Annual ‘Star Trek’ fan convention begins today at the Rio

The Rio hotel: the final frontier. At least for the next four days.

Your mission: to explore this strange world, to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where plenty of geeks and science fiction fans have gone before: the "Star Trek" convention.

About 20,000 are expected to attend this year's convention, said Gary Berman, co-CEO of Creation Entertainment, which has produced the event for more than 30 years. This marks the 11th year it will be held in Las Vegas and the second time the Rio is serving as host.

Fans who have been before will know what to expect: sci-fi heaven. Every kind of "Star Trek" memorabilia imaginable will be on display or up for sale. Attendees will have the chance to meet actors from all five television shows and 11 feature films. Most importantly, though, will be the opportunity to meet other fans. And that's what the convention is all about, Berman says.

"A major part of why people come to this convention is to see other fans," he says. "It's sort of like a family reunion. The guest celebrities are great but people come to socialize with others who share their passion and to celebrate Gene Roddenberry's legacy."

Among the highlights of the convention are "Four Captains On Stage Together!" that takes place Sunday. Four captains from five television shows, including William Shatner, will be onstage together. Patrick Stewart, who played Capt. Jean Luc Picard in "The Next Generation" could not attend this year, Berman said.

Avery Brooks, who played Capt. Benjamin Sisko in "Deep Space Nine" is scheduled to perform a concert Saturday night. He is a jazz musician and pianist, Berman said.

There also will be an attempt Saturday to break the Guinness World Record for the most people in "Star Trek" costumes in one room. The record was set at last year's convention, Berman says, when they squeezed 1,040 people into one ballroom. There were a couple hundred other costumed fans who didn't fit into the room so Berman thinks they will have a good chance of setting a new record.

Entertainer Ben Vereen will be making an appearance for the first time at a "Star Trek" convention. He guest-starred in one episode of "The Next Generation," playing the father of LeVar Burton's character Geordi LaForge. The 1994 episode was a special one, as it united Vereen with his "Roots" co-stars Burton and Madge Sinclair.

Vereen is not only a "Star Trek" alum, he's also a Trekkie. In the early days of his career, when traveling around the country to perform, watching "Star Trek" episodes became a favorite way to unwind in his hotel room after a show.

In 1992, Vereen suffered severe injuries when he was struck by a car. A friend gave him several VHS cassettes of "Star Trek" episodes and he watched them religiously during his lengthy and difficult rehabilitation.

When producers called and asked him to play a character on one of his favorite television shows, Vereen says he cried. It was exciting to be part of something that was more than just a television show .

"When 'Star Trek' came out, Roddenberry was such a visionary," Vereen says. " 'Star Trek' talks about the possibilities. What would happen if we go beyond where we've never gone before? This is a beautiful thing."

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@review journal.com or 702-380-4564. Follow @StripSonya on Twitter.