Star Trek: Mission Chicago, New Official Convention Series Announced

The official Star Trek convention experience is heading to Chicago in 2022. ReedPop and ViacomCBS [...]

By Jamie Lovett

The official Star Trek convention experience is heading to Chicago in 2022. ReedPop and ViacomCBS announced on First Contact Day that they would launch Star Trek: Mission Chicago in April 2022. The event will be ReedPop's first as the new official convention partner of the Star Trek franchise. The three-day event is a co-production of ReedPop and ViacomCBS Consumer Products and takes place at McCormick Place. Per the announcement, Star Trek: Mission Chicago will feature celebrity guests, interactive exhibits, exclusive merchandise, photo opportunities, costume exhibits, autograph sessions, gameplay, and other special surprises all set within the ever-evolving and expansive Star Trek Universe and offering fans the chance "to boldly explore" the past, present, and future of the franchise while embracing the ideals of diversity and inclusivity that remain at the center of Gene Roddenberry's beloved creation.

The new yearly convention won't always be in Chicago. Instead, the event will move to a new location each year to offer fans a greater chance to attend across the country. That's in contrast to the previous official Star Trek convention, Creation Entertainment's Star Trek Las Vegas, which is continuing to operate in an unofficial capacity as The 55-Year Mission Tour.

"The Star Trek franchise has one of the most passionate and spirited fan bases out there, and we at ReedPop are excited to welcome them and ViacomCBS Consumer Products into our family," said Lance Fensterman, Global President of ReedPop, in a statement. "Together we plan to give the fans an incredible experience to remember and I speak for all of us at ReedPop when I say that we can't wait to experience the energy that Star Trek fans will bring to Chicago next April."

Veronica Hart, executive vice president, global franchise management, ViacomCBS Consumer Products, added, "As the Star Trek franchise continues to grow and evolve, so too is our convention business evolving. We are excited to partner with ReedPop as our official Star Trek convention partner to take this next step in creating an event that will introduce the Trek experience to loyal and new fans alike each year."

ReedPop is best known for putting on the annual New York Comic Con and C2E2 events. It also acquired the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008, began operating Star Wars Celebration in 2010, and added Emerald City Comic Con to its portfolio in 2014. It previously put on the Star Trek: Mission New York event to celebrate Star Trek's 50th anniversary in 2016.

The Star Trek Missions website is now live and already lists Star Trek: The Next Generation star Wil Wheaton as its first special guest. Merchandise is already also available to purchase, and those interested in the event can sign up for its newsletter.

The Star Trek: Mission Chicago announcement capped off Monday's First Contact Day celebration. The event also gave fans the first teaser trailers for Star Trek: Picard season two, Star Trek: Discovery season four, and Star Trek: Lower Decks season two, and their first look at Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy.

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