What is a bid?

Eastercons follow a somewhat democratic approach. An Eastercon usually happens every year, but is run by different groups of people - different committees - each year. The committees run the convention strictly on a volunteer basis.

During each Eastercon, there is a programme item known as the bid session; this is where any committees offering to run an Eastercon formally do so. After all presentations, the bids are voted upon. In this fashion is the up-coming Eastercon committee selected.

What are the timescales?

The current arrangement is that the bid session is to decide the committee for the Eastercon two years' hence. Therefore, Orbital presented (and won) their bid (to run the 2008 Eastercon) at the 2006 Eastercon. If the bid session fails to select a bid, for whatever reason, then the bid session in the following year will also select the Eastercon for the year after.

Since there were no bids for 2007 presented at the 2005 bid session, the 2006 bid session selected both the 2007 and 2008 Eastercons.

Who can bid to run an Eastercon?

Anyone who is a member of the current Eastercon can present a bid to run a future Eastercon. There may be multiple bids, in which case the vote will probably be decided upon issues such as the history and experience of the bidding committees, the selected venues, the relative costs, and so on.

Not all bids are serious, mind. There is a tradition of spoof bids to entertain the crowds before the serious business of presenting genuine bids takes places.

Who can vote on the bids?

Anyone who is a member of the current Eastercon, and is in the room at the time the vote is taken.

Anything else?

In recent years, there hasn't usually been contention for a particular Eastercon; there's usually only been the one serious bid for a particular year.

This doesn't guarantee selection, however; the Eastercon membership can vote for "no selection", instead choosing to wait until next year to see if there's a better offer. This implies a fairly serious vote of no-confidence in any serious bids presented.

In 2005, there were no bids at all for the 2007 Eastercon, which is why no selection was made, and the decision was held over to 2006.