Vegas Khaaann! Here's my stuff and MY NEWS!

UPDATE: The room site (Masque Rm 4020) and Facebook Event page for Saturday's "Dr. Trek Show" for The Con of Wrath are now posted (more below).


The big Creation Star Trek #STLV Las Vegas KHHAAANN! faces the same challenge as Star Trek itself: How do you do the same fun thing year after year, but have something new as well?

Everyone from Creation, CBS and all the actors, crew and fans on down face that challenge and meet it swimmingly each year.  For so many folks it's just a big reunion  There's already more of the new photo op and stop-in features around the con site you saw last year ... but for ME here in Trekland, this year is fresh on two counts:

FIRST, we'll have the WORLD DEBUT of the fourth entry in our TREKLAND: ON SPEAKER themed and remastered archival CDs—this year for the 20th anniversary of Voyager's launch, and it;s titled "Taking Care of 'Caretaker' " with the 1994-95 voices of Jeri Taylor, Dan Curry, Richard James and Rick Kolbe. At the table, and available for signing! Plus, some Vol. 2s and 3s.

And SECOND—the all-new debut of my PORTAL 47 backstage beam-in pass, the all-new Star Trek insider "savvy fan" home experience I've been talking about developing for years. You can hear about it and get the info sheet at any of my events this long weekend —or the table. (Stay tuned for more here soon, too).

Best of all, the new On Speaker edition and/or a three-month pass through PORTAL 47 will be among the prizes at several of my events this weekend! 



So what's the TREKLAND DAY BY DAY?

First up: This year I'll be returning to posted TABLE HOURS at my booth, which will not be a 24/7 affair!  So check the table for final hours posted by Day 1.

Just know I will be there 4-5 hours a day at least… especially with both my brand-new offerings as well as the latest breaking news about ENTERPRISE IN SPACE,  the Con of Wrath, Star Trek Continues, 

Look for a few "live" TREKLAND TRUNK items with me on-site, for those interested, who'd like to save postage or even freight. (Watch for updates at table and at the Trekland Trunk Facebook list.) We are already planning a "T-Trunk Regulars" meetup, with about a dozen or so of them on hand.

I"m sure we'll also try for a LA2Vegas tour alumni photo as well!

But my big agenda of course begins before the actual con starts:

WEDNESDAY—

—7 am sharp, Rio front doors: We'll be loading up the SUVs for our second annual "Kirk Memorial" Valley of Fire adventure (and lunch) with Geek Nation Tours—check to see if we still have any of our 20 spots left. This is the "off year" for the big week-long tour, but for the Big 5-0 in 2016 we already have the "LA2Vegas" planned to feature some all-new sights AND also include our first-ever "SFx2" option —location sites and stops around SAN FRANSISCO! Teras of GNT will be at his booth all weekend for more info … But on Wednesday, we'll be back by mid-afternoon for plenty of time to rest up, cool off and get ready for ….

—9-Midnight?, Masquerade Bar/Rio: The FIFTH ANNUAL LANDING PARTY co-sponsored by Trekland along with the Roddenberry MIssion Log podcast, Glue Guns and Phasers, trekmovie.com—Games, trivia, prizes … and my first real public unveiling of PORTAL 47. At the Rio's Masquerade Bar, of course—since the Rio's  Irish pub space is STILL closed. But everyone will be there! 


THURSDAY:
—For the first time in ages—aside from table hours, I'll have no scheduled events this day…aside from meetups  and gladhanding. Which means after all these years I might finally make it to karaoke!


FRIDAY:
—9:55 AM, Secondary Stage: The STLV debut of CAPTIONS LOGGED, where I preside over a goofy blooper image caption contest based on part of my official Trek magazine column. Compete against your fellow fans, winners by audience choice! Prizes and fun, for 35 minutes. so don't be tardy.

—NOON, Main Stage: Leonard Nimoy Memorial:  Not sure the exact time yet, but one of the emotional highlights this year has to be Adam Nimoy's appearance and update on his documentary about his father. Creation's Adam Malin asked me to join him and Richard Arnold to reminisce during a slide show, either before or after his interview with Adam.

