Star Wars Celebration III Set for Indianapolis
Event Extended to Four Days: April 21 to 24, 2005
MARIN COUNTY, Calif.-Jan. 23-
Star WarsCelebration III, the much-anticipated fan gathering that will celebrate the Star Wars saga in advance of the opening of Star Wars Episode III, will return to the Indiana Convention Center April 21 to April 24, 2005.
The announcement of the location and dates of the convention was made jointly by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Gen Con LLC. Gen Con will manage the convention on behalf of Lucasfilm and Hyperspace: The Official Star Wars Fan Club. Celebration II, held in Indianapolis in May 2002, attracted more than 26,000 fans from all over the world.
"We had such a great experience with Celebration II, that it just made sense to return to Indianapolis," said Steve Sansweet, Director of Content Management and head of Fan Relations for Lucasfilm. "Only this time we're going to do it bigger and even better. It's going to be an event that no fan will want to miss."
Sansweet said that advance indications point to a significant increase in attendance at the event, which will take place several weeks before the Spring 2005 release of Star Wars Episode III. Because of that, and to mitigate long lines common to such conventions, Celebration III will occupy the entire convention center except for the RCA Dome. Also, the convention has been extended for a day, and will open around mid-day on Thursday, April 21.
"Gen Con is thrilled to be working with Lucasfilm on this very special event," said Peter Adkison, owner of Gen Con LLC, producer of Gen Con Indy, which also is held at the Indiana Center. "Together I know that we will produce an event that will not only meet, but exceed, fans' expectations. With Lucasfilm behind this show 100%, it's going to be the biggest party in the history of the franchise."
Sansweet noted that the Celebration III announcement is being made far earlier than the announcements for the first two official Star Wars fan conventions. "We want to give our fans all over the world the chance to plan their vacation time for this one-of-a-kind event," he said. "We've already been getting requests for information from Australia to Hungary."
Details about programming, guests, activities, entertainment and exclusive merchandise at Celebration III will be released as they are confirmed closer to the convention. The main places to check for information will be www.StarWars.com, the official site, and www.StarWarsCelebration.com. Online ordering for admission to the event and for discounted hotel rooms is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2004.
Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the world's leading film and entertainment companies. Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held, fully integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion picture and television production operations, the company's global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual effects and audio post-production; LucasArts, a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide for video game console systems and PC; and Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties. Additionally, Lucas Online creates Internet-based content for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties and businesses. Lucasfilm's motion picture productions include five of the 20 biggest box-office hits of all time and have received 19 Oscars and 53 Academy Award nominations. Lucasfilm's television projects have won 12 Emmy Awards. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in Marin County, California.
Gen Con LLC, and the Gen Con Game Fair, The Best Four Days In Gaming, are wholly owned by Peter Adkison, founder of Wizards of the Coast. Now in its 37th year, the Gen Con Game Fair has become the largest annual consumer sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. Each year, game enthusiasts converge to share a common enthusiasm and a long weekend of interactive game play, to participate in hobby-related events and meet celebrity guests. With more than 25,000 attendees each year and more new product introductions than any other consumer game convention in the U.S., Gen Con is an annual destination for fans of adventure games and science fiction.
For further information contact:
Exhibitors and Dealers:
Gen Con LLC
Jeanette Keblish
Director of Sales & Marketing
206 957-3803
jeanette@gencon.com
Programming, Events, Volunteers, and Fan Groups:
Lucasfilm, Ltd.
Mary Franklin
Fan Event Specialist
Mary.franklin@lucasfilm.com
Any questions, please email press@starwarscelebration