This past Labor Day Weekend, ReedPop in conjunction with CBS put on their first ever Star Trek show, Star Trek Missions NY, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan to celebrate the upcoming 50th anniversary of the original series. Bringing together a wide range of panels, exhibitors, celebrities, and — oh yes — cosplay, the overall stellar show boldly went where no man has gone before.
While not in scale of typical ReedPop shows like C2E2, Star Wars Celebration, or their signature show, New York Comic Con, Star Trek Missions did have a lot going for it and was executed well. Lines were never long in the morning and fans were able to experience almost everything without any hiccups. Even in the morning upon opening, there was never a tremendous crowd.
Below, along with some descriptions, are some of the exhibitors that attended the show.
So when I say ReedPop went all out, they did. Signage was top notch; very clear and professional. Walking in, you were greeted with banners from Star Trek favorites. Aisles were clearly marked and floor space was spacious.
One of two heavy hitters on the show floor, Star Trek Original Series Set Tour, set up shop at the back of the exhibit floor and brought a large set up with a bridge and captain’s chair for people to sit in, as well as a transporter console and many, many props. Even Walter Koenig and William Shatner sat on the chair.
For those unable to attend the show, no worries; Star Trek Original Series Set Tour is open for the public in Ticonderoga, New York.
Recreated exactly as they were laid out on the “Desilu” (now Paramount Pictures) Stage 9 in Hollywood for the original run of Star Trek, Star Trek super-fan James Cawley ensured even the smallest details were accurately and lovingly reproduced including an array of props and set decorations. By studying stills and frame captures from the series and sourcing vintage materials and antiques, the result is a stunning achievement offering the most complete and accurate reproduction of the original standing sets from Star Trek: The Original Series. For more information and to book a tour, head to their website http://startrektour.com/.
Another exhibitor that brought it to the con was NASA. With a huge booth that they split up into sections, a spacesuit you could take a photo in, information on their upcoming TESS satellite which is looking for exoplanets that orbit the habitable zone of their sun that are closer to earth than the kepler telescope, and other informative information and panels, it was a great way to bring the science of Star Trek full circle. https://www.nasa.gov/
The Smithsonian Channel also had a booth in order to promote Building Star Trek, a documentary celebrating the TV Series’ Technology Legacy. The show aired on the Smithsonian channel last night. I saw it and I highly recommend you check it out to see how we are looking at Warp Drive, Cloaking, Phasers, and other tech. They also had a 3D printer printing phasers. http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/
Our friends at Hallmark’s Popminded brought an array of Star Trek Ornaments that they have had through the years in a really cool display, as well as selling an exclusive Enterprise ornament only available at SDCC, Star Trek Missions NY, and NYCC. http://explore.hallmark.com/pop-culture-shop/
Mezco was also at the show with an array of Star Trek one:12 collective figures, including an upcoming 2017 Kirk Trouble with Tribbles figure and a currently available Mirror Mirror Spock. http://www.mezcotoyz.com/
Roddenberry Entertainment brought a bunch of exclusively licensed products. http://www.roddenberry.com/entertainment/
ANOVOS had a bunch of high-quality costumes for series cosplay for sale, as well as emblems and other quality odds and ends. https://www.anovos.com/
RockLove Jewelry had some quality pieces of Star Trek-related jewelry for the serious Trekkie who wants something elegant. http://www.rocklove.com/
Eaglemoss had a sizable collection of Star Trek Starships and plaques available for purchase at their booth. https://www.eaglemoss.com/en-us/
USAopoly brought Star Trek Risk, Star Trek Trivial Pursuit, and Star Trek Panic — Star Trek-themed versions of fan favorites. Also on display were their line of funedibles, vinyl figures of your favorite characters mashed up with fun foods. Freshly made and ready to collect! Only available at Gamestop. http://usaopoly.com/
GaleForce Nine, makers of Firefly the Game, had advanced copies of Star Trek Ascendancy, a Trekkie Boardgamers top pick. Choose to play as Federation, Klingon, and Romulan and try to take over the galaxy. Also look for upcoming expansions of the Cardassian and Ferengi alliance to expand the game up to 5 players. The game is very elaborate for a new gamer, but still not very hard to pick up after a play or two and I can also see this game as having lots of replay-ability with the expansions coming up expect more combinations of alliances to play. Expect a 3-player game to last 3 hours. This is not a light game, however for me, at $100, on the show floor, the price was a bit too steep to take home, but definitely try to get the first run as there are extras in them. http://www.gf9.com/
ReedPop Supply Co show store. Reedpop curated a whole lot of shirts and other Star Trek related products for the fans to show their love. I was able to pick up the very last Klingon Athletic Department shirt! Lots of items ended up sold out by the end of the three day convention.
Overall the show floor did not disappoint. Was it in scale to New York Comic Con? No, but it was not meant to be, and for that the show runners succeeded. Unlike other shows I have been to, there was plenty to experience for free once you entered the floor. The only thing I would have liked to have seen would have been a small, 10-20 person Artist Alley area.
Stay tuned for more to come including an in-depth look at both Star Trek Online, a free to play MMPOG, Star Trek Bridge Crew, a VR game, panel coverage, and the oh-so-important cosplay photos!