Creation ST-Nash VIP Experience Weekend
ST-NASH: Trek to Nashville
September 13-15, 2024
Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville SE Murfreesboro
1200 Conference Center Blvd.
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
My birthday has been somewhat of a non-celebratory downer since the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. This year I was turning 50 on September 15, 2024 and wanted to celebrate. Most of the people I know were helping run a big event in the city of Nashville that day so I knew I was on my own. As I was driving home one evening I had an idea.
I was driving on Briley Parkway before the highway began and saw a big gold building. At the same time, I saw the Creation Convention ad for a show in September in the Nashville area with Sonequa Martin-Green. I thought it would be cool to go to a show. I hadn’t been to a Star Trek show since the late 1980’s. I saw the Gold Front Row seating option and decided at that moment I could drive my car with one hand and buy the ticket on my Ipad with the other. This would be my birthday.
I thought I was done but I did some reading on Creation shows. It seemed the VIP experience was the way to go. The VIP included meet and greet opportunities, someone to guide you through the weekend, and priority in lines. It was done through an auction process and I was fortunate to win a slot.
The Convention began with registration on Thursday night. The registration process was very smooth. I was the first one in line and was given my pass, then later on the rest of my package. The registration staff was very accommodating in terms of explaining the different passes and what I needed to have with me.
The next day I was able to go to the VIP room and meet the other VIP convention goers. We would be in a room separate from everyone else with munchies, a place to park our gear, lunch, and more. There were three other VIP convention goers that day. I still didn’t understand totally how the process worked but through the day it became apparent to me that I didn’t have to – our wonderful guide handled nearly everything for us,
In the VIP room, the Star Trek guests came to us. Part of the VIP process includes not taking transcriptednotes, recording or photos or tell your own stories to the guests (unless asked) so I will relate it broad strokes.
The first thing I will say is the VIP experience is the way to go, hands down. Front row Gold isn’t enough. The VIP experience gave us a few things I wasn’t expecting: a more broad range of things to talk about, a group experience, and a guide who was very agile in term sof meeting our needs,.
We met a variety of people on the guest list. The VIP experience gave us a chance to talk to the guests about things other than Star Trek. I was especially glad they were willing to talk about things like life experiences. They were open to talking about grief and loss, parenting, and sports as well as their experiences on Star Trek.
The group experience is something I’ll never forget. Our VIP group had people from all different backgrounds. Everyone had something a little different to offer and something different they were looking for from the weekend. What I found was it was fun to run around with them from room to room as well as sit and chill during the down time. I have kept in contact with a few since the show and never expected to have made friends that would stay in contact after the show.
I think the secret sauce to the VIP experience was our guide. Our guide managed our entire experience beginning to end. It took a lot of the stress out of trying to make individual signings, photo ops, and other convention experiences. Our guide had the ability to adapt on the fly to what we wanted to do, changing convention schedules, and at the same time exercise judgement in terms of the rules we all had to follow as part of the VIP experience. Our guide made the experience fun and was willing to share in the experience with us.
There were also opportunities outside the VIP experience to talk to the guests in the dealers room. The Nashville area show was not as heavily attended as other shows so I think it lent itself to being able to connect with the guests.
In the dealers room, the experience may not be the same as a busier show. I was able to re-connect with actor Doug Jones whom I had worked on a movie with 15 years prior. We spent some time reminiscing and remembering some who weren’t with us anymore. Gates McFadden was kind enough to listen to my story of being airlifted to the US during the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Michelle Hurd and I talked a little about how people struggle with addiction. I shared with Cirroc Lofton how I viewed his character and Avery Brooks character after I became a single adoptive parent. Both he and Gates McFadden were excited to see a photo of my adopted daughter. Perhaps the most surprising was actor Todd Stashwick. I didn’t do a photo op or autograph with him but he was still willing to take some timie out and talk. I enjoyed him in S.W.A.T. and Star Trek Picard. Christina Chong and I shared about having the same birthday month. I don’t know that the dealers room would have been half the experience it was for me if the convention were busier.
I’m not big on music shows but the shows during the convention surprised me. Anthony Rapp’s solo show was a nice mix of songs while the Rat Pack was a very upbeat comedic show. Both shows didn’t let down and were full of talent.
In the end I can’t imagine a better experience than I had at the Creation ST Nash show with the VIP Experience. The guests, the guide, and the staff worked hard to make it a great experience for us. I’ve made friends I didn’t realize I’ll have for many years to come and I definitely,