—11:30 pm,  AMC Town Square 18 off-site, 6587 La Vegas Blvd.: A special FREE screening of Star Trek Continues' Ep. 4, The White Iris, with much of the cast and some fellow crew (see the link)—just like last year. This actually follows a 9-11 pm screening and panel of Star Trek Renegades, with specialty Trek drink-drinks in-between.  FREE tickets will be distributed by trekmovie.com  AT THE SCREENING SITE to the first 250 people in line!


SATURDAY:
—9-11 pm, Rio Masquerade Tower RM 4020: Yes, of  course it's another DR. TREK SHOW crowdfunder party for THE CON OF WRATH—you now the drill: Kick in $20 or more for your screen credit (or add to past gifts), and live we'll have trivia, prizes, rare Trek video AND doc clips—including this year's latest from Laura Banks and Nichelle Nichols!  This may overlap some other nightlife still not announced, but hey—having 15 or 20 is just fine. Of all the live cons where I gratefully host this event, there's none like STLV! 


SUNDAY:
—Again, a day I'll be "off the grid" aside from tabling.

So, tell me again what's so big about a five-day Khaaaann is in 2016?


Well, that's my end of it. Lighter this year on hard-core talks, so more for me to focus on of "mine"—and to just enjoy seeing everyone. Aside from the official Creation schedule, check out these boards on Facebook — like Unofficial STLV and STLV After Hours.

And...we're off! The 2014 LA2Vegas Trek Tour has sailed

Yep, the Trek Tour 2014 is underway!

Social media will chart our progress, under #trektour and #LA2Vegas on Twitter, for one thing, but —in this crazy week twixt Comic-Con and Trek Vegas.... here's at least a look at our launch: the Saturday afternoon welcome dinner at Lucy's across from Paramount, where Gene and Co. would water (especially after Nickodell's closed and was swallowed up by the expanded front of the Paramount lot, circa 1993.)

A good group, don't you think? And we're even missing one late arrival. More Aussies and Brits than Americans... some Vegas vets, some newbies... and you can meet them all in just a few days at Vegas.

VEGAS ALERT: See "The Green Girl" bio-documentary, but get tix now!

UPDATE: Wow, folks—you did it! With an hour to go, the 66-seat threshold was met. Now, there's still 30 more seats available, so don;t wait til Thursday of STLV: if you want to go, reserve it now at the same site.

Yes, I was proud to be part of this wonderful documentary "The Green Girl," about studio rebel, glass-ceiling-breaker and go-to guest star Susan "Vina" Oliver. But as an indie film, it's been hard to see on a big screen--until now: Director George Pappy Jr. has a chance to show it very near the Rio during Vegas Trek weekend!

But you have to act fast to make it happen—by THIS Monday night, July 21.

George has an IMAX showing set up a long block away from the Rio at 9-11 pm Thursday, July 31—but to make it work, the house needs to clear 66 tickets at the GATHR system online on-demand website. Go here to get your tickets now and help make sure it "makes." (Your card is not even charged until the quota is hit, and it is "for sure" happening.)

At the time I write this, the showing still needs 28 tickets sold—but surely out of the thousands pouring into the Rio for the Khhaaaann, a few dozen fans have no Thursday night plans and would love to see a rare big-screen treat about this woman we know so well, and yet so little.  A panel and giveaways, too! And once the minimum 66 sell, there will be more seats.

Best of all, no fears: Like me, you can attend this 9 p.m. event and STILL make the midnight free screening and post-panel for Star Trek Continues' "Fairest Of Them All" at the AMC Town Square 18 on the Strip.

I was pleased to join a near-full house for "The Green Girl" premiere and panel in Hollywood last spring (at left); and since then, there's been just one Gathr screening set: July 29 in L.A.—so this is indeed a rare treat as the film is just starting to get known. (I'm sure George would love to have you Like the Facebook page as well.)


Here's the invite George wrote on the Unofficial Vegas Trek Facebook page:

Hi everyone. I just wanted to introduce myself and invite you (if you’re in Vegas Thursday night, July 31) to stroll one block down from the Kahn to see my documentary about Susan Oliver (who you’ll all remember as Vina from “The Cage”/”The Menagerie.” Her Orion Slave Girl remains one of TOS’s enduring icons even 50 years after her original work on the pilot. Sadly for Susan, she died quite young and missed out on the modern convention era, so she never really got the chance to connect with all her fans like so many others continue to do even today.

