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The Odyssey 2010 Euroconference

The Euroconference

Odyssey 2010 are pleased to announce that we have been officially granted Euroconference status by the European Science Fiction Society (ESFS).  The ESFS can designate an SF event of European significance to be a Euroconference and Odyssey 2010 was voted this status at their 2008 AGM in Moscow.

This means that in addition to all the usual UK national convention activities, Odyssey 2010 will both include a European dimension and have a special welcome for our fellow professional and fan counterparts from mainland Europe.

 (European and ESFS news is also regularly posted here.)

So what does this mean for prospective members from mainland Europe? It goes without saying that Odyssey 2010 will provide visitors from other European countries with a chance to meet many writers, editors and other professionals from the British Isles. There will therefore be encounters between fans from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and their counterparts from western, central and eastern mainland Europe.  Britain has one of the largest SF book and film markets in Europe and one of the largest in terms of numbers of SF consumers save for the Russian-speaking SF market. It goes without saying that European fans and professionals will be able to meet some of the key players involved in British SF as well as to get to see all the things that usually go on at Britain's national SF convention.

Odyssey 2010 are aiming to be a robust platform on which European fans and professionals, SF societies and groups can present aspects of their nation's SF to the wider European SF community. We are looking to include programme items that showcase European fandom as well as items that allow our European members additional insight into the peculiarities of UK fandom. We are also aiming to give mainland European science fiction a higher profile with UK publishers.

The UK Worldcon bid will launch at Odyssey, and the possibility of combining this with the Eurocon will be discussed.

Odyssey 2010 looks likely to be one of the larger UK national conventions of the past decade. Indeed some of us were involved in the 2008 UK national convention also held at Heathrow with 1000+ members, so it is likely that Odyssey will also become a large gathering of fans and professionals. As such Odyssey represents a great opportunity to share SF interests with many fans and professionals and to forge SF links between European nations. It is our sincere hope that the SF communities from many European nations will seize this opportunity to be represented at Odyssey 2010.

Euroconference Booking

We offer European members the opportunity to book in Euros as well as pounds. The membership rates in Euros are as follows:

Membership type From 16th Nov 2009 On the door
Attending €70.00 €80.00
Unwaged €60.00 €70.00
Supporting €33.00 €33.00
Junior €33.00 €33.00
Child €10.00 €10.00
Infant €1.00 €1.00
Apocryphal, Soft toy €1.00 -
Beeblebear €1.42 -

It will also be possible to join on the door for single days, as shown below:

Membership type Friday Saturday Sunday Monday
Attending €22.00 €27.00 €27.00 €22.00
Unwaged €16.00 €22.00 €22.00 €16.00
Supporting €11.00 €16.00 €16.00 €11.00
Junior €11.00 €16.00 €16.00 €11.00
Child €10.00 €10.00 €10.00 €10.00
Infant €1.00 €1.00 €1.00 €1.00
Apocryphal, Soft toy - - - -
Beeblebear - - - -

 

If you wish to book a dealer's table, then you must pay for both your membership and your table in pounds.  (You can still use your credit card for this).  If you choose to stay at the Euroconference hotel, please be aware that the room rates are set in pounds and are to be settled directly with the hotel at the end of your stay.  We will also be adding details of our overflow hotels and other nearby accommodation to help you find somewhere to stay that suits your budget.

To book your membership now, please click here for the online Euro membership form or if you need to book your membership (and dealers tables when they become available) in pounds, please click here. Alternatively you may download the paper version of the Euro membership form (in pdf format) here and send it with a cheque to:

Membership Services
Fiona Marshall,
c/o Coton House,
Conference Centre,
Rugby,
CV23 0AA.

The Euro-programme dimension

Odyssey 2010 is looking to include a range of programme items on: European SF (including books and films); European fandom (including both individual national fan activity as well as that between European nations); and European SF futures (how European SF and fandom is likely to develop as the 21st century progresses).

These programme items will include panels as well as solo items not to mention some films. However, as is always the case with SF conventions, the success of the European dimension will depend on those attending the convention contributing. We hope that you will, as often it is those that put something in to international conventions that get the most out of them. The more who get in touch offering good European items for the programme then the more good European programme items we will have.

So if you are have an idea for Odyssey's European dimension then please do get in touch. We especially want to hear from those from mainland Europe willing to share their experience of their country's science fiction and who may be prepared to either present a programme item reviewing their nation's genre history or profile its present works and fandom, or participate in a panel discussion with their counterparts from other European nations. 

