Don’t Forget! Hugo Nominations End Friday, March 14

Please remember that in order to nominate works for the Hugo Awards, your ballot must be received by 11:59 pm. on March 14, Pacific Daylight Time. As described on the How to Nominate webpage, members can access the nomination form via the Membership Portal or vote by a paper form. Don’t wait until the last minute—and don’t forget to nominate in the special category Hugo Award for Best Poem!

How to Request a Suite at the Sheraton, or Notify us of a Party

Seattle Worldcon has reserved a limited number of one-bedroom hospitality suites at the Sheraton Grand Seattle, our headquarters hotel, which may be requested by members for their use. These suites are ideal for throwing parties, and priority will be given to members who plan to host a party or event which is open to the convention membership. The suite rate is $459/night (plus taxes and fees). The convention cannot provide or guarantee additional rooms.

A suite request form is now posted on our website. Please also use this form to notify us if you are planning an open party/event during the convention, but do not need a suite from us.

Hotel Room Blocks are Sold Out!

We are glad to have so many of you coming to Worldcon. Unfortunately our hotel room blocks, which initially seemed large and were subsequently increased, have sold out. It is possible some of these blocks may reopen from time to time on our hotel page, but in the meantime please be aware there are 14 hotels inside of a five-block, half mile radius of the Seattle Convention Center Summit Building where rooms can be secured using a common booking service, such as Google, hotels.com, bookings.com, or kayak.com.

Many of these are just as close, or closer, than our room block hotels. It may also be possible to secure rooms at our room block hotels, but outside the room block. Here is a list of hotels by proximity to the nearest Convention Center entrance, according to Google Maps:

• WorldMark/The Camlin (<0.1 mile)
• Grand Hyatt Seattle (0.1 mile)
• Hyatt Regency Seattle (0.1 mile)
• Hyatt at Olive 8 (0.1 mile)
• The Paramount Hotel (0.1 mile)
• Residence Inn Seattle Downtown Convention Center (0.1 mile)
• Hilton Garden Inn (0.2 miles)
• Hotel Theodore (0.2 miles)
• Sonder at Pivot (0.2 miles)
• Hotel Max (0.3 miles)
• The Westin Seattle (0.3 miles)
• Sheraton Grand Seattle (0.3 miles)
• Hilton Motif Seattle (0.4 miles)
• Mayflower Park Hotel (0.4 miles)
• Sonder the Boyleston (0.4 miles)

All members, with a hotel room or not, will have access to nightlife activities at the Sheraton Grand Seattle.

Take Me Out to the Holosuite… or T-Mobile Park

Want to know what plans are taking shape for Worldcon Fringe? Check out our new Fringe webpage!

The entries listed now include several which need RSVPs, even at this early stage. The most time-sensitive item is the Seattle Mariners vs. Tampa Bay Rays game on August 10 at 1:10 p.m. The higher the head count we give them, the more discounts we get, so please RSVP by April 1 if you can!

Another fabulous Fringe activity planned is two unofficial tours of the science fiction and fantasy exhibits at The Museum of Popular Culture (MoPOP), offered by a former curator. These exhibits contain memorabilia from shows and movies, videos of SFF authors, original manuscripts, and much more. They are well worth visiting any day, but if you want to get the inside scoop from a former curator, you should know there are only 20 spots available for each tour. Purchase of admission to the museum is required.

You can also find details about:

• A midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show during the convention
• A hiking trip to Mount Rainier National Park
• Three separate visit days to Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle, MoPOP, and much more, via the Seattle Monorail

There will be more to come later, so please check the webpage regularly!

Thank you to everyone who responded to the previous newsletter article with suggestions and tips. They were very helpful! If you have any more, please feel free to email fringe@seattlein2025.org.

Bringing the FUN for Kids, Tweens, and Teens at Worldcon

Are you bringing newer fans to Worldcon, and are wondering what we will have on the schedule just for them? The full schedule isn’t set yet, but here’s a preview of some of the fun activities we’re planning for the under-21 set. Our kid program room for ages 11 and under will have some static activity areas that you can drop into any time for unstructured play or crafts. Do you need a few minutes for your littles to let off some steam, without boring adults talking all the time? We will have toys and books specifically for them, with a comfy spot for a parent to sit while the kids are engaged. Additionally, on the official program expect a full schedule of craft projects, story times, music, creative classes, and other entertaining mayhem for youth of all ages, including Drag Queen Story Hour, Poetry Mad Libs, and painting rocks. Teens and Tweens can expect activities targeted to their interests, including crafts, games, panels, and teen-only meetups. Teens and Tweens will also have use of a lounge just for them—no boring adults allowed!—to decompress and hang out during the convention.

