star trek convention wiki

Star Trek Conventions

Star Trek Lives! was one of the earliest and most influential Star Trek conventions . It was fan -run, with many members of the committee also active in the Lunarians and working on Lunacon . The convention was also known as the Star Trek Con , the Committee Con and as the International Star Trek Convention .

• 5.1 New York Star Trek '76

1972 [ edit ]

The first convention by this group was held January 21–23, 1972, at the Statler Hilton Hotel in Manhattan and included as guests Gene Roddenberry, Majel Barrett, Isaac Asimov , Hal Clement and D. C. Fontana. The organizers expected 500 people, but 3,000 showed up leaving the committee alive, but overwhelmed.

The committee was:

• Al Schuster , Co-ordinator
• Elyse Pines , Program
• Joan Winston , Dealers Room , NASA Display, Signs
• Eileen Becker , Registration
• Allan Asherman , Art Show
• Deborah Langsam , Costume Call
• Joyce Yasner , Displays
• Devra Langsam , Slide Shows, Program Asst.
• Regina Gottesman , Hospitality
• Steve Rosenstein , Auctioneer , MC
• Stu Hellinger , Program Assistant
• Chris Steinbrunner / Chester Grabowski , Visuals

1973 [ edit ]

In 1973, the convention moved to the Commodore Hotel and attracted approximately 10,000 people to its convention on February 16–19.

Members of the committee for the 1973 convention were: Joan Winston , Elyse Rosenstein , Allen Asherman , Eileen Becker , Steve Rosenstein , Dana Anderson , Thom Anderson , Renee Bodner , Stu Hellinger , Devra Langsam , Deborah Langsam , Eileen Becker , Maureen Wilson , Joyce Yasner and Al Schuster . In later years, Barbara Wenk , Wendy Lindboe , Louise Sachter , Stuart Grossman , Claire Eddy , Diane Duane and David Simmons joined the committee.

1974 [ edit ]

International Star Trek Convention On February 15–18, 1974, the convention attracted between 10,000 and 14,000 people ( Locus reports 8,000-12,000) to the Americana Hotel, and and had to turn people away each day due to Fire Marshall concerns — causing at least one small riot in front of the hotel. There were complaints about the crush and the bad attitude of some committee members (a walk-out from the costume ball was triggered by a committee member cursing at one of the invited guests).

The problems in New York caused Equicon in Los Angeles to impose a membership cap.

The committee fissioned, leaving records in disarray. Shortly after the convention, the committee announced that they no longer had any connection with Al Schuster and "and and all future debts he may incur in the name of the Convention will not be paid or honored, and he no longer has any authority to incur expenses, arrange contracts or conduct business in the name of the convention." They also distinguished themselves as __The__ Star Trek Convention as opposed to Schuster 's __International__ Star Trek Convention . They also reported that they had "misplaced" their list of non-attending members in the 1974 convention and pre-registered members of the 1975 convention.

1975 [ edit ]

The 1975 convention at the Commodore Hotel was held February 14–17 and was chaired by Devra Langsam and was now called the Star Trek Convention . (Former chairman Al Schuster had started a rival convention running a month earlier which kept the name International Star Trek Convention .)

1976 [ edit ]

In 1976, the giant Star Trek conventions seemed to hit a wall: The Chicago Star Trek/Space Spectacular, "The Greatest Show Since Earth" was held in June. The committee did heavy advertising including TV spots, and had rented the Chicago Amphitheater, which seats 13,000. The got 200 people on Friday and 800 on Saturday and then cancelled the convention. They did not pay the stars who came and the convention was reported to have lost multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Other Star Trek conventions that failed in 1976 included the Boston Star Trek convention in April, a Tampa convention in June, and a Toledo Star Trek convention . The Toronto Star Trek convention lost money and the New York Star Trek Roast was cancelled "for lack of interest".

New York Star Trek '76 [ edit ]

New York Star Trek '76 attracted between 20,000 and 50,000 people according to the New York Times with many ticket holders being turned away when the facilities were completely swamped. (Its committee seems to have been entirely unprepared and quite disorganized.) The New York Attorney General investigated and both fan -run conventions ended.

Fanlore entry .

This had a fortunate side-effect in that it probably helped to kill the SF Expo , a convention planned for June of that year at the New York Hilton which was an attempt to create a regular SF convention on the scale of the Star Trek conventions.

If applicable, please include category Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Ireland, NZ, UK, US, ROW or World.

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2022 star trek & sci-fi conventions, august 2022.

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Aware of another convention with some major Star Trek guests that should be on this list? Let us know and we’ll be happy to add it.

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Updated: October 20, 2020

Creation Entertainment's

Official star trek convention, las vegas 2020.

  Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat. and Sun. New Dates! December 9-13, 2020 IMPORTANT SCHEDULE INFORMATION*** --> Caesars Forum Conference Center Las Vegas 3911 Koval Ln Las Vegas, NV 89109

VIEW OUR STATEMENT ABOUT HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS

IMPORTANT UPDATE: June 26, 2020 The Official Star Trek Las Vegas Convention Moving to NEW DATE and VENUE! Admission Passes and Tickets Are Now Back on Sale!

During these challenging times, the safety of our Star Trek convention attendees, celebrities and staff is the utmost importance to us. Therefore, the 19th Annual Star Trek Convention’s NEW DATE is now December 9-13, 2020 and is beaming into Caesars Forum Conference Center Las Vegas , the brand-new state of the art, $375 million facility located in the heart of the famed Las Vegas Strip! Caesars Forum Conference Center features direct access to our new host hotel, the newly renovated Harrah’s Las Vegas!

William Shatner, Walter Koenig, Kelsey Grammer and more guests have confirmed the new date, and we are currently working on more confirmations. Please check the website for updates! REMINDER: We notified all Star Trek Vegas Ticketholders via the email address used at the time of purchase about the NEW DATE and that the deadline to request a refund was JUNE 19, 2020 . If you did not request a refund by then, your admission passes and a la carte photo op and autograph tickets will be transferred to the new date. You will receive new tickets with the new 2020 date as your current tickets will no longer be valid. If you did request a refund, and have not received it yet, please allow up to 8 weeks from the deadline date for your request to be processed. If you have any questions, contact us at [email protected] . We appreciate your patience and continued support and look forward to seeing everyone in December! With over 100 Star Trek celebrities, non-stop live entertainment, music and partying and exhibitors, amazing displays, three theatres, autographs and photo ops, and so much more: all that is missing is YOU! You are invited to peruse through this website to learn what the 2020 convention will be bringing to over 15,000 Star Trek fans: a week filled with memories to last a lifetime. -->

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE FAQs, RULES AND POLICIES!

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2020 marks the 49th year that we’ve been proud to present convention gatherings for our fellow fans in North America. It’s been a wonderful ride that allowed us to enjoy our love of the genre with others who share that passion. We’ve tried to follow the beliefs of our mentor Gene Roddenberry by creating events that present a positive view of the future celebrating diversity and inclusiveness. We hope you join us in Las Vegas for our 19th Annual Star Trek Convention as the human adventure continues. As the decades past for our company we’ve taken our experiences to provide what we believe is the absolute best presentation for fans. Unlike so many other genre conventions, Creation Entertainment has a strict policy not to "oversell" our conventions. In other words, every patron, no matter what bracket of ticket they purchase, will have a seat in the main auditorium where the major guests appear and events take place. Because of this process of not overselling we have a huge vendors room where it is possible to easily check out each booth without fighting seam-busting crowds. Close the doors on the outside world and join thousands of like-minded fans to honor Gene’s vision for the future while partying like it is 2364!

