As we continue to reflect on the awesome past weekend at Star Wars Celebration, I think it’s appropriate to take the time to express gratitude to some people who are integral in making it as amazing of an experience as it is.
The people behind the Star Wars Show. The hosts, led by Andi Gutierrez and Anthony Carboni, and their entire team are vital in making Celebration as popular and influential as it is.
In recent years, Star Wars has been doing some great things in terms of engaging with fans, and we have Gutierrez to thank for much of that. She has been terrific in helping with Lucasfilm’s social media and digital efforts, and then of course the Star Wars Show debuted in 2016. This show has since gone on to receive much acclaim and accolades as it brings fans into a behind-the-scenes look at the Star Wars universe. It’s awesome.
And yet perhaps never is the Star Wars show better than at Celebration, which was incredibly evident this past weekend. In many ways, it felt just like having a Star Wars TV channel for four days, as pretty much all day Friday through Monday the Star Wars show was broadcasting from Celebration in Chicago. This included airing several panels, interviews with cast members on the Star Wars show stage, and plenty of other fun things and conversations with fans. The thing that is so great about the way this crew works during Celebration is that they make the experience great for all Star Wars fans, not just those with the means of traveling to Chicago (or wherever the conference is). Because no matter where you’re at, you can tune in to the Star Wars Show Live and watch the most anticipated panels, hear interviews with the cast that’s there, and see a glimpse into what the experience is like for fans. It obviously doesn’t compare with being there, but nonetheless this show is absolutely vital for making sure that this amazing Star Wars Celebration can be awesome for all Star Wars fans across the globe.
This isn’t normal for conferences. Most other fan gatherings like this one don’t stream their panels or sessions and are notoriously secretive with what is shown. And so especially against this backdrop, Star Wars shines. Because here’s what Star Wars has so wonderfully learned: the opportunity to gather together for a few days with thousands of like-minded Star Wars fans is worth it enough for people to attend, and the ability for all the others to follow along with all things Celebration via the Star Wars Show keeps it from being a conference of elitists. Thanks to the efforts of the Star Wars Show, Celebration is bigger than ever. It has the thousands of fans who attend in person, but many more who attend online. And so fans everywhere can get just as excited about what they’ve heard and learned and saw about Star Wars.
And the last thing that I’ll mention here is that not only does this make it possible for Star Wars fans to watch online, but it also is done with excellence. The Star Wars Show has plenty of talent working on it, which results in very well-done broadcasts and interviews and segments. It truly is like having a Star Wars TV channel.
So ultimately, this post is just a simple “thank you” to Andi Gutierrez, Anthony Carboni, and the countless others who work so hard on the Star Wars Show year-round, but especially during Celebration. Their efforts have been truly tremendous at making Star Wars even more accessible for the average fan, and their efforts have made Celebration a much bigger deal than it otherwise would be. They represent the best of what Star Wars is: groundbreaking, influential, and for anyone. And never is that more evident or more appreciated than at Celebration.
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