Star Trek Conventions - From A Few Hundred To A Few Thousand Fans!

Becoming such a cult TV series and generating such a following of avid fans, it was almost inevitable that Star Trek Conventions would spring up at some point in time. It was really just a matter of when and where!

These Star Trek conventions are essentially events where Star Trek fans have an organised get together. With the larger ones, one can expect some of the shows stars to show, give a public address, and if one's lucky maybe grab a few autographs, if they actually manage to get close enough to them!

It's quite normal for vendors to be in attendance in booths or at tables selling a host of Trek-related merchandise and also they're great places for collectors to attend where there are opportunities for them to buy and sell Trekkie memorabilia.

What once were exclusive gatherings solely amongst fans of Star Trek, around the mid 90's expanded, now becoming all encompassing. Now fans from other Sci-Fi shows and also followers of some of the popular fantasy series, are also included and everyone unites, and all lock arms together!

Star Trek conventions was an idea that kicked off in New York between 21-23 January 1972. It was the brainchild of a small group of fans who are now themselves considered part of folklore and frequently referred to as "The Committee." The original idea was to rent an hotel ballroom, with the sole purpose of attracting a few like-minded fans.

The Committee was made up of Joan Winston, who had agreed would take care of proceedings in an area they would call the Dealers Room. Other supporting members included Al Schuster, Steve Rosenstein, Elyse Pines, Eileen Becker and Allan Asherman.

Their original estimates were for a few hundred attendees, but word quickly got out and this event which was to also include a costume contest, NASA Display, and Art Show as well as Joan's Dealers Room grew to several thousand, prior to the end of the convention. Star Trek conventions would now become a regular event, not just in the US but also around the globe! Could it be that it went intergalactic without anybody realizing? Gosh now there's a thought, beam me up Scotty!