Treklanta

Last updated
Treklanta
TreklantaLogoSmall.jpg
StatusActive
Genre Star Trek
Location(s) Atlanta, Georgia
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2011
Attendance257 (2011), [1] 240 (2012), [2] 181 (2013), [3] 246 (2014), [4] 298 (2015), [5] 300 (2016), [6] 320 (2017)
Organized byEric L. Watts, Chairman
USS Republic NCC-1371
Website treklanta.org

Treklanta is an annual Star Trek convention based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States that places special emphasis on fan-based events, activities, programming and productions. It hosts the annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant and Bjo Awards Ceremony (formerly the Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards).

Contents

History

The founding of Treklanta (formerly "TrekTrax Atlanta") was, in many respects, a result of its founder and chairman, Eric L. Watts—who had served as Dragon*Con's Director of Star Trek Programming from 1993 to 2009—not being asked to return for an 18th year by Dragon*Con management in December 2009. [7] In February 2010, several members of the USS Republic, the chapter of STARFLEET International in Atlanta of which Watts is "Commanding Officer" (president), [8] encouraged Watts to continue his service to fandom by launching a new convention in Atlanta, which had not hosted an exclusive, Star Trek-only convention since 1993. [9] Pledging their support, a core group of Republic members immediately began laying the groundwork for a new convention and three months later, on Memorial Day Weekend, Watts issued a press release announcing TrekTrax Atlanta. [10] In October 2014, Watts announced on the convention's Facebook page that the name of the convention was being changed to "Treklanta" to make it "easier to pronounce, easier to spell and hopefully easier to remember" and because "it more clearly and more succinctly conveys the essence of what our convention is all about." [11]

The first three conventions, held from 2011 to 2013, were devoted exclusively to the Star Trek franchise. In 2014, the convention expanded its focus to include other space opera franchises such as Star Wars , Battlestar Galactica , Firefly and Babylon 5 . In 2017, Treklanta returned to its original focus on "All Star Trek, All the Time."

First convention

TrekTrax Atlanta 2011 was held on Presidents Day Weekend, February 18–20, at the Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter in the northern Atlanta suburb of Chamblee. Guests included:

TrekTrax Atlanta presented four concurrent tracks of programming: two dedicated to the Star Trek universe in general (Main Programming and "OmniTrek"), a third devoted to the Klingon Empire in particular ("Qo'Nos"), and a fourth specifically for costuming and makeup ("The Ready Room"). The convention also hosted three 24-hour gaming rooms, one each for role-playing games, board games and card games, as well as a VIP champagne reception, Q&A sessions and photo opportunities with the celebrity guests, a dealers room, con suite, costume contest, 24-hour video room, live performances by the New York Disco Villains, One Hard Night and Jennifer Teeter, a dance party in the hotel atrium, "Klingon Karaoke," and the 12th annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant. [12]

TrekTrax Atlanta 2011 attendance numbered 25 guests, 45 staff volunteers and 187 paid memberships for a total attendance of 257 persons.

Second convention

TrekTrax Atlanta 2012 was held April 20–22 at the Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter in the northern Atlanta suburb of Chamblee. The convention was endorsed by the Klingon Assault Group International as the "National Klingon Konvention." Guests included:

TrekTrax Atlanta presented three and a half tracks of concurrent programming: one dedicated to the Star Trek universe in general ("Main Viewer"), a second devoted to the Klingon Empire in particular ("Qo'Nos"), a third specifically for costuming and makeup ("The Ready Room"), and a one-day track devoted to special guest-related events and fandom-related discussion panels ("OmniTrek"). The convention also hosted a 24-hour gaming room for role-playing, board and card games, as well as a VIP champagne reception, "Trekkies Got Talent!" talent show, dealers room, con suite, costume contest, 24-hour video room, live performances by il Troubadore, the New York Disco Villains and One Hard Night, "Klingon Karaoke," and the 13th annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant. The convention also raised $200 for the Melissa Carter Transplant Fund and partnered with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers for a blood drive. [13]

TrekTrax Atlanta 2012 attendance numbered 33 guests, 45 staff volunteers and 162 paid memberships for a total attendance of 240 persons.