Here is some pertinent information for you to have about Creation’s conventions, certain policies and more. ALL TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE AND NON-EXCHANGEABLE All guests and scheduling are tentative and subject to change. Creation Entertainment does not advertise any talent without written permission from the talent or their representation.   Please do not come for just one actor.  Our events are a celebration of the series and multiple actors from the show attend. If we have a cancelation, we will do our best to book a replacement or we will provide our Gold/Silver patrons with a pre-signed photo of the actor not in attendance if the canceled actor was signing for Gold/Silver. In the event of a guest cancellation or a date change:  ALL GUESTS are contracted to appear and all convention contracts specify that appearances are tentative and subject to change as film and television work demands take precedence as well as a personal conflict. Our events will take place whether a specific guest cancels or not and therefore we cannot issue admission pass refunds if a particular guest is not able to attend. If a guest must cancel their appearance at the convention, Creation Entertainment is not responsible for any refunds other than the a la carte specific-to-the-guest autograph or photo op tickets as another guest will be booked as a replacement in signing for Gold/Silver or a pre-signed photo will be provided if a replacement signer is not possible. Also, in the extremely rare chance that an actor does not finish his or her autographs or photo ops (which has only happened in a hand full of cases due to something out of our control), we will only be responsible for the refund of the a la carte autograph or photo op ticket if not redeemed. We will refund or issue a credit voucher only for a la carte photo ops and autograph tickets for a specific actor if they cancel.  Creation is also not be held responsible for any financial loss associated with the purchase of air tickets or hotel rooms that are not canceled (virtually all hotels offer a 24 or 48-hour cancelation policy, so there should be no jeopardy associated with reservations).  We highly recommend you purchase travel insurance for any unforeseen issues. Disease and Illness Disclaimer:  By using your admission pass, you recognize that disease and illness, including, but not limited to, the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the common cold, may be spread through interaction with other people.  Creation Events programs may be attended by many, sometimes numbering in the hundreds.  Social distancing and other measures at these events is very difficult, if not impossible, to practice and enforce.  Therefore, you agree that you will not purchase an event admission pass if you know you have symptoms of COVID-19 or any other communicable disease or illness, or you have a high risk of contracting or suffering from one, and you certify that you do not have any reason to believe that you have been exposed to or could be a carrier of any disease or illness.  If you do attend, you agree that you will take all possible steps to protect your health and the health of others attending the event.  You further agree that, by using an admission pass and attending, you thereby waive any claim of liability you might make against Creation Entertainment, Inc. or its officers, directors, employees and agents as a result of your contracting disease or illness from attending one of our events, and you agree that you will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Creation Entertainment, Inc. and its officers, directors, employees and agents against any loss that any of them may suffer or be obligated to pay as a result of any claim that may be made against any of them by others, as a result of your attending the event, including, but not limited to, legal damages, attorney's fees and court costs.  If you are unsure of your status, please consult with your doctor before purchasing an event admission pass. You further agree that should Creation Events in its sole opinion believe that you may pose a threat to the health of others, it may deny you admission or request that you leave the event and that you understand and accept all risks that your attendance may encounter. This convention is intended for adults.  On stage appearances by our guests may include off-color or inappropriate humor and profanity. Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult who is aware of the potential content. The views and opinions expressed by any talent or participant at, or during the convention are those of the authors and/or the persons appearing on stage, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Creation Entertainment, LLC or any of their affiliated parties. Harassment at events:  Creation does not tolerate any forms of harassment or bullying at its events. The company’s complete policy is stated on each schedule of events that is handed out at each convention. If you witness bad behavior at an event, immediately notify the contact listed on the rules page of your printed schedule and there is Creation staff present at all times. We cannot do anything about complaints that come after the event is over. Team Members:  We are so grateful and fortunate to have the support of our Team Members, whose continued efforts and dedication help make our conventions possible.  They are available to assist you with any questions you may have about convention events and activities, however if you have an issue, please ask to speak to Management on-site.  Check your schedule rules page to see which manager is on-site at your specific event. If you would like to submit an application to be considered as a Team Member, please visit our Jobs/Team Members section of our website by clicking here. For those attending our conventions and making travel plans:  Please know that many of the headliners who appear onstage on Sunday usually do so towards the later part of the day. Autograph signings can run into the evening until 9:00PM-10:00PM. For those traveling from out of town, we suggest staying over until Monday in order to get your autographs and the full convention experience. Creation is not responsible for any costs associated with travel for any attendee. We highly suggest you purchase travel insurance in the event that anything should happen.   We are not responsible for orders that are rejected during processing:  On rare occasion, an error may occur during the ordering process that can require the order to be resubmitted. This can include: Incomplete form submission (usually caused by not completing the entire ordering process to the very end); Credit card failures (usually caused when there are not enough funds in an account or the credit card company rejects the charge for any number of reasons including out of state, international or unfamiliar ordering to the customers’ general pattern); or system errors during transmission of the order.  We suggest buying admission passes and a la carte tickets only through this website:  Because all PDFs are scanned for use at the convention, we can ONLY allow the first person in using each singular PDF. Autograph and photo op PDFs are also scanned for one-time use. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! Tickets that are not valid or deemed fraudulent will not be accepted.  All admission pass and a la carte ticket prices are subject to change at any time, so please order as early as possible.  Admission pass packages do not include photo ops:  Photo ops must be purchased separately on this website or at the convention (if not sold out).  NOTE:  You may buy an a la carte Autograph and/or Photo Op ticket(s) before buying an Admission pass, but you need an Admission pass for the day of your Autograph or Photo Op in order to use the Autograph and Photo Op tickets at the convention (unless the guest has changed days). Please buy an Admission pass for the day of your Photo Op or Autograph as soon as you can as we can’t guarantee Admission passes won't sell out before the show. Please, absolutely, do not ask for exceptions to this rule.    Alcoholic beverages at the convention:  At most of our events, we do not allow alcohol to be present in our function rooms, including the main theatre. This includes daily panel events, meet & greets and any night events. Water stations will be available in the room. We reserve the right to perform bag checks at any time. We reserve the right to deny entrance into any of the events to anyone who appears intoxicated. If there is an instance of alcoholic beverages sold, your ID will be checked by the bartender and any underage customers will not be served any alcoholic beverages. Creation is not responsible for the alcohol consumption of others. Weapons policy:  Please do not bring any weapons to the show. If you are using a prop weapon for a photo op or as part of the cosplay contest, please bring it to registration to get tagged. After your photo op or cosplay contest is over, please do not have your prop weapon on the convention floor at any time. Prop weapons without tags will not be allowed at any time. Lost or misplaced items:  We are not responsible for lost or misplaced items. We cannot replace a la carte Autograph or Photo Op tickets that are purchased at the convention, so PLEASE make sure your PDFs and hard tickets are kept in a safe place.  ADA Rules on service animals:  This event welcomes service animals as per ADA rules. Service animals perform valuable work or tasks and are trained to provide help directly related to a person's disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and therefore are not permitted at our event.  Photo taking policy at this convention:  We know that taking photos makes the convention even more fun. In the main theatre, photo taking is encouraged but only from your seat. It is unfair to run up to the stage and block the view of others who have paid for reserved seats in front of you. Even if there are empty seats, patrons must sit in the seats they paid for to be fair to everyone. Due to Fire Marshall regulations, everyone must be seated during performances. Please also be courteous to your neighbors when taking pictures. Photo taking is not allowed during autographing sessions nor during photo ops. Audio or video capture for personal use is allowed except in certain circumstances:  Photography and audio or video capture are for personal use only - public dissemination and commercial use strictly prohibited. If there is a time where we cannot allow audio or video capturing of the Q&As, we will advise in advance. AUDIO/VIDEO CAPTURING IS NOT ALLOWED DURING AUTOGRAPHS, PHOTO OPS AND SOME MEET & GREETS. LIVE STREAMING IS NOT ALLOWED AT ANY TIME.  Raffles/Fundraising: Unsanctioned raffles and fundraisers are not allowed at Creation events. Flashes from phone and cameras occur often during stage presentations:  If you are sensitive to such lighting please be advised to take the necessary precautions. For our attendees, please keep flash photography to a minimum. By attending Creation events , you agree to allow your image to be used on our website and in news documentaries or stories, either filmed by Creation Entertainment or other entities.  Please do not bring latex balloons of any sort to any of our events: We have had attendees with latex allergies and bursting balloons can be hazardous to people at short range.  Medical emergencies:   If you have a medical emergency and you do not have a caretaker with you, hotel security or 911 will be called to assist you.   Creation assumes no responsibility for typographical errors or inaccurate information provided by convention venues. All dates, venues and guests are considered tentative and subject to change. Join our email list for updates.  Customer support:  ANY problem you have please write to us at:  [email protected] . Customer service hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00am-4:30pm Pacific time. If you have an issue over the weekend pertaining to a show that is happening that same weekend, please go in-person to the convention registration desk for assistance. Requests sent to Customer Service over the weekend may not be received until the Monday after the convention is over. Visit our FAQs page for complete rules, policies and other information.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support! 

