Treklanta

Treklanta (formerly TrekTrax Atlanta)
Status Active
Genre Star Trek, space opera
Location(s) Atlanta, Georgia
Country United States
Inaugurated 2011
Attendance 257 (2011),[1] 240 (2012),[2] 181 (2013),[3] 246 (2014),[4] 298 (2015)[5]
Organized by Eric L. Watts, Chairman
USS Republic NCC-1371
Website
treklanta.org

Treklanta (formerly TrekTrax Atlanta) is an annual science fiction convention based in Atlanta, Georgia, dedicated to space opera in general and Star Trek in particular, that places special emphasis on fan-based events, activities, programming and productions. 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.

History

The founding of Treklanta 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.[6] In February 2010, several members of the USS Republic, the chapter of STARFLEET International in Atlanta of which Watts is "Commanding Officer" (president),[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] 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."

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.[10]

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.

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.[11]

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," to be released to the Internet in 2015.

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 northeastern 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," to be released to the Internet in 2016.

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

Upcoming convention

The next Treklanta convention will be held April 15–17, 2016, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta Northlake hotel in Tucker, Georgia. Announced guests include:

References

  1. ↑ The Republiqué: "The TrekTrax Atlanta 2011 Postmortem Report"
  2. ↑ The Republiqué: "The TrekTrax Atlanta 2012 Postmortem Report"
  3. ↑ The Republiqué: "The TrekTrax Atlanta 2013 Postmortem Report"
  4. ↑ The Republiqué: "The TrekTrax Atlanta 2014 Postmortem Report"
  5. ↑ The Republiqué: "The Treklanta 2015 Postmortem Report"
  6. ↑ "Changing of the Guard at Dragon*Con: Part 1"
  7. ↑ USS Republic NCC-1371
  8. ↑ "An Interview with Eric L. Watts, Founder of TrekTrax Atlanta (Part 1)"
  9. ↑ "Former Dragon*con TrekTrak Director Launches New Star Trek Convention"
  10. ↑ "TrekTrax Atlanta 2011 Programming Schedule"
  11. ↑ Project: Potemkin "Closing Time" on YouTube

External links

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