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The idyllic weather continued as USITT Day Three kicked off with the announcement of the Board Election results. USITT's new President Elect is Ashley Bellet, and Jeff Baldwin is moving into the Secretary position. Following the election announcement, doors opened to the expo, welcoming a record-breaking 6,701 attendees to the floor. Students flooded into the hands-on workshops in Expo Hall C. With sponsors including PRG, ETC, and Chauvet Professional, the "Troubleshooting Lab" was hosted and designed by the USITT Lighting Design and Technology Commission, teaching students how to fix gear methodically and calmly. The walk-up soldering lab, sponsored by City Theatrical and Neutrik, was another student favorite. Learners had the chance to level-up their soldering skills under the careful tutelage of the presenters.
While some students worked on developing their hands-on skills in Hall C, others attended the presentations taking place throughout the conference hall. I had the opportunity to attend a talk back with Sooner Routhier. She received the 2026 USITT Lighting Distinguished Achievement Award, and is a pillar of the lighting industry. She shared valuable insider tips about working with artists, how to effectively build narrative arcs into concerts, and how to think about lighting as a scenic element.
She also spoke about her efforts to build EVEN, the Events Vocational Education Network. The network provides paid apprenticeships to people from all backgrounds, and helps pipeline them from their first days in the industry to employment at a partner company. EVEN is a Registered Apprenticeship Program in the state of California, and is looking forward to its upcoming national expansion. It's clear how much the mission of providing industry opportunities to the next generation matters to their team. They are doing the work to help guide the next generation of crew through the curtains and into the world behind the stage.
The fast-paced, ever-evolving environment of this work lends itself to unique projects and unique problems. Michael Berger discussed his approach to solving these challenges of non-traditional spaces in a session on his lighting philosophy. He advised students to think critically about their spaces, and walked the audience through an extensive site survey checklist. He reminded students that while they might come from theatre-focused backgrounds, they have been trained as lighting artists. That artistry can and should be applied across disciplines and spaces.
I also had the pleasure of attending an interview with Alita Escobedo, an International Guest Lighting Designer from Mexico. She spoke about her work in immersive and pop-up spaces, and how energizing solving the challenges of these environments can be. Following her talk, she took the time to discuss her experience here at the conference with me. As a Latino woman, she feels a great deal of responsibility to give back to her community. Coming to USITT and seeing the impact her work has had on the industry, as well as on students like her mentee, Melina Huckleberry, is incredibly empowering for her. She is excited to give back to her communities and thrilled to continue to be able to create art on her terms.
Once the expo floor closed, students made their way over to the ETC booth for a special student session. The top ETC brass at USITT sat down for a discussion with around 150 students. The conversation was dynamic, and students were clearly engaged with the content being presented.
At 7pm, conference attendees had formed a massive queue outside of the Aquarium of the Pacific.
From jellyfish touch-tanks to catering served beneath a massive blue whale sculpture, there were no shortage of things to do. Business cards and Instagram handles changed hands over themed oceanic drinks. Every nook and cranny of the aquarium was filled with the joyful chatter of attendees finally letting loose after a long day. The party was a massive hit, and a wonderful conclusion to the evening.
Elena Hewett
(No part of this work was created with generative AI.)