This film has been a 3-year labor of love and tells the remarkable story of one of the most prolific actresses of her era, an accomplished female pilot (one of the first to ever fly the Lear Jet), and one of only a handful of women who directed television in the early 1980’s (including a M*A*S*H).

We’ve been lucky enough to get this chance to show you the movie at the IMAX just one block from the Rio on Thursday, July 31 at 9pm. I hope to have Larry Nemecek and Celeste "Yeoman MArtha Landon" Yarnall (who are both in the movie) there with me to do a Q&A afterwards, and we’ll be giving away some free Green Girl T-shirts and copies of the DVD (which is making its first public appearance at the convention).

The IMAX will only hold the theater for this screening if we can get at least 60 more fans to reserve their seats by July 21 (I know, that’s really soon!). We really hope you can come and that you’ll help us make sure the screening happens – Susan Oliver’s amazing story deserves to be seen and shared (so please tell all your friends, too)!

You can reserve your seats (AND see the movie’s trailer) here:

http://gathr.us/screening/8411

Last call: No deposit, but LA2Vegas Trek film site tour for 2013 closes THIS Friday, May 31

Yes, last call!

Our "LA2Vegas" Trek film site tour from Geek Nation Tours is back for its second year, running Aug. 3-11—before and then through  Creation's Vegas Khhaaann! Trek convention and carrying some tweaks for 2013 .... but hurry!

We've talked about it on many, many podcasts since we first announced it, but allow me to say how proud I am that Teras Cassidy came to me in 2011 to develop this tour together with him and lead it for everyone headed to Vegas. (In fact, if you don't want to attend the core con, you could still go with us Trek-touring, hover on the outskirts of the Rio events, and just enjoy Sin City that weekend!)

You can get aboard now for no deposit, but the registration ends THIS Friday, May 31. Click on the email at GNT's site, but as always you'll soon be talking to Teras directly for a personal chat as to what exactly you need for your trip—and it doesn't have to be cookie-cutter off the basic template, either more OR less.

Geek Nation Tours, home of many "geek" niche excursions, is travel agent Teras's own boutique company, and the personal care shows:

Have your airfare already set for a Las Vegas arrival? No problem. Already have your hotel at con host Rio, or elsewhere? Never fear—Teras will adjust your plan. As our tourists learned last year, getting to the idea late with plans in place is no reason to not come along now!

Sorry if the used-car salesman is coming out here, but I really do enjoy this—and everyone on the shakedown cruise last year was happy to say so at Vegas 2012 and the Facebook site.

A chunk of the tour is the same as we mapped out in that debut —with photos here on Facebook as well from a lot of our "tourists."

But check out these tweaks for H2V 2013:

First, we've got some great promotional sponsors this year with discounts and goodies—Creation Entertainment, Robe Factory, Bye Bye Robot and Stronghold Games.

Then, we've moved the Saturday welcome dinner to Cirroc "Jake Sisko" Lofton's own hands-on restaurant—and he has a lot more than Cajun on the menu!

Plus, our  all-new final stop pre-con is none other than the site of Captain Kirk's death in Generations: Nevada's incredible Valley of Fire State Park—and with none other guest host than Trek makeup guru Michael Westmore, one of the few eye witnesses from the shoot's  final days. And Bobby "The Gorn" Clark will be back to tour us around iconic Vasquez Rocks himself and recreate vividly for you exactly how "Arena" was made. Larry, meanwhile, will point out the Vasquez angles from TOS's "Friday Child,"  TNG's "Who Watchers the Watchers" and JJ's Star Trek '09, among others shot there. As always, bring your uniforms and props for the "Oh yeah!" photo opps at every stop—or we may have some to loan

Whatever your favorite series or cast, we'll hit one or more of their iconic off-the-lot filming locations—and all of them double as famous or beautiful L.A. postcard-perfect vacation spots to show off even to your non-fan friends. Which you means you see a LOT of "SoCal" as well as the Federation!

Just remember: what even your own personal tour can't bring you, apart from my expertise and that of our guests, is the chance to do it with fellow Trekfans—much less those from around the world, from Asia to Europe and then some, reflecting Teras's clientele and the adventursome souls who have already, and plan to now, join us. That means, in turn, that no one on the tour enters Vegas Khaann a stranger.

