Chair's Welcome | Glasgow 2024 (original) (raw)
My name is Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Chair of this Worldcon.
I am absolutely delighted to be able to welcome you to Glasgow for the 82nd World Science Fiction convention. I love Glasgow, its life, people and places. This city means so much to me, and I hope that in 2024 we will be able to welcome you there, in person or online.
We have so many ideas, plans and of course hopes that we wish to come to pass, and we will need your help. Worldcon is an amazing achievement and it needs people – you! – to make it happen. No matter what your skills, please volunteer. Even a tiny act helps us build towards the convention, and all are valued.
Our venue, the SEC, has welcomed us from the moment we first visited in 2016. They have hosted Worldcon twice before in 1995 and 2005. In their office suite, they have a framed image of our ‘Spaceport Glasgow’ artwork by Jim Burns, and faces from that Worldcon still work for the SEC and the City of Glasgow. We truly feel at home in this wonderful venue that has seen many recent changes and improvements.
My Vision for this Worldcon is something we have striven for since the beginning. To be Inclusive, Caring and Imaginative has been embedded in the decisions we have made. Considering access, inclusion and diversity as integral to Glasgow 2024 has created an environment where we think carefully about what Worldcon can become – a convention to represent all of our futures as well as a place where everyone can celebrate, and an event where we can take these realities joyfully forwards after it is over.
Finally, I would like to recognise the fabulous work that our dedicated international team of volunteers and supporters have done to help us win this bid. It is my honour to lead this group forwards to 2024.
We will be keeping our webpage and Social Media outlets busy with updates about the convention, the events and panels we hope to run, and logistical aspects like hotel bookings and information about the convention itself. All of our members, guests and team must follow our Code of Conduct, which is a living document and will be updated until the convention itself.
Worldcon changes as we progress, drawing new people and ideas into it. I welcome everyone to our convention to share our love of all things science fiction and fantasy. Making this happen also makes these goals of Inclusion, Caring and Imagination more than words.
Once again, thank you for supporting and voting for Glasgow 2024, A Worldcon for Our Futures.
Esther