Committee Meeting Update

We held our first post-launch meeting of the bid committee on Sunday 4 July, and here are a few updates.

Before the meeting, we had a tour of the International Convention Centre at ExCeL, which opened for business in May, and will provide the bulk of our facilities. It's the first time we've seen it since the construction finished, and it's looking great -- it's easy to visualise it filled with 6,000 science fiction fans. ExCeL have also broken ground on their new hotel, which will be the sixth hotel on the site, directly attached to the convention centre.

Here are a few photos of the ICC, taken by Steve Cooper -- there are more on our Flickr group.

The main ExCeL concourse, approaching the ICC 

The seating in the main auditorium (which seats 4,000-5,000 people in total, depending on how it's configured)

The largest meeting room (which seats 1,200 people)

We're busy planning for the US launch of the bid at ReConStruction and our first Worldcon as an active bid at Aussiecon 4. We need help to staff our bid tables during the day. If you'll be attending one of those conventions and can spare some time, even an hour, then please  -- it's a good way to get to meet and talk to a lot of people, as well as helping the bid. Pre-supporting members and Friends are still joining up -- we're getting one or two a week. We'll be hoping to sign up lots of new supporters at ReConStruction and Aussiecon 4.

Keep watching this space for further updates on the progress of the bid.