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To Boldly Go —

How an over-ambitious star trek convention became “the con of wrath”, in 1982, nearly the entire tos cast gathered for a disastrous four-hour variety show..

Cyrus Farivar - Sep 9, 2016 12:00 pm UTC

Even by modern convention standards, it sounds crazy. It wasn't just a Star Trek convention. Not just a Star Trek convention with nearly the entire original series cast present, either. It was a Star Trek convention with a "multi-media extravaganza," a laser show, and live musical performances all on a custom-made, constantly slowly rotating stage built like the Starfleet uniform badge insignia with a captain’s chair right in the middle.

As Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was being released, that's exactly what was planned for "Ultimate Fantasy" in Houston, Texas, at the Shamrock Hilton Convention Center and the adjacent Summit Arena in June 1982. The show was advertised all over Starlog and TV Guide . Huge billboards went up across the Houston area, and some organizers really believed that fans would come from overseas to see this four-hour live show.

There was only one problem: no one came.

In a venue that could hold at least 17,000 fans, which had been booked for three performances over a weekend, tickets sold to less than 10 percent of capacity. When relatively few fans showed up, the Shamrock Hilton demanded that all vendors pay their fair share in full, lest they be shut down early. Even the stage hands working on the performance nearly had some of their gear seized in the middle of a show. In short, "Ultimate Fantasy" collapsed miserably. Over time it became known as "The Con of Wrath"—it also became legendary among Trek  fans.

Riding the wave

A  Star Trek fan in Norman, Oklahoma, Larry Nemecek, took his first road trip 430 miles south to Houston for the show. "I didn’t know at the time, but it was a glorious failure—it was supposed to be the biggest rock show for Trek ," he told Ars. Nemecek has since grown up to become a well-known Star Trek archivist who runs a paid fan website called " Portal 47 ." And now he's making a film about that epic incident he witnessed. His documentary,  The Con of Wrath , will even include interviews with the cast and crew who performed that infamous weekend.

It’s important to remember the context within which Ultimate Fantasy was conceived. By the early 1980s, Star Trek was on the rise again. While TOS ended in 1969, it gained new fans in the 1970s through syndication. In 1972, the first Star Trek convention was held in New York City. Four years later, a letter-writing campaign convinced NASA to name the first space shuttle Enterprise . By 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released.

"The sci-fi boom is on," Nemecek recalled. "The guy in the middle of that was dreaming of the biggest show ever." That man was Jerry Wilhite, a Houstonian who had been involved in numerous comics conventions since the 1960s. According to the Houston Press , as the convention scene began to wane in the 1970s, Wilhite wanted to take the local scene to a new level. (Wilhite is reportedly still living in the Houston area but is in poor health and could not talk to Ars  for this article.)

As such, Wilhite dreamt up the Ultimate Fantasy experience. And to kick things up a notch, he also orchestrated two-person package deals (which included convention access and hotel rooms) for $425 (or $1,060 in 2016 dollars). Individual floor seats started at $75 ($187 in 2016 dollars) and general admission at $30 ($75 in 2016 dollars).

According to an article in the Houston Chronicle from June 27, 1982, "many fans arrived in Houston to find they owed hotel bills that should have been included in the price of the tickets." The two top-billed actors, William Shatner and DeForest Kelley, only received 60 percent of their fee, according to the Chronicle.  "Minor performers received little, if any, of their money," the paper reported.

Speaking through an unnamed agent, Kelley declined to speak to the Chronicle . The actor only said that he "didn’t want to get involved. Any comment should come through the producers of the show. They knew what was going on."

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January 21, 2022

The First Star Trek Convention

50 years ago, the beloved series boldly went to the con circuit.

Troy Brownfield

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In these uncertain times, this much is fact: the fandom convention circuit has taken a serious beating. As the world ground to a halt in 2020, so too did monolithic fan gatherings like San Diego Comic Con International. While some events have ramped back up in small ways and with heavy precautions in recent months, cancellations like that of 2022’s Toy Fair New York, originally scheduled for February, continue to disrupt the calendar. However, as fandom holds out hope for a return to normalcy, this time of frequent pauses coincides with a major anniversary in that world. Fifty years ago, January 21, 1972 saw the debut of the very first Star Trek convention.

The idea of a fan convention goes back to the 1930s, but like anything in fandom, there’s some disagreement about who was first. Both British and American fans and writers were conducting meet-ups as early as 1936. One British group tried to assert, after the fact, that the first convention actually took place in the 1800s. Philadelphia’s 1936 Science Fiction Conference (Philcon) claims that it’s the forerunner. The first World Science Fiction Convention was held in New York in 1939; the event took place contemporaneously with the 1939 World’s Fair. Now dubbed Worldcon, that event has taken place annually since (with the exceptions of 1942-1945 during World War II and the shift from an in-person to virtual version during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020). Over time, fan conventions splintered into a variety of specific gatherings devoted to broad genres (fantasy, horror, etc.) or particular entertainment mediums (comics, gaming, anime, etc.).

But when it comes to fandom, it’s hard to top the energy of the ardent adherents of Star Trek . During the 1966-1969 run of the original series, rumors began that the show was facing cancellation. With a little clandestine prompting from series creator Gene Roddenberry, fan Bjo Trimble and her husband, John, organized a letter-writing effort to save to the show; in part, they used existing mailing lists from conventions to reach out to fans to join their campaign. The NBC network confirmed that it received 116,000 pieces of mail from fans, although others estimate that the actual amount of mail directed to the network was greater than that total. The show did last another year, but was cancelled after the third season. The grand irony is that the show became even more popular after its cancellation; syndication put the show in front of viewers of all ages at a variety of different times in different markets. Viewership of those episodes exploded, and the fandom galvanized and grew.

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By 1971, an effort was underway to organize an actual convention devoted to Star Trek . A group of die-hard fans known as “The Committee” came together to plan the event. Dubbed “Star Trek Lives!,” the convention ran from January 21 to January 23, 1972 at the Statler Hilton in New York City. Roddenberry himself was a guest, as was his wife, Majel Barrett; Barrett had played Number One in the original pilot episode, “The Cage,” and went on to play Nurse Christine Chapel and supply the voice of the Enterprise ’s computer in the series. Other guests included series writer D.C. Fontana, novelist Hal Clement, and science-fiction legend Isaac Asimov. The event featured a number of activities that would become familiar convention features over the years, including episode screenings, a masquerade (“costume call,” a forerunner of today’s cosplay), and an art show. NASA even got in on the act, providing displays like an astronaut suit and actual moon rocks. The event pulled in 3000 attendees.

Despite the legendary William Shatner convention sketch from Saturday Night Live , the cast and crew of the various Trek shows are almost universally hailed as some of the friendliest and engaging celebrities that anyone could meet. Many of the stories that fans carry away from conventions are about the kind and positive interactions that they’ve had with members of the cast. Then there are tales like that of Larry and Cindy Crittenton, who met at a convention at the LAX Hilton Ballroom in 1988; as of 2019, they’ve been married over 30 years. The con environment has become a warm and welcoming place for followers of the shows, even if the occasional bat’leth duel breaks out in the aisles.

Over time, Star Trek conventions have continued to manifest in a variety of ways. Actors and other talent from the dozen various Star Trek series appear regularly at all of today’s major conventions, like San Diego Comic Con International. Specialty cons and events still occur frequently, such as Starbase Indy in Indianapolis and official conventions stage by Creation Entertainment. With recent renewals of multiple Star Trek series on the Paramount+ platform, the storied franchise shows no signs of slowing down, and neither do its fans.

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Space-Con 2

Space-Con 2 (the second Star Trek convention) was held in Oakland at what was then known as the Oakland Municipal Auditorium (now the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center ) on August 7 and 8, 1976.   Bob Wilkins , the host of Creature Features , which broadcast on KTVU, was the emcee at Space-Con 2.  This convention was much larger then the first, which had been in San Francisco's Lincoln High School the previous year.

Here is a great review written by Shirley Maiewski about the event from FanLore.org:

"It lived up to its billing as the 'largest Star Trek Convention on the West Coast' -- there were well over 10,000 attendees. The arena of the auditorium was filled several times, and alternate programming of films and science talks and writers' workshops were also well attended. Most of the ST cast members were there: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, Mark Lenard, Arlene Martel, and Bruch Hyde were all scheduled speakers; Majel Barrett was also there.

