11 Things We Are Most Looking Forward To At Star Trek Las Vegas 2017

This upcoming week is the big Star Trek Las Vegas convention at the Rio Hotel. It kicks off on Wednesday, August 2nd and runs through to Sunday. The entire schedule of panels and events is online and there is so much to look forward to that we have put together a list (in no particular order) of the things we are most excited about, and we took it to 11.

1. Discovery afternoon!

[starts Wednesday 2:30 pm – Main Hall/Pavilion]

Star Trek: Discovery is nearly here, and Creation has devoted Wednesday afternoon to the latest edition of the franchise. What they have planned isn’t just a repeat of what was at San Diego Comic-Con – the actors that will be part of STLV were not at SDCC, so this will be their first public appearances talking about the show. The writers appearing were also not part of the SDCC panels, yet they are probably the biggest Star Trek fans in the writers’ room. STLV is where we expect to see some some first reveals for the novel and comic-book tie-ins for Discovery.

2. The Official 30th Anniversary Reunion of Star Trek: The Next Generation

[Friday 6:00 pm – Main Hall/Pavilion]

Reuniting the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation has been rarely done at a convention and who knows if it will ever happen again, so this may be a one-time opportunity to see them all together. The 90-minute evening event will be after all the regular panels for Friday and is to be moderated by Terry Farrell. Creation promises the reunion event will be a “fabulous evening of fun, memories and revelations.” On stage will be Sir Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Denise Crosby, John de Lancie and Gates McFadden, all together. The event comes included with Gold, Captain’s Chair and Copper packages and for others there is a $30 charge.

3. Karl Urban

[Sunday 10:30 am – Main Stage/Pavilion]

We wouldn’t be TrekMovie.com if we weren’t excited about an appearance from one of the stars of the new Kelvin era movies, and Karl Urban is also a huge Trek fan and has always delivered a fun panel. It has been a few years, so hopefully he can talk about Star Trek Beyond and maybe even the next Star Trek movie.

4. Women in Star Trek: The Next Generation

[Friday 10:45 am Main Stage/Pavilion]

Another panel to celebrate the 30th anniversary will be one focused on how the show inspired young women and girls. TNG star Gates McFadden will lead a discussion with four women who grew up watching the show and were inspired by Doctor Crusher, Deanna Troi, Tasha Yar, and Guinan. Joining Gates will be Jarrah Hodge (Women at Warp podcast), Aliza Pearl (The Listener: Spectral Awakening), Lucia Lorenzi (literary scholar and cultural critic) and TrekMovie’s own Dr. Kayla Iacovino.

5. Fun (Free!) photo ops and cosplay/contests

[various locations around the con – all week]

Another thing to do besides watching panels is to take your photo on one of a number of set recreations around the convention. These include an original series bridge, transporter room, The Guardian of Forever, a Borg assimilation process center and new this year, the Ten Forward Bar. And of course these photo ops are best in costume. We are looking forward to seeing what cosplayers have this year and of course the big costume parade and costume contest on Saturday. There will also be group cosplay photos organized by show each day and a mashup cosplay contest on Sunday.

6. Deep Space Nine: What We Left Behind  Panel & Sneak Preview

[Sunday 12:15 Main Stage/Pavillion]

We at TrekMovie are really looking forward to the upcoming Star Trek: Deep Space Nine documentary, What We Left Behind. Following a successful crowd-funding campaign this year, director Adam Nimoy and producer Ira Steven Behr have been adding more interviews and footage for this doc to take you inside the show.  Joining Ira and Adam will be documentary producer David Zappone,  editors/producers Joseph Kornbrodt and Luke Snailham, and producer Kai de Mello. We can’t wait to see what they have to say and show.

7. “The Inner Light” 25th anniversary panel

[Saturday 4:30 pm Main Hall/Pavilion]

This year is the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “The Inner Light,” considered one of the best of the series, if not the franchise. One of the things we like most is a good deep dive into a single episode, and this panel looking at “The Inner Light” has some big-time luminaries to help do just that. On stage will be TNG star Sir Patrick Stewart along with his son Daniel Stewart (who played his Kataan son in the episode) and Margo Rose (who played his Kataan wife). Joining them will be episode writer Morgan Gendel.

8. Ron Jones & Star Trek All-Stars concert

[Saturday 9:30 pm Main Hall/Pavilion]

The Saturday night gala event is almost exciting as the Friday TNG reunion evening event. Star Trek composer Ron Jones is bringing his Influence Jazz Orchestra to Vegas for a concert which will include performances from Jimmy Darren, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Camille Saviola, Max Grodenchik, Chase Masterson, JG Hertzler and Robert O’Reilly. Like the TNG event on Friday, the event is included with Gold, Captain’s Chair, and Copper packages. Others can buy a ticket for $40.

9. Inside the Writers’ Room

[Saturday 3:30 pm Main Hall/Pavilion]

Although it is always fun to see our favorite celebrity stars of Star Trek, we here at TrekMovie really love to hear the behind-the-scenes stories from the people behind the camera. This panel with writer/producers Brannon Braga, Ron Moore, and Andre Bormanis should deliver some insights into how Star Trek was made in the 90s and 00s.

10. Mae Jemison

[Wednesday 10:00 Main Stage/Pavilion]

Dr. Mae Jemison was the first African-American in space, and she was inspired by the original Star Trek and Nichelle Nichols. She also had a cameo on Star Trek: The Next Generation. And now she is heading up the 100 Year Starship Project, which is working on actually taking us beyond the solar system. So we think she will have some interesting things to say. In addition, Nichelle will join Jemison on stage for a few minutes for fans to take pictures of the two together.

11. Spending Time With Old Friends at Quark’s Bar

For many convention-goers, the best part of the con isn’t the panels or the autographs or the merchandise. It’s seeing old friends and making new ones! The great thing about being at a Star Trek convention is that it’s a surprisingly social affair. Whether you’re a first time con-goer or part of the old gang, at STLV you’re constantly surrounded by friendly people who you share something in common with — love for Star Trek! So don’t miss hanging out at Quark’s Bar in the convention center and at the Masquerade Bar on the Rio gambling floor after hours.

STLV is almost here

Star Trek Las Vegas 2017 runs Wednesday, August 2nd through to Sunday, August 6th. There are still single day, weekend and reserved seating still available and tickets can be purchased at the event. For more information visit the official Star Trek Las Vegas site.

TrekMovie will be in Vegas all week bringing coverage and highlights. Stay tuned!