With USITT 2026 officially in the books, now is an excellent time to reflect on lessons learned. Conferences of this scale are where careers are made. I can speak directly to this; LDI 2025 took me from zero industry connections to employment at Upstaging. These conferences are filled with people who want to help you advance your career!
Through LDI and USITT, I've secured friendships and connections that I hope will last a lifetime. I've had some incredible people take a chance on me, and I am determined not to let them down. As a dear professor of mine once pointed out, I'm not special, I'm just stubborn. Building a successful career and a robust network doesn't take super powers; it takes persistence. This is your career. Act like it!
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Wear good shoes, carry snacks, and stay hydrated. Conference days are long and exhausting! It's harder to have good conversations if you're battling a headache and blisters on the bottoms of your feet. I'm a big fan of my hiking boots - they provide great ankle support and are built to help keep you moving. I'm also an advocate of bringing snacks with a small caffeine content, rather than downing a can of Celsius at 9am. Snacks help spread your caffeine intake across the day and ensure you're eating something on a semi-regular basis.
Print your own business cards. This was one of the biggest notes I received at LDI. Not only are they a great way to exchange info, but they can say a lot about your personal design aesthetic to the people you're connecting with. You can create a design on a site like Canva, and local print shops often offer student discounts (I had 100 cards printed for $15).
Cultivate a reputation for professionalism and kindness. You never know who you're talking to. The industry is incredibly small and extremely close-knit. No one should be disregarded or talked down to, and you should always be aware of how you're presenting yourself and your art. While this is also a good principle for life generally, it's especially applicable in conference settings.
This applies to situations off-site as well. During LDI, Audrey Allen and I were sitting in the hotel lobby, finishing up our Vectorworks homework. About an hour into our work, we looked up to see the entire Vectorworks engineering team walking into the hotel! They were kind enough to give us a clip cube tutorial on the spot. The sheer happenstance turned it into one of my favorite moments from the conference, but it also demonstrates how important professional presentation is.
Being professional does not mean being inauthentic. Working in the arts means making a career out of your soul. This can be beautiful, but you have to work from a place of truth. Don't manufacture a version of yourself that's "professional." Learn how to present your authentic self through a professional lens.
For me, this means not shying away from all aspects of my work. I am completing a BA in Comparative Genocide Studies alongside my BFA in Lighting Design. My research work cannot be divorced from my art. Authenticity, to me, means being upfront about the way I view these two fields as inexorably connected. Don't diminish your art to attain a veneer of professionalism.
Follow up. Did someone at the ROSCO booth take time to explain their new paint line to you? Did you get a particularly cool piece of swag that you're already using in your daily life? Was there someone who gave you a piece of advice that changed your life? Tell them! A simple thank you goes a long way. Remember that relationships are reciprocal. If someone helped you, let them know as much.
Quick Hits:
- Ask good questions! Be excited about the work yourself and others do.
- Write notes on your conversations on business cards. It's a great way to remember interactions for follow-up emails!
- Front load your portfolio with your best imagery.
- Learn how to effectively communicate your ideas through drafting, pre-vis, and research.
- Networking doesn't stop when the expo floor closes. Mixers, dinners, and after-hours events are just as valuable as workshops and sessions.
Tips from Professionals:
"Thorough preparation and communication beats heroics every time." Michael Berger, Innovative Intensity.
"You understand the world through light. Use your artistry." Mark Stanley, Boston University.
"Be good, be fast, and be correct." Cory FitzGerald, Silent House.
"Keep your eyes on the stage, not on the console." Jeff Ravitz, Intensity Advisors.
"This is the music business, not the music fun times." Sooner Routhier, Sooner Rae Creative.
As you're prepping for LDI 2026 and USITT 2027, remember: these conferences are full of people who want to help you. Learn from them, build your skill set, and chase your dreams!
Elena Hewett
(No part of this work was created with generative AI.)
Elena Hewett is a 2025 Pat MacKay Diversity In Design recipient currently completing a BA in Comparative Genocide Studies alongside a BFA in Lighting Design at at Western Michigan University. They have been offered employment at Upstaging this summer.