Enlarge / George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu, discusses the ridiculous “Ultimate Fantasy” production in an interview. (credit: Larry Nemecek)
Even by modern convention standards, it sounds crazy. It wasn’t just a Star Trek convention. Not just a Star Trek convention with nearly the entire Next Generation cast present, either. It was a Star Trek convention with a “multi-media extravaganza,” a laser show, and live musical performances all on a custom-made constantly slowly-rotating stage built like the Starfleet uniform badge insignia with a captain’s chair right in the middle.
As Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was being released, that’s exactly what was planned for “Ultimate Fantasy” in Houston, Texas at the Shamrock Hilton Convention Center and the adjacent Summit Arena in June 1982. The show was advertised all over Starlog and TV Guide. Huge billboards went up across the Houston area, and some organizers really believed that fans would come from overseas to see this four-hour live show.
There was only one problem: no one came.
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Source: Ars Technica – How an over-ambitious Star Trek convention became “The Con of Wrath”