A press release from London in 2014:
The London in 2014 bid team is pleased to announce the formal filing of its bid to host the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”) at the ExCeL exhibition centre complex in London’s Docklands in August 2014.
The official filing documents were lodged with Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention, shortly before the filing deadline of 2 March 2012, and London has subsequently been confirmed as the sole bidder to host the 2014 event. The bid is jointly chaired by Steve Cooper and Mike Scott and the proposal is to hold the Worldcon from Thursday 14 August to Monday 18 August 2014.
The filing package can be found on the official website of the London in 2014 bid at www.londonin2014.org and includes a supporting invitation letter from the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, as well as the formal materials required by the constitution of the World Science Fiction Society. The bid has provisionally reserved substantial hotel space around the ExCeL area as well as the venue’s new International Convention Centre in preparation for the event.
Science fiction fans around the world are already looking forward to the Worldcon’s return to London, almost half a century after it was last held in the city in 1965. The organising committee confidently expects the event to be the largest Worldcon ever held outside the United States, with well over five thousand members taking part—including many of the field’s leading writers, editors, publishers, critics and artists. Highlights of the event will include the presentation of the prestigious Hugo Awards for achievement in science fiction and fantasy, a substantial Art Show, Dealers’ Room and Exhibit Areas. Convention programming will extend to more than five hundred separate items across the five days of the event, including talks, panels, discussions, workshops, readings and autograph sessions, and will range from serious debate to pure entertainment.
The official site selection process is open to all Adult and Young Adult Attending and Supporting members of Chicon 7. Ballots may be submitted by postal mail or in person at the convention, up to the close of voting at 6PM on Saturday 1 September 2012. Chicon 7 is also looking into the option of online voting which is now permitted for the first time under a constitutional amendment ratified at Renovation, the 2011 Worldcon. All ballots must be accompanied by an Advance Membership (Voting) fee of $40, which will automatically be converted to a Supporting membership in the 72nd Worldcon.
Full information on the site selection process will be published on the Chicon 7 website at www.chicon.org/site-selection.php over the coming weeks. A printed ballot will also be included in Chicon 7’s Progress Report 4, which will be published in mid-April.