The official Star Trek Las Vegas Convention kicks off in exactly five weeks and 2018 is looking to be another great year for the annual pilgrimage for Trek fans. Creation Entertainment just announced more guests for the con, bringing to current total up to 109 celebrities. This year the con, held between Wednesday August 1st and Sunday August 5th, will be celebrating Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s 25th anniversary, but will also feature stars, panels and events from all aspects of Trek, including Discovery and the new movies.
Celebrating Deep Space Nine’s 25th.
This week Creation announced Armin Shimerman, Rene Auberjonois and Nana Visitor will be attending. They join the previously announced Deep Space Nine main cast members Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton, Colm Meaney, Michael Dorn and Nicole De Boer. There are also a number of DS9 recurring guest stars attending, including Max Grodenchik, Chase Masterson, Casey Biggs, Robert O’Reilly, JG Hertzler, Aron Eisenberg, Jeffrey Combs, Camille Saviola, James Darren, Andrew Robinson, and Marc Alaimo. Also on hand will be DS9 writer/producers Ira Steven Behr and Ron D. Moore.
A full schedule is still weeks away, but Creation are promising a series of panels for Deep Space Nine. One panel that has been revealed aready will feature legendary makeup artist Michael Westmore transform actor Casey Biggs into his Cardassian DS9 character Damar. There will also be a screening of the classic episode “Far Beyond The Stars” which will be followed by a discussion with writer Marc Zicree, along with executive producers Ira Steven Behr and Ron Moore, along with a number of the actors.
Combs, Biggs and DeBoer at STLV 2017, all returning for STLV 2018
Disco in Vegas
The convention will be taking place while production continues on the second season of Star Trek: Discovery and a number of performers from the series have already been announced to be attending, many of which will be making their first STLV appearances. Discovery stars attending STLV 2018 include Jason Isaacs, Mary Chieffo, Wilson Cruz, James Frain, Ken Mitchell, Emily Coutts, Rainn Wilson, Jayne Brook, Sarah Mitich, Oyin Oladejo, and Sam Vartolomeos.
Also on hand will be composer Jeff Russo. And Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Jonathan Frakes will be in Vegas and as he is directing two episodes for Discovery’s second season, he may have some secrets to share as well. It is likely there will additional actors and behind the scenes people from Discovery appearing. Last year CBS held 3 special Discovery panels at STLV, so more could be announced as the convention gets closer.
Chieffo and Mitchell at STLV 2017, both returning for 2018
More captains, stars and Trek vets
2018 will also feature many celebrities from The Original Series, Next Generation, Voyager, and Enterprise. Series captains William Shatner and Kate Mulgrew will be on hand, as well as over a dozen main castmembers from those shows.
Robert Duncan McNeill surprises Kate on stage for a hug at STLV 2017, both will be back for 2018
There are also many notable Trek guest stars who will be on hand including Jonn de Lancie, Famke Jannson, Clint Howard and Joe Piscopo, who will also be headlining a comedy and music show each night as part of the special Gold and Captain’s Chair level parties. Behind the camera luminaries attending this year include Brannon Braga, Doug Drexler, Mike and Denise Okuda, Herman Zimmerman, Ronald D. Moore.
William Shatner will be back for STLV 2018
Live concert featuring Michael Giacchino and Jeff Russo, plus more music
On Saturday there will be a special live concert with the Nevada Pops Orchestra, which will feature two Star Trek composers as guest conductors. Star Trek movies composer Michael Giacchino will lead the orchestra for his Star Trek Into Darkness, and Beyond Suite. And composer Jeff Russo will conduct the orchestra for the world premiere live performance of his score for Star Trek: Discovery. Tickets for the event are included in Copper, Gold, and Captain’s Chair packages and can be purchased separately for $50 for others.
In addition to the concert there will be a performance by the Trek stars band Rat Pack on Sunday night. The band is comprised of max Grodenchik, Casey Biggs, Jeffrey Combs and Vaughn Armstrong. And keeping things going during each day on stage with be Gary Graham and his band Sons of Kirk. And if you fancy yourself a singer, there is the Karaoke Party on Wednesday night, hosted by JG Hertzler and Robert O’Reilly.
Michael Giacchino pictured at the Royal Albert Hall, will be conducting at STLV 2018
Tickets and rooms still available
Tickets for the Gold weekly package are sold out, however there are still Captain’s Chair ($869) and Copper ($469) packages available, each which includes reserved seating, as well as entertainment and other special perks. There are also five-day general admission ($305) and single day general reserved seating ($65-$75) tickets available.
