Treklanta

Treklanta
Status Active
Genre Star Trek
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] 300 (2016),[6] 320 (2017), ? (2018)
Organized by Eric L. Watts, Chairman
USS Republic NCC-1371
Website treklanta.org

Treklanta is an annual Star Trek convention based in Atlanta, Georgia 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).

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:

  • Manu Intiraymi, best known as "Icheb" in the last two seasons of Star Trek: Voyager
  • Keith R. A. DeCandido, the prolific writer/editor of many Star Trek novels, novellas, short stories, comic books and eBooks
  • Ken Feinberg, who played the Alien Captain in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Horizon"
  • Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen, author, publisher, psychologist, Klingon language expert and founder of the Klingon Language Institute who has published Klingon translations of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing, as well as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Tao Te Ching.
  • Emmett Plant, a writer, composer and producer who has produced over twenty Star Trek audiobooks for CBS/Paramount
  • Renda Carr, Tim Carr, Doug Harper, Randall Landers, Bill MacKenzie, Sara MacKenzie and Christin Woods from Project: Potemkin, a Star Trek fan production set shortly after Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
  • Darren Hann, Tara Murphy and Joann Pelley from Star Trek: Reliant, a Star Trek fan production that takes place five years after the return of the USS Voyager to the Alpha Quadrant
  • Michael Bednar, Michael Day and Donna Smith Parker from Starship Farragut, a Star Trek fan production based on the original series of Star Trek
  • Andrea Columber, Toby Curfman, Dean Rogers, Jacob Stanford and Jerry Stanford from Star Trek: Valkyrie, a Star Trek fan production audio series set three months after the launch of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B
  • The il Troubadore Klingon Music Project, a four-person musical troupe from Indianapolis, Indiana, that performs original Klingon music and presents its original production, "wa' Sad ram wa' ram je" (a Klingon Opera-Ballet) with belly dancers
  • "Nerd rock band" Go, Robo! Go!
  • "Keela & Katkith," hosts of the popular "Klingon Karaoke"
  • "Moxie Magnus," an entertainer and stage performer who writes a humorous blog about Star Trek

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:

  • Carel Struycken, best known to Star Trek fans as Mr. Homn, Lwaxana Troi's assistant and valet, in Star Trek: The Next Generation and as Lurch in The Addams Family, Addams Family Values and Addams Family Reunion motion pictures
  • Tracee Lee Cocco, an actress, model and stuntwoman most visibly seen as Lieutenant Jae, a regular background character, on Star Trek: The Next Generation and in the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection
  • Jack Stauffer, best known to science fiction fans as Lieutenant Bojay in the original Battlestar Galactica television series
  • John and Bjo Trimble, best known to Star Trek fans for their letter-writing campaigns to "Save Star Trek" (which persuaded NBC to renew the series for a third season in 1968) and to rename the NASA space orbiter from USS Constitution to USS Enterprise in 1976, as well as Mrs. Trimble's best-selling reference book, the Star Trek Concordance
  • Keith R. A. DeCandido, the prolific writer/editor of many Star Trek and other sci-fi franchise novels, novellas, short stories, comic books and eBooks
  • Alec Peters, the creator, executive producer, co-writer and co-star of Prelude to Axanar, a Star Trek fan production
  • Vincent Barnett, the creator and executive producer of Scienstars, an educational sci-fi series for the young and young at heart
  • Troy Bernier, an actor in the Star Trek: New Voyages episode "Mind-Sifter" and co-founder of the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival
  • Jeff Carroll, a writer and filmmaker pioneering what he calls "hip hop horror, sci-fi and fantasy"
  • Jevocas "Java" Green, an actor, author, filmmaker, makeup artist and creator, producer and titular star of the YouTube web series Doctor Who: The Forgotten Doctor
  • Lynn McArthur, an actress, model and entertainer best known as Detective Abbey West in Atlanta Homicide (later renamed Atlanta Investigations: HD), Trixie in Lumber Baron of Jasper County and Kellie Callahan in Swamp Murders, as well as playing herself on Celebrity Wife Swap with Corey Feldman
  • Clay Sayre from the Star Trek: New Voyages episode "Mind-Sifter," a Star Trek fan production based on the original series of Star Trek
  • R. Alan Siler, author of Doctor Who's Greatest Hits: An Unauthorized Guide to the Best Stories From Time and Space and a contributing author to More Doctor Who and Philosophy: Regeneration Time
  • The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, which produces and performs original and adapted live audio dramas
  • Captain's Log, an improv comedy group
  • Stand-up comedian Eric Daugherty
  • "Dirty Harry" (a.k.a. Hendry Betts III), host of Dirty Harry's Karaoke Cantina
  • Puppeteer troupe Felt Nerdy
  • Live band Hyperspace
  • Artists Justin Anderson, Gillian Parker, Malik Roberts, Scott Rorie and Dimitri Walker
  • Authors Michael Lackey, Louis Puster III and Winfield H. Strock III