Europe Beyond the Programme

As well as programme items, we would like to showcase European SF through participation in our Art Show and other exhibitions. There will be exhibition space for artists from other nations to display their works (and should they wish to sell them there will also be an auction). Here artists wishing to display need to get in touch with us as early as possible to ensure that display space is reserved for them. There will also be other exhibition space for exhibits on SF and fandom from other European nations. Again potential displayers need to get in touch with their likely display board space requirements. Finally, there will be table space on which promotional material for European conventions and other SF material can be left.

In between all of this there will be the socialising with fans and professionals from many countries in the bars and other areas within the conference area, the book deals, the planning of future international activities, the sharing of experiences, the renewal of old friendships and the making of new ones… and much, much more.

Tourism for visitors from mainland Europe

Coming all the way to Europe's western edge for a convention is one thing but for many it would be a shame if there was not a tourist dimension too. Also, for some others , especially those who have never been to a British convention or even London before, it can all be just a little strange and a little personal guidance might be welcome. Then again there are others who will wish to ensure they get to make contact with their mainland European counterparts before the hundreds of local fans turn up for the convention. For all these reasons there will be a special day of introduction to London for mainland European visitors held on March 31st, 2009, the Wednesday before the convention.

This day will consist of personal guides who are SF enthusiasts who have volunteered to introduce you to central London. They will take those that wish on a short cruise down the River Thames through the capital, see some of the sights in London's West End and then end the day in a traditional British pub near London's European quarter. Participating Europeans can also use this day to get further advice on their own explorations the following day, the Thursday, April 1st, 2009. Then Thursday evening fans will be arriving for the start of the four days of the convention.

The personal guides for the Wednesday will be a few volunteers from the The Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation team. These folk have been active in European fandom (even picking up a couple of Eurocon Awards) and just happen to know London.

If you are registered with Odyssey 2010 and from mainland Europe and wish to be part of this Wednesday tour then contact us and we will put you in touch with the Concatenation folk. (Please note that for this to work we will need to know numbers well in advance so that sufficient guides are available. This in turn means that we can only provide this service to those who let us know they want it well before the convention. So please e-mail us if you are interested)

Well that is it in a nutshell. Today Europe, tomorrow the stars. What an Odyssey, and we want you to be part of it…

More useful information about London for European fans, especially those also coming to the World Horror Convention, is available on the Concatenation web site.

Getting to Odyssey from mainland Europe

There is travel guidance elsewhere on this site. Have a look at this. But in addition here is some extra advice.

By far the simplest ways of getting to Odyssey is to fly to Heathrow. (If you do arrive at one of the other airports then you will have to get a connecting coach or train service. You will need to ask at the information desk how to do this). At Heathrow, go to the 'Terminals 1, 2 & 3' complex (of course checking that these are not the terminals at which you have already landed). Once at 'Terminals 1, 2 & 3' look for signs for the bus station (_not_ the coach station). If in doubt ask at the information desk "where are the 'London Transport buses'?". When you get to the bus station you will find several bus routes take you past the Radisson Edwardian Heathrow Hotel. These buses are the numbers: 105, 111, 140 or 285, 555, 556 and 557. These buses are free between the airport and hotel and they leave roughly once every 10 -15 minutes during the day. The hotel is the second (2nd) or third (3rd) stop and is near a McDonalds fast feed outlet on the left hand side of the road.

Another way is to come by Eurostar train. Book your tickets to London 'St Pancras' International. Once at St Pancras, head for the 'underground' metro. Buy a ticket to Heathrow (roughly about £6), and take the 'westbound' 'Piccadilly Line' (colour coded dark blue on maps). This will take you straight to Heathrow - the journey time is around 45 minutes. Warning, you need to get out at 'Heathrow terminals 1 ,2, 3' and not the other terminals.

If you are coming by car on the ferry, then you will arrive at Dover. Remember that in Britain they drive on the left to maximise most people's brain's dominant left hemisphere's ocular centre and also so that you can use your dominant right sword arm against on-coming traffic. (This says something about the length of time Britain has had rules of the road in its civilization.) You need to take the M2 road to London. Near London you will come to the M25 orbital motorway. You need to go on the M25 heading westbound. After around 30 miles (50 km) you will come to the M4 motorway and Heathrow airport should be signposted. Then follow the instructions here on this site.