Third convention

TrekTrax Atlanta 2013 was held April 19–21 at the Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter in the northern Atlanta suburb of Chamblee. The convention presented a " Star Trek Fan Film Festival," hosted the USS Republic's 25th Anniversary Celebration and, for a second consecutive year, called itself the "National Klingon Konvention." Guests included:

TrekTrax Atlanta positioned its 2013 convention as "The Star Trek Fan Film Festival and the National Klingon Konvention." In addition to screening films and episodes from more than a half-dozen Star Trek fan productions, it also presented three tracks of programming, one each devoted to Star Trek in general, Klingons in particular and costuming and makeup together; a gaming room for role-playing, board and card games; VIP champagne reception; "Trekkies Got Talent!" talent show; live performances by il Troubadore (with belly dancers as Orion slave girls) and Go, Robo! Go!; "Klingon Karaoke;" a Star Trek Universe costume contest; dealers room; con suite; and the 14th annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant. In addition, cast and crew members from Project: Potemkin, Star Trek: Reliant, Star Trek: Valkyrie and Star Trek: Phase II collaborated to film the Project: Potemkin vignette "Closing Time," released to the Internet on August 28, 2014. [14] [15]

TrekTrax Atlanta 2013 attendance numbered 43 guests and comps, 41 staff volunteers and 97 paid memberships for a total attendance of 181 persons.

Fourth convention

TrekTrax Atlanta 2014 was held April 25–27 at the Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria in the northwestern Atlanta neighborhood of Cumberland and included programming events and activities devoted to Star Trek, Star Wars , Battlestar Galactica and Firefly . Guests included:

TrekTrax Atlanta 2014 presented two tracks of concurrent programming, one devoted to Star Trek and one devoted to all other space opera TV shows and movies; a gaming room for role-playing, board and card games; a VIP champagne reception; a video programming room that screened 62 fan films in a Star Trek Fan Film Festival; a dealers room and a con suite. Special events included an original puppet show based on Star Trek and Star Wars , a Broadway-style musical tribute to Star Wars called "The Skywalkers," a science fiction-themed costume contest and the 15th annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant. In addition, cast and crew members from Project: Potemkin, Star Trek: Reliant, Starship Farragut and Star Trek: Phase II collaborated to film the Project: Potemkin vignette "Ladies Night Out," released to the Internet on September 20, 2015. [16] [17]

TrekTrax Atlanta 2014 attendance numbered 72 guests and comps, 40 staff volunteers and 134 paid memberships for a total attendance of 246 persons.

Fifth convention

Treklanta 2015 (the first with the new name) was held April 24–26 at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center in northeast Atlanta and included programming events and activities devoted to Star Trek, Star Wars , Battlestar Galactica , Babylon 5 and Firefly . Guests included:

Treklanta 2015 presented two tracks of concurrent programming, one devoted to Star Trek and one devoted to all other space opera TV shows and movies; a video programming room that screened 26 fan films released during 2014 in a Star Trek Fan Film Festival; a gaming room for role-playing, board and card games; an artists alley; a VIP champagne reception; a dealers room and a con suite. Special events included an original puppet show based on Star Trek , a science fiction-themed costume contest, the 16th annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant and the first annual Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards. In addition, cast and crew members from Project: Potemkin, Star Trek: Reliant, Star Trek: Valkyrie and Star Trek: Phase II collaborated to film the Project: Potemkin vignette "Room Service," released to the Internet on October 24, 2016. [18] [19]

Treklanta 2015 attendance numbered 60 guests and comps, 45 staff volunteers and 193 paid memberships for a total attendance of 298 persons.

