it's just the conventions sort of took on a life of there own in pop culture here, so it's surprising for a trek fan to not know of them lol. no shade or anything, just surprising.

Trek started the nerd convention thing. In thr late 60s. There were star trek conventions before there were comic book ones or any of that and they were generally diy and self organized by the nerds for the nerds. Now there's an annual giant fucking one in Vegas thars fully licensed and sponsored and all and then there's numerous other ones in larger cities and even kinda smaller more diy ones in medium sized towns. As a trekkie, I can say, those who like it, like it a lot. It's a utopian communist future, it has like over 1000 hours of content in the TV shows and films alone, let alone novels and comics and shit. Once you're into it, you're INTO it.