This year's Gen Con gaming convention had a rather special focus … and audience. Celebration IV, an extravaganza of all things Star Wars, wound up as the largest party ever for the films' fans, spanning five days of live entertainment, celebrities, special film presentations, an exhibit of movie props and costumes, and a 24-hour store. Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center May 24 -28, Celebration IV marked the 30th anniversary of Star Wars.

Each of the previous Celebrations, collaborative efforts by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Gen Con, has been bigger than the last. Celebration III, a four-day event in Indianapolis in April 2005, drew more than 33,000 fans from around the globe. It exceeded all expectations of size, which had certain drawbacks. With the unexpected explosion in attendance, space constraints hampered the show. One highlight of the convention is the lure of unique merchandise, including exclusive action figures: The long line for the retail store led to bottlenecks and extended waits. On Saturday, the 2005 show had to shut down because of fire marshal rules - they had exceeded the capacity of the space. People stood in winding lines, crammed in nooks and corners and spilling outside.

"We started getting questions about a possible Celebration IV even while the last convention was running," said Steve Sansweet, director of content management and head of fan relations for Lucasfilm. The show's organizers, he said, were "determined to far outstrip anything we've done before, both in size and scope, as well as introduce many first-time activities."

The Los Angeles Convention Center provided Gen Con with what it needed most: space. Not just larger space, but highly flexible space to meet the specific needs of the convention - organizers had room for movie screens, costume pageants, and the wildly popular merchandise store. More than 35,000 fans attended in 2007, along with 95 exhibitors.

Inner Space for Fans of Outer Space

"L.A. had so much extra space," said Megan Culver, Gen Con's marketing and exhibits manager. "The hallways were larger, the lobbies had more room, there was more room outside, and there was more reliable weather if you did wind up outside."

The merchandise store in Los Angeles was the biggest to date. Filling an entire hall, the shop featured multiple checkout lines open 24 hours a day from Thursday until Monday. "The gift shop was a huge problem during Celebration III, whereas with Celebration IV, we could have a whole exhibit hall and spread out," Culver said.

All six movies in the Star Wars saga played in a hall configured for the one-time event. Those attending the six-movie marathon could boast of being in the first audience to watch the entire series in order at a U.S. screening. More than 1,000 attendees watched the 17-hour marathon (including intermissions) in a hall equipped with a large screen, movie seating, and easy exits for those who needed to come and go from the showing.

Because of increased demand, the Celebration enlarged its tradition of costume pageants, holding two pageants rather than one. Group photos play an important role in the festivities, and the wide, open spaces also allowed for easy shots of 200 people in one room and maybe a group of 300 around the corner.

"These groups have a lot of picture-taking opportunities," Culver said. "You'll have, say storm troopers and clone troopers and anyone who's a part of that legion all getting together for a photo. That was easy this year."