A press release from Chicon 7:
Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon), received a total of 1922 valid final ballots, representing a 37.7% turnout. The figure of 1922 is the second highest ballot count in history after Renovation, the 2011 Worldcon. Chicon 7 previously announced an all-time record of 1101 nominating ballots, highlighting the ever-increasing interest and support for the Hugo Awards.
The 2012 Hugo Award winners will be announced on Sunday evening, September 2, at a formal ceremony in the Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom, hosted by Toastmaster John Scalzi. Members can look forward to Scalzi’s inimitable combination of insight, humor and sheer coolness throughout an exciting and entertaining event. The Hugos will start at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast live around the world via Ustream at <www.ustream.tv/channel/worldcon1>. In addition, the official Hugo Awards site, will provide live text coverage via CoverItLive, which will be hosted by former Worldcon Co-Chairman Kevin Standlee and Campbell Award Nominee Mur Lafferty.
It is a Worldcon tradition that while the Hugo trophy itself always takes the form of a silver rocket, the base on which it stands is unique to each year. The 2012 Hugo Award base has been designed by Deb Kosiba, who previously designed the trophy bases for the 2005 and 2006 awards. Ms. Kosiba will be revealing and discussing the base design at the Chicon 7 Opening Ceremony on Thursday, August 30, and members are encouraged to attend for a first look at this coveted item.
The Hugo Awards are the premier award in the science fiction genre, honoring science fiction and fantasy literature and media as well as the genre’s fans. The awards were first presented at the 1953 World Science Fiction Convention (“Worldcon”) in Philadelphia (Philcon II), and Worldcons have continued to present the awards annually for nearly 60 years.
Chicon 7 Announces Mobile App for Android and Apple Devices
Chicon 7 will provide members with an online application for handheld devices that provides key convention information. Developed in partnership with Viafo, it’s available for Android phones and tablets through Google Play, and will be available for iPhone and iPad through the iTunes App Store.
The Chicon 7 app is an enhanced version of software used for Renovation, the 2011 Worldcon. The app includes a full program schedule with item descriptions, times, and locations; a linked program participant list; social media integration; and hotel maps. A key improvement from Renovation: it now comes with an integrated version of the program database, enabling it to be used offline. Members can resynchronize the app at any time to provide the latest version of the program. Full information and download details at <www.chicon7.org/mobile.php>.
