Merrick here...
We don't tend to plug too many conventions here on AICN, but this press release just came in promoting a rather spectacular STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION opportunity that you're not likely to see happen too many more times...if ever...so I thought I'd pass this along.
The press release appears below: I've accented the particularly Geektastic portion.
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CALGARY, Alberta, CANADA) – IT WAS 25 YEARS AGO that Star Trek: The Next Generation® revived the sense of adventure inherent in the original Star Trek® series. TNG created its own signature interpretation of hitching a ‘wagon train to the stars’. Now, over two decades later, fans of all ages will get their chance to see the nine principal members of the cast together for a stellar reunion in Calgary, Alberta, CANADA during the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo,April 27-29, 2012.
To date, the Calgary Expo is the only event in the world scheduled to host such a gathering in 2012. It is also the fist time the entire original cast has appeared as a group at a convention in over two decades.
Sir Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Riker), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Denise Crosby (Security Chief Tasha Yar), LeVar Burton (Chief of Engineering Geordi La Forge), Gates McFadden (Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher), Michael Dorn (Lt. Commander Worf) and Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) will all be Guests of Honour during the Calgary Expo. The cast will be meeting fans for autographs, individual and group photos (fees vary for each Media Guest), and participating in specially-grouped panels and discussions over the course of the weekend. Calgary Expo hours are Friday 3 PM to 8 PM, Saturday 10 PM to 7 PM, and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM MST, April 27-29, 2012.
In addition, the full cast will also take the stage for a special once-in-a-lifetime reunion event, Star Trek® TNG EXPOsed, on the evening of Saturday, April28, at the Stampede Corral, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Doors open at 6 PM MST and the program will begin at 7 PM MST. Nearly 5,000 seats will be available for this event, with prices ranging from $40 - $125 (CDN). NOTE: Box office sales for the Star Trek®TNG EXPOsed, will begin at 10 AM MST (-7 GMT), on Saturday, February 18, 2012 via www.tickemaster.com.The live evening event will open with host Emily Expo (the Calgary Expo’s mascot), and includes entertainment by local musicians Johnny Summers Little Big Band, special moderators.
Teddy Wilson, Cynthia Loyst and Ajay Fry (hosts of InnerSPACE on SPACE) and a special video tribute to the cast. The Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo will also offer a series of unique, must-have collectables for the serious TNG fan including a commemorative program to mark the occasion.
Kandrix Foong, Founder and Director of the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, not only sees this as a history-making celebration for the Calgary Expo, but also for Sci-Fi fans. “We feel privileged to be hosting this event as it is a rarity that many people will never have the opportunity to experience again. The immensity of this reunion adds to Calgary’s international appeal in a unique way for pop culture enthusiasts on a global scale.”
One or more cast members are also anticipated to stop by the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station in Vulcan, Alberta for a special visit on Friday, April 27, 2012. More details will be available in a future release. The Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo made inter-planetary history in 2010 when Leonard Nimoy,(Mr. Spock) attended the Calgary Expo as a Guest of Honour. He also made a special “homecoming” visit to Vulcan, Alberta—the OfficialStar Trek® Capital of Canada. Over 5,000 people paid tribute him in a special ceremony. Leonard graciously left his mark on Vulcan and Star Trek® fans in several ways, with a handprint set in bronze, and by lending a pair of ‘ears’ he used on the set in 1966. For more information on Vulcan and the Trek Station, visit www.vulcantourism.com.
To celebrate this incredible announcement, the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo will be hosting a screening of Star Trek: First Contact® at the Plaza in Kensington, Calgary, Alberta, on February 5, 2012 at 3 PM MST. A portion of the ticket sales will go toward the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Attendees will have the opportunity to enter a raffle for a pair of VIP passes to the 2012 convention as well as some other fantastic prizes. Proceeds from the raffle will also go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Costumes are encouraged and the person with the best Star Trek® related costume or prop will also be eligible to win some great merchandise!
BACKGROUNDER Calgary Comic & Entertainment:
The Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo has been a destination event since 2006, profiling talent from across the world in seven key genres: Comics, Sci-Fi,Horror, Toys, Anime, Cartoons, and Gaming. It is Western Canada’s largest pop culture convention and the second largest event of its kind in all of Canada. Noted for its Western hospitality, superb line up of talent and the promotion of Canadian artists, actors, and creators, the event has grown to become a destination experience for fans all over the world. The weekend event will be held at the BMO Centre in Stampede Park, Calgary, Alberta.
Many fantastic guests have been announced for the 2012 Calgary Expo including Adam West, Tom Felton, Amanda Tapping, Hayden Panettiere, Tara Strong, David Prowse, James Marsters, Robert Englund, Billy West, John Noble, Katee Sackhoff, John DiMaggio, and creator guests Dale Eaglesham, George Pérez, and Yanick Paquette and many more to come. Over 35,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. Last year, the Calgary Expo garnered 30,000 attendees. Full cast biographies, tickets to the Star Trek® TNG EXPOsed event, passes to the Calgary Expo, updates and Emily Expo’s blog can be found at calgaryexpo.com. Stay connected on Twitter: @CalgaryExpo, and Facebook.com/
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Meanwhile, work progresses on the much-hyped STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION Blu-ray HD conversions. I just received my review copy over the weekend and haven't had a chance to go through it too thoroughly yet, but I've been extremely impressed by the image quality of the three episodes included on THIS sample disc (which releases tomorrow). I'd say TNG's stunning HD matering definitely adds a crispness to the overall vibe of the show - its restored visual 'pop' brings proceedings which used to feel tepid a little more, well, pizzazz (I'm hating the adjectives I'm using here, but it's one of those days). Highly recommended for fans of the show. And for anyone considering checking out TNG for the first time? THIS is the way to do it. The restoration team has knocked it out of the park with this one. Based on the "remastered" STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES - perhaps my favorite undertaking of this kind to date - I was expecting the TNG results to be rather impressive. Happily, my expectations were surpassed here.
More on the HDification of TNG in the coming days and weeks and months - as we move towards the Blu-ray release of the whole series beginning later this year, commemorating the show's 25th anniversary.
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