Since some fans decided to pull together a few hundred of their closest friends to celebrate "Star Trek" and got thousands instead, the convention has been almost synonymous with science-fiction fandom.

For many years, they were a place where people could not only meet some of their favorite actors and writers, but also where they could locate special memorabilia, autographs, and even other fans to create social networks.

The 21st century has changed a lot of that, with many of the items once found only at conventions are now discovered frequently online. At the same time, the current economic conditions have added several more blows to conventions as organizers struggle to pay top celebrities to attend, and hope that ticket sales will follow.

"This economy is kicking our butts," Terri Tripp, who along with her husband Gary, run the popular Vulkon conventions in Florida, Ohio and Indianapolis, told Airlock Alpha. "People don't realize that when actors don't meet their guarantees, we are responsible for their fees, the hotel, the food. Yes, we count on pre-sales quite a bit, but unless you are a Creation show with lots of money to spend, this is how it must be, at least during these trying times."

Tripp recently postponed Vulkon's Thanksgiving weekend show in Indianapolis known as Starbase Indy when held that weekend. But Vulkon isn't alone in canceling conventions.

The Area 61 UFO Convention that has visited Duluth, Minn., since 2002, was canceled this year. A convention celebrating the canceled CBS series "Moonlight" failed on its second attempt to have a convention this year.

The Monsters from the Vault convention scheduled for next year in Baltimore had its plug pulled early. The message from the convention organizers said it all.

"With the current state of the economy and with prospects not looking good for the near future, the financial risk was just too great for us," MFTV organizers said in a statement. "Although the show was still a year away, the time had come for us to give the hotel a non-refundable deposit. So we looked at the marking (shrinking every year) and the failures of a couple of recent shows to draw the needed audience, and we decided to cut out losses before incurring any huge ones."

Even Creation, which Tripp said was flush with cash, is pulling the plug on conventions. This weekend, that company was planning a salute to "Battlestar Galactica" in Burbank, but was canceled last August. No reason was given, but Creation said it was contacting those who pre-ordered tickets for refunds.

Show cancellations can be tough on a brand and on convention organizers. When FedCon USA cancelled after the convention had already started, attendees were quick to blame organizers, but in reality, many conventions -- especially first-time ventures -- fail all the time, mainly because of lack of proper planning and lack of capital.

There's also always that drive to be the best show fans attend, and that's not lost on the Tripps.

"We are working on some very exciting things for next year, but once again, I don't want to have just an average show," Tripp said. "I pride myself on the fact that Gary and I hold a very different experience in conventions -- a very personal experience. Those who continue to support us know this and stand behind us 100 percent, never bashing or bad mouthing us during our changes. While I would love to hold a show with 60 attendees and 10 actors, it simply isn't feasible."

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