Also there were a great number of space and NASA scientists—Gerald A. Soffen, Project Scientist of NASA's Viking Project; Jesco Von Puttkamer, Senior Staff Specialist in the Advanced Program Office of Space Flight; Dr. Kerry Mark Joels, with NASA/Ames Research Center; Andrew Fraknoi, an instructor of astronomy and physics at Canada College, Redwood City, CA, who spoke on "Can the Enterprise fly?;" not to mention Col. Alfred Worden, astronaut, Commander of Apollo XV.

Great interest was shown in what they had to say, belying the thought that Trekfen are only interested in Trekkie ideas! The Writer's Workshop on Saturday evening was well attended—speakers were: Theodore Sturgeon, who wrote 2 ST episodes; Robert Silverberg, Hugo and Nebula award winner; Eric Burgess, freelance author, lecturer, and journalist, who writes technical articles for NASA and many other astronautical societies; and Frank Catalano, a freelance SF writer and radio personality in California.

While the con was very large, most people seemed pleased with what they "got" for their money. As always, there were a few who did not know what to expect, and were upset because they couldn't get the autographs of WS and LN—who were NOT giving ANY—and with good reason. They'd be there yet!! The other stars did have long autograph sessions, under difficult circumstances.

Besides the writers at the Workshop, many others gave autographs and talked with the fen: Poul Anderson, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Richard Lupoff, Ray Faraday Nelson, and others.

The Dealers' Room was isolated on the 3rd floor, with almost no ventilation--IT WAS HOT!! A long line of would-be customers wound up several flights of stairs, and security had to let one in when one left. There was a small fire in an airduct one afternoon, when the room had to be closed for an hour and a half.

The Art Show was hard to find, but worth the search. Some beautiful art was displayed—there is great talent in Trekdom!" 1

There is a short documentary entitled Back to Space-Con covering the Bay Area conventions in the 1970's with interviews of science fiction industry personalities. 

[Will add more later ...]

Additional Links

• "Back to Space-Con" goes where no one has gone before

Space - Con (Star Trek and Science Fiction convention) FanLore.org 1

eBay listing for Space-Con 2 program Space-Con 2 program.JPG

Story and 1976 video from KPIX Eyewitness News about the Star Trek Convention, from The San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive

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Shenzhen Convention

• View history

An article about a scientist's ethics violation of the Shenzhen Convention

The Shenzhen Convention was an international agreement on Earth in the 21st century that regulated the conduct of Human genetic research .

In 2024 , Doctor Adam Soong was found to have violated the Shenzhen Convention by conducting illegal genetic experiments on veterans from Spearhead Operations , a private military organization. As a result, he lost his license and funding, and was banned from further research in the field. ( PIC : " Fly Me to the Moon ")

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

The name "Shenzhen Convention" is likely to be a reference to the He Jiankui affair , the first known real-life instance of genome editing in humans, which occured in 2018 when He Jiankui of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, used CRISPR–Cas9 to edit the genomes of three then-unborn children in an attempt to make them resistant to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Star Trek Lives! (convention)/1973

Star Trek Lives! 1973 was held February 16-19 at the Commodore Hotel in New York City.

The highlight of the second con, called the International Star Trek Convention, was the unannounced appearance of Leonard Nimoy that Sunday. I was on hand as a helper (unpaid volunteer) and, along with future comics writer Paul Kupperberg, was part of the flying V-formation of security to get Nimoy from the entrance to the stage. We then stood in position to form a human wall between shrieking fans and a smiling actor. Anticipating between 5,000 to 6,000 fans, the organizers were pleasantly surprised with a total head count of 6,200. That same year, Bjo Trimble organized The Star Trek West Coast Convention as a part of her Equicon event, which she had started two years earlier. [1]

• 1 Guests of Honor
• 2 Con Staff
• 3 Tidbits and Anecdotes
• 4 The Program Book
• 5 Badges, Flyers, and Other Ephemera
• 6 Programming
• 7 Links to Photos and Videos
• 8 Articles and Further Reading
• 10 References

Guests of Honor

This con was chaired by Al Schuster.

Other staff was Dana Anderson, Tom Anderson, Renee Bodner, Stu Hellinger, Deborah Langsam , Devra Langsam , Elyse Rosenstein , Steve Rosenstein, Joan Winston , Eileen Becker, Maureen Wilson, and Joyce Yasner .

Tidbits and Anecdotes

This was Leonard Nimoy's first convention appearance.

From the program book: "Star Trek Lives -- Again. And I can hear you all mumbling to yourselves - why? Why go through all the stomach-churning, headache-making, planning, calling, writing, meeting, listing, form-revising, envelope-stuffing chaos again? Because we had a ball, that's why! So did the over 3,000 people who attended last year's convention, who became infected with the same lovable lunacy right along with us. Love what it's all about and where it's at -- that loving is not something to be ashamed of -- it's something to shout about."

The fan play, One Cube or Two? , was performed at this con.

Isaac Asimov, a con guest, wrote a piece for the program book about his experiences at this con and at the Schuster Star Trek Conventions in New York City. In 1979, the article was revised and published in the first issue of Starlog Magazine in an article called The Conventions as Asimov Sees Them , an article published in the first issue of Starlog Magazine .

The Program Book

A fan in 1976 said:

This has one humor strip, some blooper stills, a number of b&w photos, an incredibly misplaced ad, and a few other items. Rating 2 stars out of 5 stars. [2]

from the program book: "A Star Trek Convention in Philadelphia.? [sic] Who Knows?" -- an early sign of some committee fracture, perhaps...

from the program book

Badges, Flyers, and Other Ephemera

the middle one is Convention progress report ( 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, 16 pages. Mostly information about the then upcoming New York convention held Feb. 16-19, 1973. Has a photo of guest Gene Roddenberry and prints a full page black and white drawing by Gray Morrow of Walter Koenig as Chekov

another program book from 1973, possibly a commemorative booklet

Programming

programming for the 1973 convention (page 1) click to read

programming for the 1973 convention (page 2) click to read

Links to Photos and Videos

• Video footage from the 1973 convention (on YouTube )
• Article discussing the video footage [3]

Articles and Further Reading

newspaper article reprinted in the The San Bernardino County Sun on Feb 20, 1973 estimated 7,000 fans attended and memberships were sold for $5 per attendee. Click to read.

This letter to the editor of The Bridgeport Post in Feb 1973 talked about the 1973 convention in more global terms: "Daily we hear the cry that the youth of America is mentally unhealthy. The crime rate is up. Sexual promiscuity is the vogue. Morals are at an all-time low. A recent speculative science fiction convention at New York's Commodore Hotel proved that over 7,000 people, predominantly high school and college age have bright hope for the world in the future. " Click to read the full text.

from the "Asbury Park Press," February 17, 1973, click to read

Con Reports

... the best part of the Con... Trekkies! There were no strangers; we all had a common bond and we were really together. You met someone in an elevator and if they had a Star Trek badge on, you knew you had something to talk about. And talk we did! By Monday, everyone was hoarse, but very happy. No barriers existed; age, race, sex, occupation, education, I.Q. made absolutely no difference. Only one did I hear an "Ohhh! Leonard Nimoy is sooo cute!" I ended that nonsense with a gentle, but firm, "There are many ways to describe Leonard Nimoy, but 'cute' is definitely not one of them." The Trekkiebopper agreed and immediately grew into a Trekkie. The "cute" Trekkieboppers soon found they had two alternatives: grow up, or find something else to be a fan of. Most of them grew up, I am pleased to say. The quality of conversation was amazing. When two or more Trekkies would meet, the subjects might include genetics, phaser vs laser, psychology, warp drive, botany, Vulcan marriage customs, space-time continuums, literature, synthetic food processing, medicine, electronics, astronomy, computer technology, interplanetary law, archaeology... you name it, we touched on it. The convention itself would close at 2:30 a.m. and many of us would meet in hotel rooms and hold mini-conventions util 4 or 5 a.m. At nine or ten o'clock in the morning, we were back at it. "Trekkies take care of their own," I told my mother before I left, and I was right. Someone was always offering you something to eat or drink, saving your seat, helping you carry something and generally making sure everyone was well taken care of. Helen Young (of Welcommittee ) even gave me a key to her hotel room so I could leave my coat and extra bumperstickers there. She is a beautiful woman who got into Trekdom just 6 months ago while trying to find information for her 2 young sons. She is now a full-fledged Trekkie herself, and the new chairman of Welcommittee, which she runs very well. [4]