Sixth convention

Treklanta 2016 was held April 15–17 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta Northlake in Tucker, Georgia, and included programming events and activities devoted to Star Trek, Star Wars , Battlestar Galactica and Firefly . Guests included:

Treklanta 2016 presented two tracks of concurrent programming, one devoted to Star Trek and one devoted to all other space opera TV shows and movies; a video programming room that screened 30 fan films released during 2015 in a Star Trek Fan Film Festival; a gaming room for role-playing, board and card games; an artists alley; an authors alley; a VIP champagne reception; a dealers room; autographs and portrait photo opps with the celebrity guests; and a con suite. Special events included an original puppet show based on Star Trek , a science fiction-themed costume contest, the 17th annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant and the second annual Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards. [20] [21]

Treklanta 2016 attendance numbered 70 guests and comps, 45 staff volunteers and 185 paid memberships for a total attendance of exactly 300 persons.

Seventh convention

Treklanta 2017 was held April 28–30 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta Northlake in Tucker, Georgia, and included two full tracks of programming devoted to Star Trek . Marquee guests included:

Featured Guests included:

Featured Performers included:

Guest Artists included:

Treklanta 2017 presented two tracks of concurrent programming, both devoted to "All Things Star Trek ;" an independent Star Trek Fan Film Festival which screened 33 fan films released during 2016; a gaming room for role-playing, board and card games; an artists alley; a dealers room; autographs and portrait photo opps with the celebrity guests; and a con suite. Special events included a VIP champagne reception; an original puppet show based on Star Trek , the 18th annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant and the third annual Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards. [22] [23]

Treklanta 2017 attendance numbered 70 guests and comps, 50 staff volunteers and 200 paid memberships for a total attendance of exactly 320 persons.

Eighth convention

Treklanta 2018 was held on Memorial Day Weekend, May 25–27, at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center in northeast Atlanta. The convention hosted the 2018 Klingon Assault Group General Assembly and included three full tracks of programming devoted to Star Trek . Marquee guests included:

Featured Guests included:

Featured Performers included:

Guest Artists included:

Treklanta 2018 presented three tracks of concurrent programming, two devoted to "All Things Star Trek " and one devoted to the Klingon Assault Group's 2018 General Assembly; the Treklanta Star Trek Fan Film Festival, which screened 58 fan films released during 2017; a gaming room for role-playing, board and card games; an artists alley; a dealers room; autographs and portrait photo opps with the celebrity guests; and a con suite. Special events included a VIP champagne reception; an original puppet show based on Star Trek , the 19th annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant and the fourth annual Bjo Awards Ceremony (formerly the Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards). [24] [25]

Treklanta 2018 attendance figures have not yet been released.

Ninth convention

Treklanta 2019 was held on Memorial Day Weekend, May 24–26, at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center. The convention hosted the 2019 STARFLEET International Region 2 Summit and included two full tracks of programming devoted to Star Trek and one full track devoted to the Region 2 Summit. Marquee guests included:

Featured Guests included:

Featured Performers included:

Guest Artists included:

Treklanta 2019 presented three tracks of concurrent programming, two devoted to "All Things Star Trek " (Main Programming, for events and activities featuring guests of honor and major events, and Auxiliary Programming, for fan-centered panel discussions, workshops and presentations) and one to host STARFLEET International's Region 2 Summit, an annual conference for members who reside in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and the Caribbean; the Treklanta Star Trek Fan Film Festival, which screened 42 fan films released during 2018; a gaming room for role-playing, board and card games; an artists alley; a dealers room; autographs and portrait photo opps with the celebrity guests; and a con suite. Special events included the STARFLEET International Region 2 Awards Banquet; a VIP champagne reception; an original puppet show based on Star Trek , the 20th annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant and the fifth annual Bjo Awards Ceremony. [26] [27]

Treklanta 2019 attendance figures have not yet been released.

