Reflections from the Trek Fest Fan Adventure
Fans are passionate. No matter the particular fandom, a fan wants nothing more than to dive deeper and share their history, thoughts, and passion for the AMAZING THING THEY LOVE.
Gatherings like conventions and festivals get so close to what a fan needs. They provide a way to be immersed with other fans. They offer access to creators and actors, and the opportunity for cosplay and learning.
But these gatherings are also missing something. While inspiring and fun, they miss the mark on something we all crave–connection. The specific, electric kind that happens between fans. How wonderful it is to tell someone about the first time you fell in love with the story. How magical to hear what a particular episode or issue or story meant to another person. How amazing to discover that this one tiny piece of the fandom I love is also someone else’s favorite.
I wondered if there was a way to create this deeper connection between fans, and let them have some fun doing it. Turns out, the answer is YES. Here’s what what Blanket Fort Gatherings did.
THE STAGE
Trekfest 41, Riverside, Iowa – June 2026
THE PILOT
I designed a Fan Adventure that offered a genuinely new way of gathering for fans: a 75-minute, gamemaster-led team experience as a ticketed event. Our teams embarked on a lighthearted mission, choosing their favorite Star Trek crew and working through creative challenges together.
The four rounds were designed to build trust, build connection, create laughter and creativity. There were accents, uproarious bouts of laughter, and deep-cut references that delighted all of us.
I designed one of the rounds with special care, creating prompts that invited people to share their memories, thoughts, and feelings about the franchise. People talked about their early memories of falling in love with it, their favorite characters, and the lessons that Star Trek has taught them.
People discovered new insights, shared meaning, and connected in a rare and specific way. It felt incredibly special and scratched that itch for connection that a lot of fans like me have.
THE OUTCOME
Every one of the six sessions formed a kind of mini-community with inside jokes, shared insights, and hilarious creations.
Our participants (ages 8 – 82) sat down a little unsure of what this would be. But even from our opening question — “Which Trek character would you want to visit for a week?” — folks were thrilled to share and excited to hear each other’s answers. Very soon, inside jokes and famous quotes were being shouted across the room.
In our final round, people talked about their early memories of falling in love with the franchise, their favorite characters, and the lessons that Star Trek has taught them. People discovered new insights, shared meaning, and connected in a rare and specific way. The energy was high and often raucous, and people were buzzing with enthusiasm by the end.
THE FEEDBACK
Delightful and powerful.
After the Adventure ended, people told me:
“I’ve never experienced a gathering like this before!”
“I was expecting a Role Playing Game but this was so much more fun!”
“We might come back and do it again just to meet more fans!”
The best feedback, perhaps, was watching former strangers exchange contact info with their new fan friends. I heard tables making plans to meet up later. People asked me when I’d be doing this again.
More Feedback from our sessions, including 8 year-old Elliot: “It doesn’t really matter if it is not realistic itis still fun” 🙂
People shining, full of love for their THING and energized by these new connections.
WHAT’S NEXT?
This way of gathering isn’t limited to Star Trek. It translates to book festivals, gaming conventions, film events — any gathering where passionate people show up in the same room and leave wishing they’d gotten a chance to connect more deeply. It works for graduation parties, team builders, and birthday parties too — check out the Archives page to see more.
We also envision a scaled up model: multiple sessions running across a convention weekend, small crews finding and re-finding each other, mini-communities forming and growing. A full track built entirely around facilitated fan connection.
People are hungry for this, and I want to keep building. If you run a gathering — a con, a festival, a bookshop event — and you’re curious what this could look like for your people, I’d love to talk.