"Quite agree that it's easily done if you're not in the loop, but doesn't that hit to the core of the issue? The people running a worldcon should have been "in the loop", or at the very least asked someone who was."
This is something that i have raised many times actually, the fact that those doing a lot of the organising haven't even been down to the MSFC in years (or ever) where a lot of fandom actually still hangs out. how can they know what the people want if they won't hang out with the people. Coupled with people essentially being told to go away when they do stick their heads up. I have found it very frustrating. i don't think it's an unsolveable problem, but yes, the Worldcon committee do need to go out and talk with some other people a bit more than they have I believe.