Tenth convention

The tenth Treklanta convention was originally scheduled to be held May 1–3, 2020, at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center. Confirmed and announced guests of honor were Suzie Plakson, Tim Storms, John Paladin and David R. George III. In early April 2020, the convention was indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [28]

In June 2021, two years after Treklanta's last in-person convention, and with the COVID-19 pandemic still not under control, management announced that a one-day convention called "Treklanta on the Holodeck" would be held virtually in August, following a trend that had been established earlier in the year by other conventions not yet ready to hold in-person events. [29]

Treklanta on the Holodeck was held on August 7, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. Eastern. It was a one-day event consisting of a series of one-hour programming events on the Google Meet platform. "Admission" to the event was free, but donations to Treklanta were solicited throughout the day. Treklanta Assistant Director Brian Holloway served as the event's Master of Ceremonies throughout the day. Programming events included:

Next convention

No date for the next in-person Treklanta convention has been set or even considered. The health and safety of its volunteer staff, guests and attendees is the convention's top priority and the next in-person convention will not be held until the COVID-19 pandemic is under control and it is safe to do so.

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References

  1. ↑ "The Republiqué --- Vol. I, No. 35, February 2011". www.ussrepublic.com.
  2. ↑ "The Republiqué --- Vol. I, No. 50, May 2012". www.ussrepublic.com.
  3. ↑ "The Republiqué --- Vol. I, No. 63, Late June/Early July 2013". www.ussrepublic.com.
  4. ↑ "The Republiqué --- Vol. I, No. 75, June 2014". www.ussrepublic.com.
  5. ↑ "The Republiqué --- Vol. I, No. 86, May 2015". www.ussrepublic.com.
  6. ↑ "The Republiqué --- Vol. I, No. 99, June 2016". www.ussrepublic.com.
  7. ↑ ""Changing of the Guard at Dragon*Con: Part 1"". Archived from the original on April 30, 2012.
  8. ↑ "USS Republic NCC-1371". www.ussrepublic.com.
  9. ↑ "An Interview with Eric L. Watts, Founder of TrekTrax Atlanta (Part 1) ' The Convention Fans Blog". conventionfansblog.com.
  10. ↑ "Former Dragon*con TrekTrak Director Launches New Star Trek Convention ' The Convention Fans Blog". conventionfansblog.com.
  11. ↑ Name change announcement on Facebook
  12. ↑ "TrekTrax Atlanta History: 2011". treklanta.org.
  13. ↑ "TrekTrax Atlanta History: 2012". treklanta.org.
  14. ↑ "Star Trek - Project: Potemkin "Closing Time" P20" – via www.youtube.com.
  15. ↑ "TrekTrax Atlanta History: 2013". treklanta.org.
  16. ↑ "Star Trek - Project: Potemkin "Ladies Night Out" P30" – via www.youtube.com.
  17. ↑ "TrekTrax Atlanta History: 2014". treklanta.org.
  18. ↑ "Star Trek - Project Potemkin "Room Service" P36" – via www.youtube.com.
  19. ↑ "Treklanta History: 2015". treklanta.org.
  20. ↑ "The 2016 Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards Winners" – via www.youtube.com.
  21. ↑ "Treklanta History: 2016". treklanta.org.
  22. ↑ "The 2017 Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards Winners" – via www.youtube.com.
  23. ↑ "2017 Independent Star Trek Film Awards (now the "BJO's") WINNERS ANNOUNCED!". May 3, 2017.
  24. ↑ "The 2018 Bjo Awards Ceremony – Finalists and Winners" – via www.youtube.com.
  25. ↑ "BJO FAN FILM AWARD WINNERS for 2018 announced!". May 28, 2018.
  26. ↑ "The 2019 Bjo Awards Ceremony – Finalists and Winners" – via www.youtube.com.
  27. ↑ "2019 BJO AWARD winners from TREKLANTA!". May 28, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Log into Facebook". Facebook.{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  29. ↑ "Log into Facebook". Facebook.{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  30. ↑ "The Very Best of STAR TREK Fan Films" – via www.youtube.com.
  31. ↑ "TREKLANTA is back, baby…and this year, it's VIRTUAL!!!". August 2, 2021.
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