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Question of the Day - 16 April 2012

Q:
What ever happened to the "new" Star Trek Experience -- did they ever get any further with it downtown?
A:

In a word, no. There was a rumor that it might land at CityCenter, but that proved untrue. After the former Las Vegas Hilton (now Las Vegas Hotel & Casino) closed the Experience – a decision its owners will probably forever regret -- it looked as though Star Trek: The Experience would find a new home at downtown Vegas’ Neonopolis. However, mall manager Rohit Joshi was never able to get his ducks in a row and, on his watch, Neonopolis has turned into a dump. Or as CBS Television Distribution Vice President of Communications Leslie Ryan told Las Vegas Advisor in the fall of 2010, "Our licensee did not meet the terms of his contract so we have terminated the license. We remain committed to creating a new Star Trek attraction for fans to enjoy and will continue to pursue opportunities in Las Vegas and elsewhere."

Those "opportunities" have not coalesced into anything solid. It wouldn’t jibe with the (upscale) marketing position of those casinos which could afford it – Wynn Las Vegas, Encore, Venetian, Palazzo – and those who might have room to accommodate it (MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment) are financially overextended right now. Caesars had the money to recreate Star Trek: The Experience, but has chosen to build a Ferris wheel instead. MGM is busy paying down debt it incurred building CityCenter.

Eighteen months ago, we reported that discussions of an Experience revival had not "reached critical mass." Unfortunately, that is still the situation today.

Update 16 April 2012
A reader writes: "When Paramount sold their theme parks division to Cedar Fair, they didn't consider the attraction 'a good fit' as it really wasn't a' amusement park. For a while, it toured around the country as a 'road show attraction" operated by the same company that owns Titanic and Bodies in Vegas. It hit Detroit at the now-shuttered Detroit Science Center for several months, and other cities as well. (It sure would be a good fit at one of the Universal or Walt Disney theme parks.)"
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