Paul Taylor Email & Phone Number

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Gb

The Department of Engineering is the largest Department in the University of Cambridge, covering most of the branches of Engineering under the umbrella of a single Department and a single undergraduate course. Composed of six academic Divisions, the Department is split across two sites, with around 1000 staff and academic visitors and 2500 students. I provide strategy and leadership for IT services that will support the full range of the Department's teaching, research and administration.

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Gb

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Gb

I had headed a variety of Divisions for World Science Fiction Conventions (Worldcons) in 2014, 2017 and 2019, so it was perhaps inevitable that I would eventually head an IT Division. Glasgow 2024 will be the first UK-based Worldcon since the pandemic, and things have certainly changed. Remote and hybrid participation, streaming and catch-up have become not just bonuses but part of a standard offering for events like this, and Glasgow 2024 will be no exception. The IT and Online Services Division is responsible for the on-site IT at the convention, the IT communications and operational infrastructure throughout the convention's lifecycle, and for the online participation platforms that will be used to bring the experience of Glasgow 2024 to members around the world. I am proud to be working on this convention, and proud of the team I'm working with.

Following marketing and communications work with the World Science Fiction Conventions (Worldcons) of 2014 and 2017, I was delighted to be invited to take on a new role for the 2019 Worldcon in Dublin: that of Head of the Exhibits Division. The Exhibits Division is responsible for the Art Show, Dealers Room, and for the Exhibits themselves. For Dublin, our exhibits covered not only our Guests of Honour and the Hugo Awards (which are awarded each year by that year's Worldcon), but also the rich heritage of Irish stories and story-telling, from legend through to modern speculative fiction. This was a voluntary role, and an enormous privilege to be able to undertake.

The World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, is run each year by a different team, who have bid and been selected to host the convention. Worldcon 75, in August 2017, was the first Worldcon ever to be held in Finland - a new location for Worldcon, hosted within a new culture. 2017 was also the year of Finland's 100th anniversary as an independent country, making the event even more significant. Worldcon 75's Outreach Division was responsible for marketing and promoting the convention, with about 20 volunteer staff, and activities including advertising, press and media relations, web site, social media, and merchandise. My position was a voluntary one. I was invited to join the Division 6-7 months before the convention, to strengthen the direction of outreach activities, bringing experience and skills to complement those already in place.Worldcon 75 became one of the largest in Worldcon history; an achievement for the team that organised it, and a source of happy memories for many thousands of people who attended.

Loncon 3 was the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention ('Worldcon'), and the first to be held in London since 1965. The Promotions Division was responsible for all aspects of the marketing of the convention worldwide, including advertising, press and media relations, social media, profile within fandom, merchandise and outreach.This role was a voluntary one, and a hugely exciting opportunity - not only to be involved in creating one of the most memorable Worldcons in recent years, but to have a lasting and positive effect on the profile of science fiction in the UK.