Reminder: Virtual Business Meeting Dates and Times

As we announced last month, the main sessions of the WSFS Business Meeting will be held virtually before the convention this year, at the following dates and times (Pacific Daylight Time):

• Friday, July 4, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
• Sunday, July 13, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, July 19, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
• Friday, July 25, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

More information about the business meeting may be found on the website.

https://seattlein2025.org/2025/03/13/newsletter-march-2025-hugo-nominations-end-soon/

Seattle Worldcon Has—FRINGE

Just like a certain Vulcan science officer, Seattle Worldcon has a Fringe.

If you want to explore the host city while you’re here, in the company of other Worldcon folks, Fringe is a great way to do it!

Right now we’re just in the early planning stage, that is, staring goggle-eyed at the mountain of activities that are available in the shadow of Mount Rainier, wondering how many we can cram into our schedule. Fringe will take place before the con, approximately August 10–12, and afterwards, on August 18 and 19. There may also be a bit of morning programming during the con. We’ll need a few volunteers to help guide groups hither and yon.

Some of Seattle’s finest attractions are just a short walk or ride away from the convention center, and there’s plenty more to see if you’re able to travel a little farther. Many of these attractions, like Spock, originated in the 1960s, when Seattle hosted a World’s Fair. The Monorail, Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, and International Fountain were all built for the event. Right alongside them you will find MoPOP, the Museum of Popular Culture, with its permanent science fiction and fantasy exhibits.

Even closer to the convention center is Pike Place Market, the Underground Tour, the Seattle Central Library, and SIFF Cinema Downtown. Just slightly farther away we have boat tours, sports games, the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), Capitol Hill bookstores and breweries, the Museum of Flight, and much more.

What do you want to see? Do you have more ideas for us? Would you like to volunteer to help out? Please contact us at fringe@seattlein2025.org.

Attending Membership Rates Increase March 1!

A rate increase is coming! Adult attending membership rates for Seattle Worldcon 2025 are set to increase by $30 on March 1, to a total of $280 ($50 WSFS membership + $230 attending supplement). Please purchase your membership before then to lock in today’s prices! Full registration information and a link to the registration portal can be found on the membership page on our website.

Announcement: Virtual Business Meeting Platform and Meeting Times

To follow up on our December announcement that the Seattle Worldcon will conduct the bulk of the 2025 WSFS Business Meeting through a series of virtual meetings held in July, we are now announcing the platform that will be used for the virtual WSFS business meetings, and the times of the meetings. We have selected Lumi Global’s virtual meeting platform. We will host a practice session at a time and date to be announced to help the community get to know Lumi’s platform prior to the meeting, and also publish written guidance.

The meetings themselves will be held for up to three and a half hours each at the following times on these previously-announced dates:

• Friday, July 4, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
• Sunday, July 13, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
• Saturday, July 19, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
• Friday, July 25, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)

Thank you for joining us in this venture. If you have any questions, please contact business-meeting-help@seattlein2025.org.

Health Policy Update!

We have updated our Seattle Worldcon 2025 health policy to reflect what we expect to be our final policy unless circumstances, public health directives, or laws substantially change before the convention. Please read the full policy and plan ahead to minimize incidents of infection at the con.

Community Fund- Awarding Grants and Accepting Donations

The Seattle Worldcon Community Fund has completed its first round of grants. Congratulations to all recipients! If you have applied and haven’t yet been awarded a grant, you are still in consideration for future rounds. The next round of grants will be awarded in March.

If you have applied and have not received an email from us about the status of your grant application, please check your spam folder. If you still haven’t, please contact us at communityfund@seattlein2025.org.

We are still accepting applications. You can find details about our focus groups and the application link on our Community Fund web page.

In order to help as many fans as possible attend the event from the Pacific Northwest and around the world, the community fund is still accepting tax deductible donations. You can donate when you register, or by this direct donation link. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. You are making a difference!

Remember: Hugo Nominations Open Through March 14

You should have received our special newsletter announcing the opening of the 2025 Hugo Award nominations on February 10. More information is available on our Hugo Awards Information page.

https://seattlein2025.org/2025/02/17/newsletter-february-2025-seattle-worldcon-has-fringe/