While we’re counting down the days until Creation Entertainment’s annual Star Trek convention kicks off in Las Vegas on August 1, you may be thinking, “There’s no way I can afford this thing, right? It seems so expensive!”
Believe me, I understand. Whenever I speak to my friends about their Las Vegas convention budgets, the numbers are often quite intimidating — hotel and travel expenses alone can sometimes top $2,000 USD, and that’s not even factoring in the cost of admission to the five-day event.
Spending a week in Sin City doesn’t come cheap, and neither do conventions — but today I’ll share with you some of my spending secrets to lighten the load a bit, and hopefully find a way to let you join in the fun at the largest Trek event in North America… without losing all your latinum along the way.
When it comes to buying your convention tickets, many people assume that a convention this large will sell out — but there’s no need to worry, because STLV rarely does. Even if things do fill up, one of Creation’s better practices is to never oversell their seating capacity.
Creation’s tickets are tiered based upon pricing, seating, and included immensities. While their “Gold” packages (at $989 each!) do regularly sell out each year — as these quasi-VIP ticketholders have the opportunity to pre-reserve their tickets for the following year during each convention — Creation does generally save some of these seats to list on eBay ahead of each August event.
The other cost levels — “Captain’s Chair” ($869), “Copper” ($469), “General Weekend” ($305), and their two types of daily-admission tickets — are still available through the Creation STLV website, but here’s my secret: almost every year, Creation offers their General Admission tickets on Groupon about a month before the convention… and their 2017 offers were nearly 40% discounted!
While you won’t get any special seating options like the higher-price ticket packages, many attendees to this week-long convention can tell you the standard General Admission seating still offers a great view of the main stage events (thanks to the large, clear projection screens around the theater) without having to blow your budget.
Just like the “normal” General Admission tickets sold through the STLV website, you can buy these tickets and check in at the event like any other attendee — and you’ll have some cash left over for the rest of the STLV activities.
Once you’ve managed to get to Las Vegas, there’s two primary hotel options for your SLTV stay, each with their own benefits to the budget-minded traveler.
The Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino has been STLV’s home for the past several years, and will be your most centralized choice to truly immerse yourself in the convention — as dozens of after-hours events throughout the week take place on site, from the Tuesday before the convention to the wee Sunday hours after it concludes.
I’ll be honest, though, the rooms aren’t cheap — but one of the benefits of the Rio is their capacity to sleep up to four people in each suite. If you and a friend or three want to split up the cost and stay together, the per-person payment is significantly reduced.
Creation also has a special STLV-attendee room rate established, available when you book through the STLV website — which knocks their weekday prices down to $79 and weekend rates to $129 (before local taxes and other charges). You can also find possible discounts available if you sign up for the Caesers Total Rewards program, which can often get you a break on the standard costs if the special STLV pricing is sold out.
Luckily for the budget-conscious, the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino — located right across the street from the Rio — has a much more substantial discount package available. Staying at the Gold Coast and using their special convention code (“A8STC52”) will get you weekend rates as low as $82 per night (plus fees).
While staying at the Gold Coast may help your finances, and the recently-renovated rooms are comfortable, there is one significant drawback you’ll need to consider if you pick this hotel: it’s about a 25-minute walk from the Gold Coast to the Rio. If you’re averse to trekking through the 100° desert heat in August — especially you cosplayers! — you’ll need to decide if the cost savings is worth the distance and inconvenience.
It’s always expensive to eat out in Las Vegas, but longtime convention attendees have found a few ways to keep dining costs relatively low while still keep yourself fueled for the week of STLV activities.
First, I have to recommend getting that Total Rewards card I mentioned above, because when you use it at a Harrah’s-owned restaurant, you’ll usually get a discount on every meal. Luckily, are a lot of places to eat at the Rio — from low-budget options like Smashburger and the Sports Deli, to higher-priced dine-in options like Guy Fieri’s El Burro Borracho and Hash House a Go-Go.
The buffet at the Rio has been boasted as being one of the best, but it’s also pretty pricey and tends to have longer lines… but the best ways to save on eating at the Rio are by choosing the low-budget options, or by venturing over to the Gold Coast which has a TGI Fridays on site, along with other less-expensive options.
You can also look for deals like the Rio’s buffet packages which allow you 24-hour access to a variety of buffets. If planned smartly, you can get several quality meals within that time frame.
The REAL secret to saving on STLV food, however, is to hop in an Uber or Lyft — not a taxi, which can cost twice as much! — and venture out to one of the local grocery stores for water, snacks, and any basic foodstuffs to keep you fed from your hotel room — like cereal, sandwiches, or iced coffee to let you skip the line at the always-crowded Starbucks counters.
Keep in mind, though, that while the Rio rooms have refrigerators (and you can pay to have one placed in your room at the Gold Coast), neither location offers coffeemakers or microwaves for guests. If you’re driving in to Vegas, consider packing your own small appliances — just make sure to check for approval with the hotel first!
Packing your own meals (or at least arming yourself with snacks) is one of the biggest ways you can help reduce your on-site spending during the convention, and can allow you to splurge on one or two more expensive meals during the week.
Finding ways to save money on souvenirs, autographs, and photo ops isn’t always easy, but there are a few shortcuts that can help steer your spending a little bit during the STLV festivities.
If you buy autograph tickets or photo op tickets through Creation’s website ahead of the convention, you’ll be able to plan your spending out — but their online ticket sales add an annoying $8.50-per-ticket “service fee” which can add up quickly if you’re planning for several purchases.
As a seasoned STLV veteran, I generally wait until I get to Las Vegas to purchase my autograph or photo op tickets to skip the service fee. Unless the guest you want to see is a rare visitor to STLV — like Deep Space 9’s Colm Meaney, attending for the first time in a few years for 2018 — it’s likely that the star you want to see isn’t going to sell out of tickets before the show.
For photo ops, Creation will allow up to two people in a photo with the starring guest(s), so you have another opportunity to save some money if you and a friend can split the cost. If autographs are your thing, however, keep in mind that the longer you wait to buy these tickets, the longer you’ll wait in line at the convention for the signing.
On-site autograph purchases are relegated to the end of the line — after all the “Gold” ticket holders and online pre-sales get through the queue — so if you’re waiting for a popular guest that can take an hour or two out of your convention time.
Regarding souvenirs and Trek merchandise, you can spend all week browsing the massive STLV dealers’ room — but if you’re around until Sunday, that day of the convention is always the best opportunity to haggle with the vendors on pricing.
While some limited-release or rare items may sell out as early as the pre-convention ‘preview night’ on Tuesday, most of the vendors are looking for ways to clear out some of their leftover wares before packing up their booth during the final day at STLV.
Be respectful, but don’t be afraid to ask — the worst they can tell you is “no,” and you’ll be surprised at some deals the vendors are willing to make to lighten their load before leaving Las Vegas.
If you’ve never been to the annual Las Vegas convention and are planning to make 2018 your first time, I’d like to recommend you check out the Shore Leave podcast’s STLV 101 series, recorded ahead of 2017’s convention, to guide first-time visitors to the world of STLV.
Finally, if you’re not sure if a guest you want to see is going to be tough to get, if you have questions about which hotel might better suit your needs, or any other burning STLV-related questions you need answered, stop by the Unofficial Star Trek Las Vegas Convention group on Facebook and join the conversation with more than 4,000 other fans of the annual event.