New York's ISTC was the second annual convention devoted to Star Trek, Nearly 8000 fans claimed the Commodore Hotel for the Feb. 16-19 weekend and met kindred lunatics by the score. Many scheduled and surprise appearances by SF/ST tables made it an exciting weekend. Issac Asimov praised ST as the first "sci-fiventure" to destroy the cliched idea of "monsters with a mad desire to gobble up Tokyo." Oscar Kata discussed Genesis II , and both James Doohan and Georges Takei said they would be interested in working on Trek again should it ever be revived. Mark Lenord dropped in to view the goings-on tor himself and was cornered into judging costumes for the ISTC costume ball. Several Kirks, Spocks, (most of these were female) crew members of all sizes and shapes, aliens, a turtle (how'd he get in there' I) and "Deer Man" paraded around. Yours truly was even nerved-pinched by a dark-skinned alien Ambassador, who turned out to be Jennifer Reid , artist extraordinaire. The biggest surprise came when Leonard Nimoy came unexpectedly, interrupting the showing of "Silent Running". Leonard said that "it, was not true that he wished to dis-associate himself from ST and the character of Spock." He said that "it was an honor to portray a man with so much depth of character and such a superb philosophy." He can't distance himself from ST as "Nimoy knows what Spock did for him." Leonard also said he "couldn't believe his eyes or ears" (groans) "that so many or us were there doing our "human little things." (more groans). The Huckster's Room was again the scene of mad exchange of bill for ST goodies. Everything remotely concerned with ST was sold. TV21's, the ST tracer gun (ho, ho), ST comics. Monster Times, zines, posters, David Gerrold Tribbles and Aurora's overly-green Spock model were snatched, along with 8 x 10's, clips and a magnificent lithograph poster of a Spock portrait done by Matte Willis Beard. Fanzines old and new were displayed is the Art Room, along with table-top sketches. Enterprises in a bottle, macreame, fan-made idics , and a model of Mr. Spock's head, with teeth and wig yet. Art by fandom greats (and not-so-greats) abounded. Works by Andres, Flanery, etc. kept each other company. My personal favorites were the excellent works done by Jenny Reid (a fore-mentioned pincher) and the colorful acrylic sci-fic paintings hanging in the back of the Art Room. The first sames of creative photography utilizing ST. model ships in space, under attack, etc. were also fascinating. Across the halls, a full-scale model of a section of the Enterprise bridge was displayed. Kirk's chair, navigation console, library computer, communications, and Scotty's post were on display. One could even have your picture taken while sitting in the command chair! ISTC was great! I met many fantastic people and had a wonderful time. Here's one ST fan who's looking forward to ISTC '74! [5]

The New York STAR TREK convention, was, to say the least, everything that was expected ofiit. And, in comparison to last year's New York convention, it was an enormous improvement. Noteworthy guests in attendance at the convention included Isaac Asimov, Betty Ballantine (BALLANTINE BOOKS), Hal Clement, James Doohan, Dorothy C. Fontana, David Gerrold, Mark Lenard, Leonard Nimoy, and George Takei (PRONOUNCED Ta-kay) as with 'o-kay'), and Oscar Katz. (CBS) The convention really started off Thursday night with the rumors already circulating that Leonard Nimoy was there. Friday will probably be remembered best as the day you waited in line. The registration lines physically did consist of thousands of people all day. One of these days perhaps,the ‘committee will learn to do as the world cons do - send the registration cards to advance members. Mainly the events on Friday consisted of a fantastic light show and films, both STAR TREK, and the 2 MAN FROM UNCLE films that had some of ST's cast in them. On Saturday GENESIS II, was Oscar Katz (Vice-president, CBS) talking about his involvement with the ST pilot films and now, the new GENESIS II film, including a few slides from the movie. And for those who were wondering, Bill Theiss did design the costumes. George Takei and then James Doohan spoke about STAR TREK, the ecology, and other items of interest. Hal Clement gave another 22nd century astronomy lesson, and then there was a writers panel on ST consisting of Dorothy Fontana and David Gerrold and a question-and-answer period. Sunday began with a brunch with most of the guests of honor attending including the lovable Dr. Isaac Asimov, Betty Ballantine, and Hal Clement. The toastmaster was David Gerrold who gave a witty performance. Then the honored guests gave a few short speeches, and STAR TREK was awarded a space ship as the most popular show in West Germany by "BRAVA” (?) magazine which had also sponsored a contest for one person to win a trip to the convention from Germany. And, at the brunch, the art show awards were announced. A special commendation is in order for STAR member Bert McCumbef for his intricately beautiful miniature tri-dimensional Enterprise bridge which won so many first places. Also, we should mention other multi-award winners such as Maureen Wilson for her many unusual handicrafts, C.L. Healy, and Jennifer Reid for 'best-of-show.' Sunday afternoon included Isaac Asimov whose brilliant, scintillating speech showed what his favorite subject was. There was an art auction, and then - Leonard Nimoy. Though Mr. Nimoy's stay was brief, he did make it quite clear that he enjoyed STAR TREK, and that he wouldn't exactly object to doing it again, if ever. Then there was the costume ball. Now that is a confusing title since the event isn't really a ball at all. What is really is, is a group of people, and I use the term loosely, parading around in strange dress, and the rest of the crowd taking photos. It is fun for all, especially if you are in costume. But before everything began, Mark Lenard arrived. For those of you who don't recall the name, he was the Romulan Commander, and Spock's papa. The costumes were incredible from the beautiful to the bizarre. The overall crowd favorite as well as the best sf costume was a costume called "Transporter Malfunction", which Allen Asherman of "THE MONSTER TIMES" called a walking zoo and botanical garden combined Other unusualities included besides the regular armies of Spocks, Kirks, and starfleet officers, a blue tribble, "Mudd's Women after the Pill Wore Off", Klingon Hordes, Rigelian Ambassadors, and even a stand-up STAR TREK comedian. Monday had a general auction (STAR-BORNE #1 went for $2. We didn't believe it either.) Then there was David Gerrold, and then at noon, Miss Fontana's speech . After this, there was a panel with George Takei, James Doohan, David Gerrold and Miss Fontana to conclude the con. The highlights of this panel included James Doohan singing a Welsh song and George Take! announcing that he would be the voice of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" in the movie. Other highlights of the con included an unbelievably fantastic life-size model of the Enterprise bridge on display. According to David Gerrold photos of the bridge even fooled Gene Roddenberry. Congratulations to its builders ...the Grumann Lunar Landing Module Display... The NASA SKYLAB that never did show up because it was between ALLEGHENY AIRLINES and New Jersey., the beautiful program booklet which had only one flaw -- the color cover pictures were printed backwards... the writers of the trivia quiz who must have earned themselves a bachelor of STAR TREK degree... a fine hotel that had no coffee shop but did have Grand Central Station.. the generally well-behaved audience... [6]

Len Wein and Chris Rush spoke first on Friday. This was followed by a plea from the director of "Warp" (a live SF on Broadway) to attend a performance. A slide show was lost in the shuffle; but the Andromeda Light Show wasn't. For this yours truly is most grateful. The show was psychedelically fantastic! After spending about an hour (or more) buying Star Trek items and twenty minutes eating — I watched Star Trek films until about 2:00 am. As this letter progresses, you'll see that the weekend wound up as one l—o-n—g "day". [...] Saturday started with Hal Clement playing the part of a 25rd century instructor giving a lecture on astronomy. WOW! George Takei was next. In addition to what you already know, he was also impressed with the fans' behavior and numbers (over 5,000). Slow service; a quick bite; and I was back to listen to James Doohan . Based on what you've said about him, Mr. Doohan handled himself — and the people — exceptionally well. Oscar Katz used slides to give us an idea what Genesis II will have to offer. Mr. Katz was followed by D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold . Working together, they attempted to answer all of the questions concerning Star Trek that people could dream up. That reminds me. You should have heard some of the technical questions "Scotty" was asked as engineer of the Enterprise. Another hamburger and coke; and I was back for more films. The films ran from 7:30 pm to 2:00 am; but I somehow managed to make new friends during the course of the day and night. Sunday started with a brunch at 11:00 am. Everyone who was someone (well almost everyone) had a chance to speak. In addition, a German magazine awarded a prize to Star Trek via a young German girl who won a free trip to the convention. An art auction was held at 2:00 pm; and the art was definitely worth buying. Unfortunately, I would have been better off being 2 hours early for Dr. Asimov 's 4:00 speech instead of just 1. As it was, I got within about 20 feet of Leonard Nimoy . Mr. Nimoy didn't stay very long. He only stayed long enough to show he was fighting mad because some magazine said he didn't like being Mr. Spock or being on Star Trek. Leonard Nimoy's vehement reply was that: 1) He was proud to play Mr. Spock. 2) He was proud that he was able to make the part so believable. 3) He was proud to be a part of Star Trek. 4) He would appear on Star Trek again if asked and if he was not already committed at the time. How can I tell the rest without it sounding anticlimactic! Dr. Asimov spoke ; and I think I had time for a hamburger. Note: If you are what you eat, I've got problems. The costume contest was great. I'm still waiting for some film to come back; but when it does, I'll let copies of the best photos describe the contest. I had to leave Monday morning in order to be at work that afternoon. But I plan on using photos of the convention so you can have the feeling of being there. [7]

