Memberships

This part of the website contains everything you need to know about joining Chicon 8. On this page you will find information on:

  • Registration Houses
  • Membership Classes
  • Membership Rates
  • How to Register and Pay
  • How to Check if you are a Member
  • A Note on Publications

Even if you have been to Worldcon before, we recommend that you read through the page before registering, as some things may be different this year.

There are separate pages on:

Registration Hours

Registration is located on the East Tower Ballroom (Gold) Level

*Our goal is noon. Please be patient if we need more time.

  • Wednesday: Noon – 7:00 p.m. for pre-registered members only*
  • Thursday-Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Monday: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

We need everyone to pick up their own badges due to
showing proof of vaccination.

Membership Classes

There are three basic classes of membership: Attending, Virtual Attending, and Supporting. We will also offer Single Day Admissions.

Paid Attending memberships are available to Adults, Young Adults, Teens, and Children. Attending Members can take part in all aspects of the convention, including both the in-person event and Virtual Chicon 8, receive all convention publications; vote for the Hugo Awards, and vote in Site Selection.

We also offer a lower cost First Worldcon membership for Adults who have never physically attended a Worldcon before. (Younger first-time attendees will get a lower price by buying the relevant age-based membership).

Attending Membership classes are based on the member’s age as of the first day of the convention (September 1, 2022):

  • Adult and First Worldcon (25+)
  • YA (18-24)
  • Teen (14-17). Can be on site without an adult. However, there must be contact information for one adult (if the adult is a member who will be on site) or two adults (if the Teen is not associated with an adult who will be on site).
  • Child (10-13). Child Members can roam freely and be on their own in Kids’ Programming, but there must be contact information for their designated adult(s) who must be member(s) of the convention and present on site. We reserve the right to require the child to be accompanied by an adult in the event of concerns over behavior.
  • Kid-in-Tow (0-9) – membership is free but Kids-in-Tow should be registered with us for safety and to help us with childcare planning (childcare hours are not included with the membership).

(Please note that we expect to offer professional Childcare at the convention; this is not included in any membership. Details and prices will be available closer to the event.

Virtual Attending members have full access to Virtual Chicon 8, including streamed programming, virtual exhibits and online social spaces. They also receive all convention publications (in digital format by default); can vote for the Hugo Awards; and can vote in Site Selection.

Supporting members receive all convention publications (in digital format by default); can vote for the Hugo Awards; and can vote in Site Selection. They are not entitled to attend the physical convention or participate in Virtual Chicon 8.

Single Day Admissions allow you to attend a single specified day of the physical convention in Chicago. Single Day Admissions do not include the right to convention publications, the right to vote for the Hugo Awards or in Site Selection, or participation in Virtual Chicon 8. Single Day Admissions will be available for purchase at the door at Chicon 8. We regret that we are unable to sell Day Admissions in advance of the event.

Membership Rates

All Attending Membership types can be bought new, or as upgrades from Supporting Membership. The upgrade price is always the difference between the New Attending and New Supporting membership rate for the relevant age group.

This table shows the rates for buying a new membership of each type. (All rates of US$).

Membership Rates (New Member)
From May 1, 2022
Attending Adult (25+) 240
First Worldcon* 145
YA (18-24) 110
Teen (14-17) 70
Child (10-13) 50
Kid-in-Tow (0-9) Free
Virtual Attending 80
Supporting 50
* available to any Adult attending their first Worldcon at Chicon 8.

The next table shows the upgrade prices if you already have a Supporting Membership or voted in Site Selection at ConZealand, the 2020 Worldcon. (You will automatically be a Supporting member of Chicon 8 if you took part in the vote that chose Chicago as the host site for the 2022 Worldcon.)

