Glasgow, in Scotland, has won the right to host the 2024 World Science
Fiction Convention – the third time the city has been selected to stage the
event.
Glasgow Convention Bureau worked with
the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) to support the official bid team
in bring the gathering, known as Worldcon, to the city from 8-12
August 2024.
Having hosted the Intersection and Interaction Worldcons in
1995 and 2005 respectively, Glasgow has been confirmed as the home of the 82nd
version of the event.
Glasgow 2024 – A Worldcon for Our Futures is expected to
attract around 5,000 science fiction fans to Scotland’s largest city and boost
its local economy by some £13 million in attendee spend.
Aileen Crawford, head of tourism and conventions at Glasgow Life, the organisation behind the city's convention bureau, said: “The return of the World Science Fiction Convention is fantastic for
Glasgow and demonstrates the city’s status as a global conference destination.
Credit must go to the dedicated UK team who have worked
tirelessly over a number of years on this bid.”
Visiting a different city every year, Worldcon began
Stateside and was first held in New York in 1939. Among the highlights of the
five-day conference are the Hugo Awards for works of science fiction, fantasy
and horror; the Masquerade; and a programme of more than 1,000 events,
including autograph sessions, films, panels, talks and workshops.
Glasgow 2024 Worldcon chair, Esther MacCallum-Stewart said:
“It’s a huge honour to host the Worldcon, and our team have worked incredibly hard
to get here. We can’t wait to bring our blend of inclusion, caring and
imagination to the Glasgow 2024 Worldcon, and create an event that is both
exciting and innovative. This really is a Worldcon for our futures!”
Helping to secure Glasgow’s Worldcon host status for a third
time is the latest piece of positive convention-related news for the city.
Financial year-end results for 2021/22 revealed Glasgow recorded successful
bids for 71 new conferences between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, which
collectively will bring more than 36,000 delegates to the city and deliver some
£53m in delegate spend.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