It was Saturday, February 17. I had just arrived at the Commodore Hotel. I went straight to the ballroom floor where I asked someone to show me the pre-registration line. He did. There were about 150 people on the line. After about 15 minutes, I found out that this was the registration desk. Cursing out everything in sight, I went to the pre-registration desk where I got my badge and bag of goodies. I then entered the room where the movies were shown. I sat through "A Piece of the Action” and ’’Where No Man Has Gone Before.” These, along with "Journey to Babel,” ’’Amok Time,” "The Trouble with Tribbles,” "City on the Edge of Forever,” "Mirror, Mirror,” and ’’The Cage,” were shown at the con. ’’Silent Running,” also shown, drew so many people that the doors had to be closed. The ’’Star Trek Blooper Reel” was shown, as well as two "Man from Uncle” episodes -- ’’The Strigers Affair” and ’’The Shark Affair." The best part of the con was its art show. For a bunch of amateurs, these artists did a fantastic job. One item that caught my eye was a scale model of the bridge of the Enterprise. It was so precise, so beautiful, that it overshadowed every other piece of art. It was priced at $15 but the bidding quickly rose to $55 before it was even auctioned. There were also a few oil paintings, silkscreens, pens, ink, pencils, and watercolors. It was a regular museum of art. Now on the the huckster room. STAR TREK balloons, models, buttons, posters, stickers, pictures, pillows , books, T-shirts, -and Spock Wooden Nick-ells were available. The prices were all reasonable, except for the pictures which were very overpriced. You could pay up to $5 for an 9” x 10” color glossy. For 15 cents you could buy the negative and have an 8” x 10” made for much less. Many people will complain also about the unfair prices of comics. But if you were cheated, it was your own fault. Some places sold comics for 50 cents-75 cents each while, six booths down, you could get the same ones at six for $1. You had to look around. It also helped buying comics on the last day of the con. It was then that the prices were lowered since the sellers wanted to get rid of their merchandise. With two hours left on Monday, I found comics for 10-15 cents instead of the previous 25 cents. For the best buys you had to be a good shopper. Well, now the con’s over. The sellers packed their wares and pushed them into car trunks and back seats. But they’ll be back next year. Until then, "live long and prosper” and all that jazz. [8]

COSTUME CALL: With perhaps 1500 to 2000 trekkies seated on the ballroom floor, 75-100 humans, aliens, and other things that go bump in the night passed before their critical gaze and that of such notables as Isaac Asimov, D.C. Fontana, David Gerrold, and Mark Leonard, surprise guest who once played Spock's father on Journey to Babel” and now just dropped in only to be overwhelmed with trekkie enthusiasm so much that he stayed the rest of the night. Those who watched were treated to a wide-ranging display of creativity in costuming (although if I see another person dressed up as Spock or Kirk, I'll While most of the better known STAR TREK characters were represented, alien ambas- sadores, white/black-faced aliens, and even a live, but gigantic, tribble (some known as Eliot Nesterman) were in abundance. Deweyite Michael Lazar as middle-earth wizard Radagast drew applause from many (including our Dewey infiltrators). However, the show was stolen by a man who portrayed an alien, a turtle, a deer, and several other lifeforms all caught in a transporter malfunction and united. [9]

LEONARD NIMOY: Picture a large ballroom, seating comfortably about 1300 people, now filled with over 1500 trekkies enjoying a well-run STAR TREK Con and presently watching SILENT RUNNING. Picture a rumor spreading around the con that, after seeing and hearing two of their idols, George Takei and James Doohan, they are going to see their ultimate idol, that unemotional, logical, pointed-eared Spock for three years, Leonard Nimoy, Now picture the consequences. People poured out of the huckster room; the area outside the ballroom filled; 500-1000 more people saturated the already-crowded ballroom; and the noise level rose to such a point that the last five minutes of the ending of SILENT RUNNING had to be suspended as Doohan, with Takei assisting, had to try to calm down this incredibly enthusiastic mob of trekkies. Five to ten minutes were spent in gaining some semblance of order before the master was finally brought out to be greeted by a standing ovation of clapping, yelling, and, in some cases, screaming fans. They finally quieted down to a point where they could hear most of what Nimoy was saying because of the realization that he could remain only fifteen minutes or so. And then this Nimoy-Spock spoke. His speech was brief and without any significant announcements. He spoke of the genius of Gene Roddenberry, as well as the many opportunities which were opened to him as a result of the series. He recalled the reaction of the actors to STAR TREK as a "fresh, meaningful concept" in which the show could be "entertaining, provocative, and uplifting." He was forever grateful for its challenges and the spirit of the STAR TREK crew who exhibited the determination to show that they had something worthwhile to put before the TV audience. But the most important aspect was something left unsaid — STAR TREK caused enjoyment and meaningfulness which shall never be forgotten. [10]

GEORGE TAKEI AND JAMES DOOHAN: The main ballroom was completely packed with trekkies waiting for George Takei (better known as Sulu) to make an appearance. When he walked onto the stage, we were shocked. There he was wearing a brown, leather jacket, with long hair, and he was flashing peace signs. Was this our nYes, sir. Course plotted. Captain Kirk” navigator and sometimes swordsman? As it turned out, it was the same old Sulu we have all learned to know and love. He spoke of the technological advances in the STAR TREK era and how man will learn to live together because of these breakthroughs (hopefully). He also couldn’t believe the size and enthusiasm of the crowd. Although he couldn’t remember too much about the technical aspects of the U.S.S. Enterprise, he was a very gifted speaker with a sense of humor. On the other hand, James Doohan (Scotty) was a slight disappointment. Without any speech prepared beforehand, he simply held a long question and answer period. The best part of this was when someone asked him to say his famous remark, ’’They will be no tribble at all,” obviously from ’’The Trouble with Tribbles.” This brought down the house with laughter and applause. Towards the end of this session, a man stood up and said, ”I want to thank you personally for being part of a show that brought me deep personal enjoyment.” Likewise, we all thank them with you. [11]

MOVIES, ART, AUCTION, AND HUCKSTER’S ROOM: In the beginning, Al Schuster said, "Let there be Star Trek Con.” And so it was done. And it was good. And he said, "Let there be guests and panels and art and auctions and movies and hucksters." And it was done. And the following year, it was done again. This is where I come in. I carry a badge, Star Trek Con badge, that is. Dum de dum dum. [12]

ISAAC ASIMOV: The indomitable Isaac Asimov is a con unto himself. He has probably attended more New York conventions (and perhaps more conventions throughout the country) than any other living author and he certainly has the credentials to make his appearance desirable. Over a period of many years of writing novels and books, starting with his first book publication in 1950 of PEBBLE IN THE SKY, he has published or is in the process of publishing about 140 or 150 books. It's terribly difficult to keep track of the exact number since he may have as many as eleven or more books in the publishing stage at any given time. [...] And the crowd of trekkies at the Second International Star Trek Con felt the same way both before and after he spoke. Isaac Asimov had the distinct disadvantage of speaking immediately after the surprise visitor, Leonard Nimoy, had just filled the ballroom and the hall with perhaps with two or three thousand (take or give a few hundred stragglers) trekkies and almost caused a riot. However, despite that, he was not only able to go into his analysis of STAR TREK but the entire science fiction revolution presently taking place. With his sharp and hilarious sense of humor knocking down any possible psychological opposition, he spoke. The reason that science fiction, and STAR TREK, is becoming so popular and so dynamic is because of the extreme relevancy of it all. In an age when change has become the most important item and when future shock is the result which can come from ignoring the importance of adapting to change, that literature which deals with change is not only an important literature but it is the ONLY relevant literature for that time and science fiction has been dealing with change and the implications of change upon man for half a century. And that is why STAR TREK and science fiction have garnered so many avid followers. Both of them have examined many of the possibilities which could occur and therefore they are RELEVANT. Score one more for the Good Doctor. [13]

