In the fall of 2007, Luciana graced a European convention with her presence for the first time. Utopia 8 took place October 19–21 in the Bilderberg Hotel in Scheveningen, The Netherlands. There were fans from all over Europe chatting about their favorite TV shows, the coast was only a short walk from the hotel, and Luciana enjoyed spending a weekend among her fans – these were the ingredients for a truly unforgettable weekend.

Aside of Luciana, John de Lancie (Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation), Robin Curtis (Saavik in Star Trek III and IV) David Nykl (Radek Zelenka in Stargate Atlantis) and Lolita Fatjo (pre-production coordinator on several Star Trek series) also attended the convention.

Luciana’s first appearance was on Friday evening, when all the guests participated in a so called "intimate discussion panel" which was part of the opening ceremony. One of the topics she talked about was getting into the minds of the characters she portrays. Luciana explained that she tried to find out about the characters’ motivations – why they are who they are – in order to understand them. "A lot of work, and not a lot of pay, but it’s worth it,” she claims.

The audience also found out that Luciana dislikes the reality TV genre which has become so popular in the past years. She likes Dancing with the Stars, though, noting that she does not consider this reality TV but a dancing show with professional dancers.

Later that evening was a cocktail party, attended by most of the fans and all of the star guests. At this meet-and-greet, Luciana’s fans were given the opportunity to sit down and chat with her in a relaxed atmosphere. It became immediately clear that she was a generous, charming and down-to-earth woman. Openly talking about her career and her personal life, Luciana spent a lot of time with the fans and made the evening a special experience for them.

On Saturday, one of the highlights was her Q&A panel. Luciana gave detailed answers to a wide range of questions, both about her professional and private life. Again, she proved to be a lovely young woman. While we learned a lot of interesting thins about her work, we also got to know her better as a person. Kat’s motivations were a topic she talked about in some detail, providing the audience with a look through the character’s eyes and furthering the understanding for this character.

Moreover, she claimed to be a method actor, hence she sometimes stays in character during the breaks. She gave insights into the production of Battlestar Galactica as well as the attention the crew give to the smallest details in order to preserve continuity. In fact, they actually had to re-shoot a scene because Luciana had unzipped her flight suit between takes and forgotten to zip it back up.

Unsurprisingly, another question concerned the circumstances of her fidning out about Kat’s death, a story she would repeat at this convention and other conventions. (We plan to post transcripts of the Saturday on Sunday panels on this fansite, too.) An autograph session was scheduled for the afternoon. Luciana signed pictures, DVD covers and other items, and she chatted with fans, of course.

Sunday started with her second question-and-answer panel. Once again she told interesting anecdotes. For example, she didn’t know who Edward James Olmos was when she got the role of Kat, and she also talked about meeting Al Pacino on the set of feature film Two for the Money. A fellow Italian-American delighted with the actress, he couldn’t keep his eyes from her cleavage.

Among the most memorable stories was the touching one about Luciana's dog Alazar, who went missing and whom she didn't get back until four and a half months later. We learned about her hobbies, too.

On Sunday evening, all the actors were on stage, but this time it was not for a Q&A. Instead, they were asked to participate in a mock dating show where Robin Curtis was a single woman looking for company, while the other actors had to compete for her approval. The catch: The actors weren’t themselves but played specific characters: Luciana was comedian Lucille Ball, John de Lancie was Shakespeare and David Nykl was Casanova. At the end, Robin Curtis had to guess whom the different actors portrayed. It goes without saying that there were some very funny moments.

Next was a “Whose line is it anyway?” session, requiring them to act a scene in a given style. So the audience could watch Luciana trying to order some coffee from John de Lancie in Shakespearean style – only to switch to a soap opera style, with the hilarious moment when Luciana said “Listen, bitch!”, to which de Lancie replied in a high-pithced voice “Don’t call me a bitch again!”. After a final “Give me the damn coffee”, the show ended, and Luciana and John gave each other a hug, while the room was still filled with heartfelt laughter.

Both on Sunday and Saturday, there were also photo shoots which provided the attendees with the opportunity to have a professional photo taken with most of the star guests. The celebrities were in a good mood, which not only made for memorable photos, but also ensured that the fans enjoyed the experience.

Luciana's interactions with the fans were not limited to panels, photo shoots and autograph sessions. Since the schedule of the convention was not very tight, Luciana often found time to talk with her fans during the breaks. She was very welcoming all the time, posing for, and even taking, countless photos in the halls, treating her fans as friends, and spending as much time as possible with them.

On Sunday evening, Utopia 8, which in all likelihood was the last Utopia convention ever, came to a close. Everyone left with a warm feeling in their heart, but also with a bit of sadness that this remarkable experience was now over. Yet, anyone who got to know Lucci there surely will never forget this outstanding time in Scheveningen.