Seattle in 2002 Worldcon Bid Folds

The Seattle committee is withdrawing their bid for the 2002 Worldcon, due to an inability to obtain hotel rooms

I just received the following email:

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 08:18:40 -0800
From: Linda Deneroff <lindad@isomedia.com>
Subject: Seattle in 2002 World Science Fiction Convention Bid Withdrawal

GROUP OF FRIENDS
SEATTLE IN 2002
A BID FOR THE WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION
Post Office Box 1066
Seattle, Washington 98111-1066
seattle2002@isomedia.com
Dear Bid Supporter:

The Seattle in 2002 World Science Fiction Convention ("Worldcon") Bid Committee regretfully announces to our members that, effective immediately, we are withdrawing our bid to host the Worldcon in Seattle over Labor Day weekend in 2002.

The reason for this withdrawal is our inability to obtain a reservation for the Washington State Trade and Convention Center, due to an unexplained resistance on the part of a local hotel management to commit the necessary room-nights. Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is the owner or operator of many of the major downtown Seattle hotels, including the Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers, Westin Hotel Seattle, Days Inn Towncenter, The Edward Meany Hotel, and Sixth Avenue Inn, as well as the new Group W Hotel and the proposed hotel to be built at the Convention Center. Starwood has declined to provide us with a room block at any of these hotels. Without these rooms it is not possible to obtain the required minimum of 1,000 rooms per night that the King County Convention and Visitors Bureau requires in order to book the Convention Center. This is also way below the minimum 1,500 rooms per night needed for the average Worldcon.

We believed that obtaining room blocks would be easy since the downtown area is not crowded on Labor Day weekend, due in part to the local Bumbershoot Arts Festival. We have made repeated attempts over the last three months, by phone and by mail, to address whatever concerns Starwood might have with a Seattle Worldcon. To date there has been no response to these queries, nor have we received any explanation for their decision. We do not know why the Regional Manager of Starwood, Yogi Hudson, or any of his representatives would not meet with us.

Starwood's de facto ability to control which groups can reserve the Convention Center is lamentable. This is not something we can overcome in the time left to submit documents showing hotel and convention center reservations, required by the World Science Fiction Society, to be placed on the ballot for the 2002 vote.

We are still convinced that the Washington State Trade and Convention Center would be a wonderful place to hold a Worldcon. In fact, it is the only facility in the Seattle area with enough function space and nearby hotel rooms to accommodate the estimated 5,500 participants this convention would bring.

San Francisco is now left as the only Worldcon bidder for 2002. Their primary hotel will be a Marriott, Starwood's biggest competitor. We wish our friends in San Francisco the best of luck with what we know will be a great Worldcon.

We would like to thank the Seattle Mayor's Office and the Visitors Bureau, especially Mr. Steve Morris, for their efforts in attempting to arrange a meeting with a Starwood representative and to bring the Worldcon to Seattle.

The Seattle in 2002 Bid Committee will meet and determine what to do with the remaining funds collected to promote the bid. If you have any opinion on what to do with the donations (other than sending out partial refunds, which the Committee believes most members would want) please contact us.

Thank you again for all your past support.

Sincerely,

Pat Porter
Chairperson

"Seattle in 2002" is a bid by Group of Friends, a standing committee of Seattle Westercon Organizing Committee (SWOC). World Science Fiction Convention and Worldcon are service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.

-- Morris Keesan

10 Nov 1998