HAL CLEMENT: Hal Clement, the pen name for Harry Stubbs, gave a very interesting slide show at this year’s International Star Trek Convention. The subject of the slide show and accompanying discussion was the solar system of Rigel, one of STAR TREK’s favorite star systems. He speculated as to the physical nature of the star itself and showed what its twelve planets would look like, using information derived from various episodes from the show and whatever factual information astronomers have garnered up to the present time as a starting point. Clement’s discussion was incredibly detailed and was presented with such a straight face that, for awhile, I almost believed I was attending a 23rd century college lecture. His speculation was well thought out and it was obvious he had spent considerable time planning. The presentation was straightforward and believable and it would not surprise me in the least to find out that Hal Clement is a lecturer of much experience. The slides themselves showed orbits of the twelve planets, possible landscapes, charts showing comparisons of mass diameter, the size of orbit, and other planetary statistics, such as the size of Rigel's radiation sphere, its complicated systems of five suns, and comparison shots of other stars, our own solar system, and distant galaxies. Although in its entirety I found the slide display and companion analysis to be clever and intriguing, I would make one criticism. Some of the terms used, such as parallax magnitude, and parsec, would be unfamiliar to persons without any background in astronomy. One might expect Star Trek fans to know something about astronomy, but I did notice people who didn't seem to understand what Clement was talking about. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that the talk was interesting, well-planned, and certainly an excellent and clever idea. I look forward to further talks on astronomy, Star Trek, and whatever other interesting topics he can come up with at future cons. [14]

SLIDE SHOW AND ANDROMEDA LIGHT SHOW: The Slide Show, assembled by Elyse and Steven Rosenstein, consisted of STAR TREK slides with a short narration for each slide. Among the slides were "The Girls of STAR TREK," units of various episodes with the highlight being slides of "The Trouble with Tribbles, combined with a long narrative poem stressing the arranger's humorous interpretation of the story which described the episode. All in all the half-hour slide show was entertaining. The Andromeda Light Show on Friday night was an entirely different event. While this light show was the official "Welcome to the Second International Star Trek Con“ and while it used slides from STAR TREK, as did the above slide show, it went far beyond it in equipment, scope, and use of different media. Basically it was a combination of different lighting effects by Jeff Maynard. Slides were combined with films which were both combined with special lighting effects. Using a three-screen effect, films of different NASA launches and other space events were shown on one screen while different slides were shown on the other two screens. The NASA films showed different launches, especially the Apollo and Gemini flights with such specific events as a space walk. While these were being shown slides from a great variety of STAR TREK episodes were being shown on another screen (or more specifically another area of the same gigantic screen). When these were first shown they were greeted with great applause from the 1500 or so trekkies who had assembled early on that first day. Slides of all their heroes (and arch-enemies) and of all those people and places which they all connect so closely with STAR TREK were shown. The final element was the use of various lighting effects which were both colorful and hypnotic in their beauty. All of the above effects were accomplished with the use of two slide projectors, several movie projectors, and two color wheels situated in front of the two slide projectors, while various music played in the background. Very good. [15]

WARP: The first activity of the Star Trek Con was a talk on WARP. Neil Adams, the famous Comic artist and set and costume designer of this play, began with a basic description of this serialized SF play. He then criticized the critics of the play. [...] Mr. Klinefeld next spoke about the special effects in WARP. When asked to describe them, he replied with, "Would a trekkie describe STAR TREK to a newcomer or would he tell the newcomer to see the show?!! [...] Basically the talk on WARP was an appeal to trekkies to see the play at 10:00 that evening (February 16, 1973) with seats costing $1.00 less than usual. Mr. Klinefeld appealed to the trekkies, "Let the show last two weeks and then we'll put on WARP II. I'll be so grateful that I'll give you that I'll give you the short off my back." He pulled off his torn, yellow t-shirt and flung it into the audience. [16]

BRUNCH: Ten of us Deweyites crowded into the East Ballroom and took our table which was reserved for us in front of the dais. Each table seated ten and there were perhaps thirty-five of them in the room. After all in the room were seated and rolls and juice were consumed, those who were to sit on the dais filed in. Along with A1 Schuster (con organizer) and other committee members were David Gerrold (toast-master), our beloved Mr. Sulu and Chief Engineer Scott, and the one and only D.C. Fontana. They all came up in a long line, receiving deafening amounts of applause and blinding flash bulbs. David Gerrold introduced the guests and George Takei, James Doohan, and D.C Fontana all made very brief speeches. After a standing ovation, Takei just said "wow” and, then, to the surprise of most just added "thank you" and sat down. After another standing ovation, Doohan also said "thank you" but in his STAR TREK Scottish accent. To put it in the words of our toast master, "Now let’s get down to serious business. Let's eat." After the meal David Gerrold delivered a monologue but you have to give him credit because he worked hard, having to compete with Dr. Asimov who was seated with Oscar Katz and Hal Clement at a table directly in front of Gerrold. At times they lashed back and forth their humorous taunts and insults, at least until the plaster began to fall from the ceiling. From what I could gather, we were in the same room as was used in the POSEIDON ADVENTURE and it hasn't been redone yet. Gerrold was very good as toast-master, introducing the guest, with appropriate humor directed at each, while competing with Dr. A. Awards were then given out for art, trivia contests, exhibits, and alike. There was another award but this one was given to STAR TREK itself. Two girls had flown in from Munich, Germany, where the biggest TV show is STAR TREK. They had come to give an award to the show from a German magazine. Other distant travellers were introduced, having come from the midwestern states, as well as from Honolulu, simply to come to this convention. Finally Al Schuster, chairman of the con, brought the brunch which had begun at 11:00 to an end at 1:30 with final thanks to his committee members and assistants. [17]

OSCAR KATZ: GENESIS II: Oscar Katz, CBS vice president, spoke about Gene Roddenberry's new TV series, GENESIS II, to be broadcast on March 23rd. Through slides, Katz described the plot. Dr. Dylan Hunt, played by Alex Cord, is a scientist doing experiments on suspended animation. His laboratory is in a defense complex in the Carlsbad Caverns and is buried under tons of rock due to an earthquake, leaving Dr. Hunt trapped in a pressure chamber while in suspended animation. He is finally discovered in the year 2133 by people belonging to a secret organization called Pax dedicated to preserving the sum of man’s culture and knowledge and trying to rebuild civilization. The earth has been split into small, separate societies which will provide the plots for future episodes. Radiation has caused genetic mutations and Lyra-a is the Mata Hari mutant who tries to win over Hunt to the side of the Tyranians. The slides were interesting, the sets of good quality, and I'm sure some intriguing stories could be created, using the background material. One might aptly rename this series EARTH TREK. Let us hope it will show itself to be worthy of Gene Roddenberry's exceptional talents. [18]