Give the page a look, email Teras and get in for a call—but whatever you do, hurry!  You have three days to at least claim a seat and pay later.

I hope you can make it!

Thanks: Our 'Wrath of Con' fundraiser is a hit at Vegas

So far this convention year, I've not gotten in a single stand-alone post about those meetup-fundraisers for The Con of Wrath in a timely way—but what better place to start than with Vegas Khaaan!

I mean, look at this last-cycle crowd (below)! And yes.. that's my HOTEL ROOM. That was a risk.

I mean, San Diego and the comic-cons have more bodies, but only Vegas Trek Khhaaan! could truly field the passion and "get-it"-ness for a Trek-based historic documentary—and human nature, of course.

So, I'll indeed reflect on the Official Las Vegas Star Trek Convention for 2012 soon—the 12th in Vegas and the 11th for Creation. And recap our debut Geek Nation Tours' "Hollywood2Vegas" Trek film site trek, soon.

But today, I have to say it was a blast to "go for it," and finally host the VegasTrek version of the event I first cooked up in Seattle for Emerald City CC.

In many ways, it was a first-of-its-kind.

For one thing, the Rio's lack of decent meetup space and those famous "every room is a suite" quarters led me to risk ...hosting it in my own two-queen-bed room! Just in case, I limited it to 30—plus, no real eats or bevs. And everyone still had a blast, even with a little come-and-go.

Too, it was amazing to finally have a complete AV system for clips—video AND audio. White closed-space walls, no band or fan noise, new mini-speakers from San Diego, and a projector—saved, at the 11th hour, TWICE when I was separated from my intended unit:

First, Paul Walker and crew of the USS Las Vegas, the big local Star Trek club, offered their  projector as a fill-in loan ... but with a half-hour til show time I realized it had no VGA cable! Even THAT was saved when ASU/NASA speaker and Phoenix buddy Dr. David Williams did his Bugs-n-Daffy impersonation and pulled a VGA cable, without missing a beat, out of his near-empty shoulder bag—just  as I had written off video yet again. (Who WRITES these shows?) But a big THANKS to them both for saving Star Trek... well, at least this corner of it.

So with all that... we not only raised more funds for THE CON OF WRATH, but it was great to hear gasps at some of the old and new clips. It was also great to have some of our H2V "Tourists" come by, too.

I also have to thank, quite in shock, the unexpected and generous donations made point-blank at my table on Sunday and around the floor. It's truly made it possible to press on with the project, at this stage.

Look for another live meetup--somehow, somewhere--at my next guest jaunts to the El Paso Comic Con Sept. 14-16 and then Starbase Indy's con Thanksgiving weekend in November. If I can do one for Walter's Star Celebration weekend without being a distraction, I will.

Of course, you can always check out the online donor page and gift list using Paypal.

What's up for us? We're catching our breath, launching into tape transcripts with more staff help, and planning the next step—so stay tuned as our "shadetree" project picks up steam.

Meanwhile, my DP Neal Hallford is still feeling his loss—so please give his stolen Redrock unit Fundrazr replacement project a help if you can.

Blast from the Past: The "old" ST.COM team at Vegas '07

I just realized, again, that I refuse to wipe out the oldest photo still on my "old" Canon Elph (below). It's so iconic: it's a dinner gathering of the old StarTrek.com team—and the smiles of guests and spouses with us together reflect a total unawareness that this would be our last Vegas together as a unit.

Thank goodness, that after the surprise layoff wipeout just six months later and then the agonizing 2 1/2 years of the disused URL, the site is back in a new configuration and going strong under CBS Consumer Products (licensing). Thank goodness.

It was just ironic that this '07 trip marked the largest-ever contingent from then-ST.com: for the first time ever, everyone out of our LA news/digital production office made the trip in a whirlwind of both covering and providing STLV panels and games. It was also ironic indeed that, after the first time I thinned out the pics and left this one as the oldest, that it would be 5 1/2 years and counting, and I still can't bring myself to wipe it out. So there.

Clockwise from left: Wendy and Robert Jeschonek, Erin Escobar, moi, Toni and Marc Wade, David Reddick, Darianne Galden, Sandy Stone, Grace Tejano and Tim Gaskill

Meanwhile, my Vegas 2012 recap... coming up... And plenty new, too.