Membership Rates (Supporter Upgrade)
From May 1, 2022
Attending Adult (25+) 190
First Worldcon* 95
YA (18-24) 60
Teen (14-17) 20
Child (10-13) Free
Virtual Attending 30

If you were a Friend or Star of the Chicago in 2022 Bid, then:

  • You automatically received an Attending Membership of Chicon 8 if you voted in Site Selection in 2020, or a Supporting Membership of Chicon 8 if you did not vote in Site Selection.
  • If you did not vote, you can upgrade to Adult Attending membership now by paying the equivalent fee of $50. (If you wish to convert to a Virtual Attending, First Worldcon, or YA / Teen Attending Membership, you can do this at no cost).

The next table shows the rates for Single Day Admissions, by day and age group. All rates are in US dollars. Day Admissions will be available for purchase at the door at Chicon 8.

Day Admission Rates Thursday September 1 Friday September 2 Saturday September 3 Sunday September 4 Monday September 5
Adult $50 $80 $80 $80 $50
YA (18-24) $25 $40 $40 $40 $25
Teen (14-17) $20 $30 $30 $30 $20
Child (10-13) $15 $20 $20 $20 $15
First Worldcon $30 $50 $50 $50 $30

The following table summarizes what you get for each type of membership:

Adult / First Worldcon YA / Teen / Child Kid-in-Tow Virtual Attending Supporting Day Admission
Attend all aspects of the convention in person + +
Full access to Virtual Chicon 8
Receive convention publications * * *
Vote for the Site of the 2023 NASFIC
Vote for the Site of the 2024 Worldcon
Nominate for the 2022 Hugo Awards ** ** **
Vote for the Winners of the 2022 Hugo Awards
Nominate for the 2023 Hugo Awards

+ Subject to minimum age limits for some events
* Souvenir Book will be digital format by default for Teens, Children, Supports, and Virtual Attendees, with paper copies provided on request at no extra charge
** Nomination for the 2022 Hugo Awards is only open to people who were members as of January 31, 2022

How to Register and Pay

The easiest and quickest way to register is here. You can complete your membership online and we accept most common credit and debit cards.

Please note that online registration for all physical Attending Memberships will turn off on August 25, 2022, after which attending memberships will need to be purchased in person at the convention. Virtual Attending and Supporting Memberships will still be available for online purchase through the end of the con.

If you would like to pay for your membership with a check, complete your registration online, and choose the pay with a check option. You will then receive an automated email from our system with payment instructions. Please note that check payments can take up to 30 days to process. If your check has not cleared after 30 days, please contact our finance team to inquire about the status of your check. Checks that “bounce” will be charged a fee of $30 per check.

(Note: All check payments must be postmarked by August 15, 2022. Any membership check payments postmarked after that date will be marked VOID and sent back to the originator. You can of course still pay by check if registering for the event in person at the door.)

You can also register in person at any convention where we have a table.

If you are having problems with the registration or payment process, please check out our Membership FAQ which has answers to many common queries. If you are still having difficulty, please contact registration and we will do our best to help you.

Join now link

How to Check If You Are a Member

You can check the status of your membership by going to our registration page. You will need to log in using the same email address that you used to purchase your membership.

You can also use the registration site to:

  • Update your name (as we will use internally)
  • Update your badge name
  • Edit your contact information (email and/or postal address)
  • Update your Souvenir Book preference (electronic or physical)
  • Specify whether you would like to appear on the public membership list
  • Give or decline approval for us to pass your membership information onto the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon (we will need to pass this information on if you wish to exercise your right to nominate for the 2023 Hugo Awards)
  • request information on disability or access services
  • Volunteer to work on Chicon 8
  • Express interest in our Program, Dealers’ Room, or Art Show

A Note on Publications

Our pre-con publications (progress reports, etc.) will be electronic.

Our at-con publications (in particular our Souvenir Book) will be available in print form and electronically. Attending Adults, Young Adults, and Teens will receive print publications by default but can choose to opt out (e.g. if only wanting one copy per household). 

Children, Virtual, and Supporting members will have access to electronic publications by default but can opt into print publications at no extra cost.