World's oldest Science Fiction Convention to invade Ireland for the first time in 2019
DUBLIN – 23 August 2017 – The World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) has announced that Dublin has won the bid to host the 77th Annual Convention, Dublin 2019 – An Irish Worldcon, in two years’ time.
The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) will be the venue to host over 5,000 sci-fi fans as they descend on it in full force over five-days from 15-19 August 2019.
The successful Dublin bid was led by James Bacon, with support and guidance from the bid committee, Fáilte Ireland, Dublin Convention Bureau (DCB) and The CCD. Dublin was confirmed as the 2019 location by site selection voters at Worldcon 75 in Helsinki where 1,227 votes were received, of which Dublin won 1,160 votes.
"It's fantastic that we had such a large turnout, indicating strong support for the bid,” said James Bacon, Dublin 2019 chair. “Voting is a vital part of the process so twelve hundred votes is a great endorsement and I'm very pleased it's a new record for an uncontested bid. Given New Orleans and Nice have declared for 2023 and Perth and Seattle for 2025, that we remained unopposed is indicative of the enthusiasm, strategic determination and commitment from all involved with the bid. It's absolutely magnificent to be able to say we are bringing the Worldcon to Ireland and we cannot wait now for 2019."
Adrienne Clarke, Head of Conference Sales at The CCD added, “We are thrilled that Worldcon 77 is coming to Ireland and The CCD. The committee’s hard work and dedication over the years has paid off and we are looking forward to welcoming fans from around the world to Ireland.”
After providing support for the bid, Fáilte Ireland’s Miriam Kennedy welcomed the news explaining, “Fáilte Ireland is focussed on significantly increasing delegates and revenue from the lucrative Business Tourism & Events sector, and winning this science fiction conference reflects a bright future for business tourism in Ireland. Last year was a record year for the sector as we confirmed €180m worth of new business for Dublin. This year, Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Convention Bureau team is targeting 5% growth and has already confirmed approximately €91 million of new business for the capital, with many more wins to come throughout the remainder of 2017.”
Worldcon is held in a different city every year and some of the highlights of the five-day event include the Hugo Awards, the Masquerade, panels, talks, workshops, films, autograph sessions and more. The guests of honour already confirmed include Bill and Mary Burns, Diane Duane, Ginjer Buchanan, Ian McDonald, Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Steve Jackson.
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Press Contact
Suzanne McGann
Head of Marketing & Communications
The Convention Centre Dublin
Email: suzanne.mcgann@theccd.ie
About The CCD
The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) opened in September 2010 and is Ireland’s only purpose-built international convention centre. Located in the heart of Dublin city, just 15 minutes from Dublin Airport, The CCD has won a total of 34 industry awards since opening. For more information, visit The CCD's website.
About Worldcon
The World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) is a five-day event that has been held annually since 1939 (apart from a four-year break during the Second World War). The Hugo Awards are a set of awards given annually for the best science fiction and fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. “World Science Fiction Society," "WSFS," "World Science Fiction Convention," "Worldcon," "NASFiC," "Hugo Award," and the distinctive design of the Hugo Award Rocket are service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. For more information, visit World Science Fiction Society's website and Dublin 2019 – An Irish Worldcon's website.
About the guests of honour:
Bill and Mary Burns (New York): Avid readers who have attended Worldcon since 1967. Bill was the recipient of the Doc Weir Award in 2003 and both were Fan Guests of Honour at Eastercon LX.
Diane Duane (Wicklow): Diane’s first novel was published in 1979 and has sold more than fifty other novels during her career. She has won numerous awards and has also written extensively for TV and film.
Ginjer Buchanan (New York): Ginjer has over fifty years in fandom and over 30 years as professional editor. She has been nominated for the Best Editor - Long Form Hugo six times, and won in 2014.
Ian McDonald (Belfast): Is a writer who has written over 20 novels and numerous short stories. In addition, he has worked in programme development in Ireland. He has won awards for his short fiction as well as his novels.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell (Lurgan, Co Armagh): Jocelyn is a Northern Irish astrophysicist who, as a postgraduate student, discovered the first radio pulsars.
Steve Jackson (Texas): Steve is a game designer by trade who owns Steve Jackson Games. He has received 12 Origin Awards as well as various other honours for game design.
About Dublin Convention Bureau
Dublin Convention Bureau (DCB) is a unit of Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority for the Republic of Ireland. It aims to promote Dublin as a business tourism destination by creating awareness of its advantages, and offering solutions that meet the needs of clients and partners. For more information, visit DCB's website.