And of course there are many autograph and photograph opportunities with various prices starting at $20 and up to $100. Some of the photo ops include actors in costume and makeup. There are also some special group photo ops (priced from $100-$199), such as “The Outrageous Okona” reunion of Brent Spiner and Joe Piscopo.
The annual Star Trek convention is held at the Rio All- Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada. The hotel features a full casino, which also includes some Star Trek gaming, so you might want to read up on how to win at slots before your visit. The Rio also features lots of restaurants and entertainment options. There are still rooms available for discounted convention rates.
For more information and to buy tickets and reserve autographs and photo ops, visit creationent.com.
Rio Hotel, home of STLV
TrekMovie will be there
As always, TrekMovie will have a team in Vegas, ready to report out all the news as well as sharing fun moments and more on social media.
The TrekMovie.com team at STLV17
SOOOO tempted to go to this, but Las Vegas in August is absolutely *heinous*.
too hot?
“Too hot” is an understatement. We are talking 100 being considered a “cool” day, relatively speaking. I know we would be inside for most if not all of the events, but unless you plan to stay at the Rio the whole time (the Rio is on he far west side of town BTW), you’re gong to have to venture outside at SOME point.
sounds fun!
It’s sad that Avery Brooks doesn’t do these conventions. He could at least make an exception this year for DS9’s 25th anniversary. It would be great to see the entire crew again.
But I guess he has his reasons.
To those attending, have fun! Maybe next year I’ll go there myself. 😊
He used to. But he seems to have decided to back out of the limelight over the past 4-5 years or so.
Longer than that. Remember his bizarre segment in the film “The Captains” where he just smiled and played the piano when Shatner tried to interview him.
That was cool. He doesn’t owe fans anything.
Agree. Much as we love ST, it is just a tv show/film series and he was just one of many actors doing their day job.
Avery is 70 this year. He probably just wants a quiet retirement.
True.
Yup, so sad. Would’ve loved to see him again…
That promo video had more cringe than the worst episodes of each series combined.
Ugh, sexist. But Spock, McCoy and Uhura were good, however briefly
Yeah the sexism was a major cringe component. The Spock, Uhura and McCoy did a half decent job though lol.
Agree. I wish the myth that only guys like Star Trek would just die already.
I don’t think that’s a myth, look at any convention, always heaps of female fans around.
Exactly, there’s always been a huge female following of Star Trek. However, things like the video in post will have you think that ST is only for guys.
huge females ?
One of the head scratchers with this event — as they did last year and maybe the year before — is this big mystery they’ve been promoting for a few weeks now as to who the 100th announced guest will be. Well, they’re at guest #109 as I write this, and Kate Vernon was listed as guest #101 and the 100th guest was left blank. So … and feel free to call me a radical on this … by most people’s math, that’d make Kate Vernon the 100th announced guest. Do I win anything?
(Head scratcher #2 is the why the moderators of panels — people who’ve never had anything to do with Star Trek besides, well, interviewing people who were involved with “Star Trek” — are being listed as guests, just in order to increase the perceived number of the convention’s guest count…..)
Well, they do have to live up to the “con” in convention.
Now *that* music (in the video) is something for a main title sequence…
I have a relative that lives in Boulder City. Mrs ML and I could crash there and go. One of theses years I will have to go. It’s only about an 8 hour drive. 9 1/2 if I take the scenic route.
You can stay at my place.
This is our summer vacation as we attend mostly to be there with our friends we see once a year. Not to mention its the only time you can dress up in a uniform and walk around a Hotel/Casino and not get stared at. Its fun to sit a Texas Hold ‘Em table or Crap Table in a uniform. The Hotel employees love this convention, my wife and I get compliments all the time from the restaurant staff to Housekeeping Staff how much they enjoy seeing the uniforms. They all say that we are the best/friendliest convention held at the Rio. Some people do say they get cabin fever if there are there for several days, but the wives go off tot the Strip to get away while us guys hang at the pool (or a bar) at the Rio. They used to have a free shuttle bus to go to the Strip at Harrahs but that was discontinued last year. We just take a Uber now to get around if we need to.
This is anecdotal (speaking as one who has listened to the war stories of multi-decadal con-running veterans), but hotel staff enjoy hosting science fiction conventions of any kind, because they get better behavior than at run-of-the-mill business conventions.
So do people get laid at these events? Just asking for a friend.
It’s Vegas, it can’t be too difficult