Star Wars Celebration I took place in Denver, Colorado. It was organized by Lucasfilm, a film and television production company owned by George Lucas that created and produced the Star Wars films. Denver was chosen as the host city for a reason: it is the hometown of the Official Star Wars Fan Club.
The following three conventions also took place in the United States. They were held to celebrate the upcoming release of Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002, Indianapolis, Indiana), the upcoming release of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005, Indianapolis, Indiana), and the 30th anniversary of the first Stat Wars film, Episode IV – A New Hope (2007, Los Angeles, California).
In 2007, Star Wars Celebration was held outside the United States for the first time. The first Star Wars Celebration Europe took place in London, United Kingdom from July 13–15, 2007. In July 2008, the first convention in Asia was held in the city of Chiba, Japan. As of 2016, it has been the only edition of Star Wars Celebration Japan to date.
Since 2009, the convention has been co-organized by ReedPOP, a department of Reed Exhibitions that runs and manages numerous pop culture conventions across the world such as PAX уvents, New York Comic Con, Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Comic Con India, and many more.
The program of Star Wars Celebration is filled with exciting events and activities. It includes panels, autograph sessions and photo ops with actors, screenings of official Star Wars films and fan-made films, live performances, cosplay contests, art shows, fan panels, showcases of fan-built props and sets, sneak-peeks and presentations, and more.
Each convention features celebrity guests, primarily actors known for their roles in the franchise. Past guests include Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Caroline Blakiston (Mon Mothma), Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine), and more. Of course, George Lucas has been to more than one convention.
