?
>
>Gotta say, I love the "studio" idea for big tent items. I always enjoyed
>kicking back on my bed with a pizza and my favorite guys, watching the
>events unfold. You could even do a variation of what Minicon used to do
>with their con suite and have targeted rooms for smoking (I assume the
>rest would be non), heckling, etc. Heck, even offer a banquet in one
>room for folks who miss it (and the hotel would be happy to have it).
>
> > But we could do things like put strict limits on the
> > size of the art show and dealers' room so they would
> > fit into smaller function space to leave the large
> > function spaces for big events.  Maybe we could limit
> > the art show to professional artists only or form a
> > judging panel to determine who would be allowed into
> > the art show.  And only allow a certain number of
> > specialty dealers in the dealers' room -- X numbers
> > of book dealers, Y numbers of t-shirt dealers, etc.
> >
> > It would be an opportunity to dump certain activities
> > like gaming and the film program.  And, unfortunately,
> > we would probably have to dump a lot of the exhibits
> > since there would be no room for a "ConCourse" type
> > of space for fans to wander through.
> >
>
>Well, if there were no gaming, I'd always have a house sitter for
>Worlcon, because it would be impossible to get Dave to go. --Eva
>