USITT Brings Technical Theatre Community To Louisville

USITT's 59th Annual Conference & Stage Expo will bring more than 5,000 members of the technical production and live entertainment industry and plenty of action to the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, March 20-23, 2019.

The Institute is on track to break attendance records this year, meaning more excitement, technology, and networking opportunities than ever before. The Conference & Stage Expo will showcase the world of live entertainment design and technology with more than 340 exhibitors of the latest products and services for creating live shows, plus over 250 presentations, demonstrations, and celebrations of work by top artists in the field.

The show's direct local economic spend is estimated at $5 million, with attendees filling seven hotels in the Louisville area and patronizing local arts venues, attractions, and dining establishments. Those buyers attending USITT19 understand the value of investing money into the theatrical and live entertainment industry to continue to meet the demands of this important national economic growth engine.
According to Louisville Tourism, USITT19 is expected to have a direct impact on nearly 1,150 jobs in the region and an indirect impact on an additional 350 jobs.

"We are delighted to hold our 59th Annual Conference in Louisville. USITT is returning to the area for the first time since 2006 with a far larger show but with the same emphasis on providing the highest quality experience for our attendees and exhibitors," said David Grindle, USITT's executive director.

Not only will USITT offer hundreds of educational sessions in its Conference, its wildly popular Stage Expo will run Thursday, March 21 through Saturday, March 23 and is a not-to-be-missed event for the entertainment production industry. Thousands will peruse the state-of-the-art products and devices on display in the expo floor. Exhibitors will be showing off their latest and greatest in digital technology, costumes, lighting, sound, and more!

We can't get enough of the newest technology at USITT. This years newly implemented Digital Media Commission brings with it our first ever Digital Media playground to the Stage Expo floor complete with projectors, objects for mapping, and tools for interactivity to encourage exploration and learning with various media and software platforms.

The new technological advances don't stop there as USITT19 attendees will have the opportunity to test some cutting-edge technology at registration. The system, which the Institute is testing for registration vendor Convention Data Services, uses state-of-the-art facial recognition software developed by Zenus Biometrics to convert a facial image into a facial map to recognize an attendee at registration and print a badge. Think of it as Face ID on iPhone, but for Conference registration.

Founder & CEO of Chicago's Black Ensemble Theater Jackie Taylor, visual artist Tupac Martir, and Executive Vice-President of National Networks for Vibrant Emotional Health Dr. John Draper will give presentations centering around eradicating racism, growing a company from one to more than two dozen employees, and mental health and the entertainment industry respectively. These luminaries are sure to share inspiring stories with all who attend. Additionally, local arts organization, Lexington Children's Theatre, will receive the Thomas DeGaetani Award at the keynote presentation.

"Our Institute and our industry depend on collaboration and inclusion in all of its diverse forms," said Grindle. "We are happy to be getting such a fantastic reception in the diverse and welcoming city of Louisville."

For more info on USITT, visit www.usitt.org. For more on the 59th Annual Conference & Stage Expo, visit www.usittshow.com.

SCHEDULE OF KEY EVENTS:

WED., MARCH 20, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
*Keynote Address by Jackie Taylor, Founder of Chicago's Black Ensemble Theater
*Awards Presentation to Lexington Children's Theatre
Kentucky International Convention Center, Ballroom C

WED., MARCH 20, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
*Opening Night New Products Showcase, preview of Stage Expo
Kentucky International Convention Center, Ballroom C

THURS., MARCH 21, 9:30 - 10:45 a.m.
*Early Career Honors and Remarks by creative visionary Tupac Martir
Kentucky International Convention Center, Ballroom C

THURS., MARCH 21, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
*Stage Expo Open, North America's Largest Complete Production Trade Show
Kentucky International Convention Center

THURS., MARCH 21, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.
*Book Signings of USITT Member Authors & Presentation of Herbert D. Greggs Awards
Kentucky International Convention Center, Main Concourse

FRI., MARCH 22, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
*Stage Expo Open, North America's Largest Complete Production Trade Show
Kentucky International Convention Center

SAT., MARCH 23, 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
*Stage Expo Open, North America's Largest Complete Production Trade Show
Kentucky International Convention Center

SAT., MARCH 23, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
*Closing Night Celebration
Fourth Street Live! Upper Level