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:

  • John Caballero from the Star Trek fan film Star Trek: Horizon
  • Joe Cepeda, creator, executive producer and star of the Star Trek fan film web series Star Trek Natures Hunger
  • Mike Faber and Mike Gordon, co-hosts of the Earth Station One podcast that celebrates all things pop culture, sci-fi and fantasy, comics and more
  • Matt Green and Scott Lyttle from the Star Trek fan film web series Star Trek: First Frontier
  • Michael L. King, creator, executive producer and star of the Star Trek fan film web series Starship Valiant
  • Dr. Larry Krumenaker, a longtime astronomy and science writer, as well as an educator and former astronomer
  • Mark McCray, author of The Best Saturdays of Our Lives, a book that chronicles the origins of competitive Saturday morning cartoons
  • Kevin C. Neece, author of The Gospel According to Star Trek: The Original Crew and The Gospel According to Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • Leslie E. Owen, a literary agent, writer, journalist and teacher
  • Da'Neille Roy, Greg Teft, Ray Tesi and Jim Von Dolteren from the Star Trek fan film web series Starship Republic
  • Christopher Tevebaugh, director and co-writer of the documentary Our Star Trek: The Fifty Year Mission
  • Adam Throne, an Atlanta-based educator, writer and editor
  • Glen L. Wolfe, who has written, directed, produced and/or acted in eleven different Star Trek fan films, including episodes of The Federation Files, Star Trek: New Voyages and Star Trek Continues

Featured Performers included:

  • Hendry Betts III (a.k.a. "Dirty Harry"), host of Dirty Harry's Karaoke Cantina
  • Charles and Veronica Bramlett, a.k.a. the puppeteer troupe Felt Nerdy
  • Nick Edelstein, an award-winning multi-instrumentalist and performing and recording artist
  • Hannah Hoyt (a.k.a. "Konora the Klingon"), a classically trained opera singer who performs "Klingon opera"

Guest Artists included:

  • Missy Ben-Yehoshua, Tamara Comstock, Abby Hermes, Betty Liao, Carly Strickland, Sarah Wade, Dimitri Walker and Katie Whatley

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:

  • Fan Guest of Honor John Halvorson, founder and first "Thought Admiral" of the Klingon Assault Group
  • Ann Elliott Drew, Lee Drew, Randall Landers, Leslie Lewis and Christin Woods, all of whom have played numerous roles both in front of and behind the camera of various Star Trek fan film series, including Project: Potemkin, Battlecruiser Kupok, Starship Deimos, Starship Endeavor, Starship Tristan and Starship Triton
  • Brian Holloway, Special Make-Up F/X Supervisor for and occasional actor in Star Trek: New Voyages
  • Mark McCray, author of The Best Saturdays of Our Lives, a book that chronicles the origins of competitive Saturday morning cartoons
  • Mark Naccarato, executive producer of the upcoming Star Trek fan film The Romulan War
  • Greg Teft from the Star Trek fan film web series Starship Republic
  • Adam Throne, an Atlanta-based educator, writer and editor
  • Glen L. Wolfe, who has written, directed, produced and/or acted in eleven different Star Trek fan films, including episodes of The Federation Files, Star Trek: New Voyages and Star Trek Continues

Featured Performers included:

  • Hendry Betts III (a.k.a. "Dirty Harry"), host of Dirty Harry's Karaoke Cantina
  • Charles and Veronica Bramlett, a.k.a. the puppeteer troupe Felt Nerdy
  • Nick Edelstein, an award-winning multi-instrumentalist and performing and recording artist
  • Stand-up comedians Jake Brannon, Eric Daugherty, Madeline Evans, Katie Hughes and Michael Rowland

Guest Artists included:

  • Missy Ben-Yehoshua, Megan Johnson, April Leigh, Paul Maitland, Scott Rorie, Sarah Wade and Dimitri Walker

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.

Upcoming convention

The next Treklanta convention will be held on Memorial Day Weekend, May 24–26, 2019, at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center, and will host the 2019 STARFLEET International Region 2 Summit.

References

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