MONDAY PANEL: The last panel of The 1973 International Star Trek Convention took place on Monday, February 19th, in the afternoon. Although it was scheduled to begin at 2:00, it started a half hour late but it was a small matter; no one minded. The panel members consisted of D.C. Fontana, James Doohan and George Takei. I was slightly disappointed when the discussion was thrown open to questions, instead of possibly a short speech by each, mainly because I knew some morons would ask questions that had been asked and answered at least five times before. Thankfully there were few of these type of people. Among the fresher and more intelligent questions were, "Is the shuttlecraft capable of being driven by warp drive?" (Doohan: no, only by ion propulsion.) "Were you interested in science fiction as a result of working on STAR TREK?" (Doohan: he was always interested in science fiction; Takei: he wasn’t much interested in it before working on the show). When D.C. Fontana was asked what she attributed the popularity of STAR TREK to, she replied "intelligent plots and scripts," not like "LAST" IN SPACE and VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE "SINK." All three felt they could see no reason why the cartoon characters in the forthcoming, animated STAR TREK show would not be drawn in their likenesses. When someone asked a question about the star dates in the captain's log and why and how they were invented and how exactly they work, she replied that Roddenberry explained it all in THE MAKING OF STAR TREK and whether you agree with it or not, you1re stuck with it "’cause, as we all know. Gene Roddenberry is really god." One amusing question was why Scotty wore kilts in some of the episodes. After a complicated answer by James Doohan, George Takei replied, "I always thought it was because he had nice legs." At this point the panel members were handed a roll of toilet paper, stating U.S.S. Enterprise john, having originated from some unknown source. The question following this pinpointed the blame of hiding Leonard Nimoy’s bicycle in the rafters on the stagehands, according to Miss Fontana. At this point (3:30), D.C. Fontana had to leave but Doohan and Takei remained and, after a rousing hand of applause for Miss Fontana, a few more questions were taken. One of the last was, "How long did it take to film an episode?" The answer, by George Takei, was "Usually six days,'the most, seven." All in all, a great panel. As a whole the 1973 Star Trek Convention was extremely successful. The movies, panels, brunch, and, oh, yes, the huckster’s room (the only problem was too many dealers), made it a smash. One of the best cons this year and one I will never forget. [19]

FINAL FAREWELL: Each person who attends a con has his own set of values with which to judge how successful that convention is to him and, through my own set of criteria, I would like to demonstrate how this con was extremely successful. Th§ most important element contributing to a con’s success is its organization. If a con is well organized, most events will start on time, all or almost all speakers will show up prepared for their presentations, the movies advertised will be shown, there will be the least amount of inconvenience for the registrants, as well as the greatest amount of freedom, and all events will show the experience and judgment in being selected. A second criterion relates to the last item. Speakers, movies, and exhibits should all be intellectually intriguing and entertaining. Cons which are directed towards the least level of intellectual interest deserve all the criticism which many cons have earned. Finally, a con should be as diverse as possible within its sphere of interest to keep registrants continually interested. These are the reasons why I feel this year's Star Trek Con is one of the two best New York cons in the last three years. Thanks, Star Trek Con Committee. [20]

George Takei and James Doohan walking through the halls of the Commodore and the awed and adoring glances that followed them. That was the first day, by Saturday it was George and Jimmy and it was heavenly. The frantic fluttering in the Art Show as Devra took down the KROYKA sigh (well, it was the only thing that worked!) and the crowds of buyers and browsers streamed inside. David Gerrold trying to tell fans how to make a tribble while eating his way through the biggest pastrami on rye I ever saw. The fan cursing the dead batteries in her tape recorder as Jimmy Doohan strolled by singing a Scottish air. I feel for you, Sharon. The constant cry of "Where's Al?" and the constant answer "At the printers." So, what else is new? A dozen people crowded into the Convention Suite stuffing all the paraphernalia into the 7,000 give-a-way bags, elbows and knees jabbing and poking various portions of your neighbor's anatomy. Watch that. Buster. The 2:00AM bull sessions in the Convention Suite with D. C, George, Jimmy and Hal. Grand. The 4:00AM bull sessions deciding on the film schedule for the next day. Blech. The changes that somehow always took place the next morning. Double blech. The Committee's feelings as we stood on the dais ready to lock arms and die in a good cause as Jimmy announced Leonard Nimoy. Have you ever seen 5,000 people surge forward? Towards you? Definitely unsettling. Jimmy saved the day, though. "Take one more step and our guest will leave without saying a word." 5,000 people suddenly looked like Lot's wife. Rah, Jimmy. Leonard Nimoy. That was a surprise. And they say women can't keep secrets. Some friends still haven't forgiven us. "No, dear, you did not see Mr. Spock in the lobby. That was a fignewton of your imagination." After his speech, we spirited Leonard out of the Ballroom, down the back stairs and out of the lobby to get a cab. A host of fans coming out of the Howard Johnson's across the street spotted him and the shriek of "Spooocck" split the 42nd Street air. The cab took off as two trucks and a crosstown bus slewed across the icy street trying not to hit the hysterical fans. The fans in the hotel would not believe that Leonard had left; they even cased the Ladies Room. Some of them started yelling for "Captain Kirk." We tried to explain that Mr. Shatner was doing a film. They would not take no for an answer. We finally said we were letting him down on a rope from the balcony. 5,000 fans looked up. What an ovation Mark Lenard received when Dana introduced him at the Costume Call. Little did he know that playing Spock's father would make him immortal. Monday night it was all over and the committee sprawled over any available surface just catching its collective breaths. What a convention! Yeah. Hey, what are we going to do to top it next year? Next year? [21]

This time we'd be smarter. We'd really plan ahead. We chose a larger hotel, our beloved Commodore, and made arrangements for a six-to-eight-thousand-fan con. We got two of the stars of the show to come, and that was the first con that James Doohan and George Takei attended. Over 7,000 attended that con of 1973 and they got more than they or we bargained for: the legendary "Mr. Spock" made an appearance. He happened to be in town and asked if he could come over and meet the fans. Well, would you have said no? [22]

I have lots of [stories] from the original Febcons, dating back to my first, in 1973 (which was the second con). I arrived at the Commodore hotel with $10 and a return LIRR train ticket in my pocket. Membership at the door was $5. I bought the original Concordance from Bjo for $3.50, and spent the rest on food for the weekend. My friend with the hotel room left Sunday, so I crashed with strangers Sunday night (and it was no problem finding someone). I remember seeing Mike McMasters' full scale bridge, and was disappointed I didn't have the money to get my picture taken sitting in the Captain's chair. [...] A bunch of Febcon committee and staff became good friends through the years, and I thank them for putting in the effort that putting on a con entails. I know, I've run my share myself. By the way, a few years later, after the Commodore went out of business they were holding a sale of the fixtures while I was visiting NYC. I'm the proud owner of a Commodore Hotel Bellman's outfit, a last memory of the Febcons. [23]

I attended my Star Trek convention in 1973 and they were three to four days long over a holiday weekend,...They had a talent show where people got up and read poetry, sang songs and other things. I used to do a Star Trek stand-up routine in all the voices during lunchtime at high school. My friend told me that I should do that same routine. [24]

• ^ The Early Days of Star Trek Conventions , Archived version , Robert Greenberger, unknown date
• ^ from Cosmic Borders (1976)
• ^ WebCite for video footage; video may not be accessible .
• ^ from Space-Time Continuum #1
• ^ from Becca Oroukin in Leonard's Pennsy & Otherwise Freaks v.2 n.2 (April 1973)
• ^ from Star-Borne #6/7
• ^ from The Logbook #3
• ^ not credited, in John Dewey Science Fiction Club Newsletter v.3 n.1/2 (April 1973)
• ^ from Brian J. McCarthy in John Dewey Science Fiction Club Newsletter v.3 n.1/2 (April 1973)
• ^ from David Mallach in John Dewey Science Fiction Club Newsletter v.3 n.1/2 (April 1973)
• ^ from Ezra Huber in John Dewey Science Fiction Club Newsletter v.3 n.1/2 (April 1973)
• ^ from Glenn Hochberg in John Dewey Science Fiction Club Newsletter v.3 n.1/2 (April 1973)
• ^ by Steven Schaltz in John Dewey Science Fiction Club Newsletter v.3 n.1/2 (April 1973)
• ^ from Steven Shatz in John Dewey Science Fiction Club Newsletter v.3 n.1/2 (April 1973)
• ^ from Steven Samnick in John Dewey Science Fiction Club Newsletter v.3 n.1/2 (April 1973)
• ^ from Lon Levy in John Dewey Science Fiction Club Newsletter v.3 n.1/2 (April 1973)
• ^ Winston wrote this is Star Trek Lives! (convention)/1974 program book, which was described as an excerpt from the "soon to be published "Star Trek Fan Phenomenon" by Jacqueline Lichtenberg , Sondra Marshak , and Myrna Culbreath , the book that was to be eventually titled Star Trek Lives!
• ^ from Joan Winston in So you want to have a "Star Trek" convention
• ^ from Rich Kolker at I.S.T.C. - Al Schuster at rec.arts.startrek.fandom , May 13, 1995
• ^ by Steve Lance, excerpted from the article Star Trek 45th Anniversary Celebration: A Story For All Trekkies (June 2011)
• Star Trek Conventions
• 1973 Conventions

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