Creation Entertainment

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Creation Entertainment is an entertainment company located in Glendale, California which produces fan conventions for fans of various films and television series, mainly in the sci-fi, horror and fantasy genres. It was founded in 1971 by Gary Berman and Adam Malin in New York. Since then, it has organized over 2,300 conventions. Creation Entertainment hosts about 20 conventions annually in various locations such as Chicago, Illinois; and Burbank, California. Creation Entertainment has rights to hold official conventions for shows such as Stargate SG-1, Star Trek, and Xena. They also host Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors conventions, and the largest Star Trek Convention in the world which occurs annually during the Summer in Las Vegas, NV.

Over the years, hundreds of actors, directors, producers and writers have appeared at their conventions to speak to and meet their fans. The conventions usually consist of on-stage celebrity appearances & QA sessions, parties and cabaret performances featuring celebrities and even charity auction breakfasts. [1]. Attendees may also purchase autographs and photo-ops that allow fans to be photographed with celebrities.

Unlike other large scale fan conventions Creation Entertainment guarantees seating for every ticket buyer to see convention guests and events in the main theatre as well as guaranteeing autographs for those that purchase them. In reaction to attendee input, Creation has facilitated fan/celebrity interaction through limiting attendance at various events, celebrity food functions (not included in ticket price), photo opportunities (not included in ticket price), dessert parties (not included in ticket price), and slower paced autographing sessions.

However, Creation Entertainment has been criticized in the past by fans for reasons including rushed autograph lines and little to no personal time with celebrity guests allowed both during and outside of the scheduled events.[1] [2] Complaints have also surfaced from independent Star Trek fan organizations about Creation's "strong arm" tactics when faced with any competition. Creation has been accused of checking convention listings and deliberately running competing conventions on the same day and in the same city, thus trying to force the competition to close. They have also been accused of "guest stealing".[citation needed]

Guests that have appeared at Creation Conventions over the years include Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Lucas, Ron Howard, James Cameron, Vincent Price, Stan Lee, Tim Conway, Carl Reiner, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Joe Dante, Nicholas Meyer, Patrick Stewart, William Gaines, Frank Miller, Peter Jackson, Scott Bakula, Gillian Anderson, Chris Carter, Rob Zombie, Avery Brooks and Kate Mulgrew.

Creation Entertainment is also a licensee of merchandise for many genre television series producing souvenir items including t-shirts, hats, mugs, autographed items and calendars. It received its first license in 1991 from Paramount Pictures for the Star Trek property, becoming the first studio licensee for photographic still reproduction. Other properties that Creation has licensed over the years include The X-Files, Xena, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Lost and Supernatural.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Creation Entertainment Stargate Convention. Stargate SG-1 Solutions. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
  2. ^ Fitzpatrick, Bonnie. Xenites Do New York. Whoosh!. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.