Attendee Experiences
Opening Night at the Terrace Theater
Wednesday, March 18 • Reception: 5:00–6:30 PM, Celebration: 6:30–7:30 PM
Location: Terrace Theater, Long Beach
Kick off the 66th Annual USITT Conference & Stage Expo in style at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, emceed by drag performer Morgan McMichaels, with a special performance by Dolly Levi. Join colleagues and new friends for an evening of connection, conversation, and celebration. Enjoy delicious bites, a cash bar, and great company as we toast the start of USITT26 and the inspiring days ahead!
Be the first to experience the unveiling of new top-of-the-line tech productions from the following companies: The Costume Source, TMB, CYA Cables, Chauvet Lighting, ADJ, and Master FX. While we can’t give away too much, we can easily say swag will be involved.
Close out the Opening Night festivities with a performance by the Grammy award-winning group, the Mariachi Divas, featuring 13 of their musicians.
It will mark the start of what is sure to be an incredible time at USITT26! We hope to see you there.
Already registered for USITT26? Click here to visit the Attendee Service Center and RSVP.
Click here to learn more about Morgan McMichaels
Party on the Patio at USITT26
Thursday, March 19 • 6:00–8:00 PM
Join us in the Pacific Gallery and Patio at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center for a relaxed Southern California–style evening. Enjoy SoCal inspired food, a cash bar, music, entertainment, and games in an open air environment designed for networking and fun. Eat, drink, connect, and unwind with colleagues in true California style.
Sponsored by:
USITT Night at the Aquarium of the Pacific
Friday, March 20 • 7:00–9:00 PM
Location: Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach
Dive into an unforgettable evening at one of Long Beach’s most stunning attractions. Join fellow attendees and exhibitors for a private USITT event featuring food stations, a cash bar, and full access to the aquarium’s indoor and outdoor exhibits. Mingle with friends among the sea life and enjoy a truly immersive experience as you explore, connect, and celebrate together.
Already registered for USITT26? Click here to visit the Attendee Service Center and RSVP.
Sponsored by:
First Timers
Wednesday, March 18 • 11:00 AM–12:30 PM
Location: Terrace Theater
Are you new to USITT? Are you a long-time Member but a Conference newbie? No problem! Our First Timers Event will help prepare you for the next four days with tips and tricks, insider info, and how to make the most of your time at USITT26.
Sponsored by:
Expo Opening
Thursday, March 19 • 10:30–11:00 AM
Location: Main Convention Center Lobby
Join us and hundreds of other attendees for our Stage Expo opening celebration! Outside the Expo hall just moments before you experience USITT26’s Stage Expo, we’ll be celebrating and getting energized before the doors open to a world of new products, innovative tech, demonstrations, and more networking and recruitment opportunities than you ever thought possible!
Sponsored by:
The Queen Mary Experience
Saturday, March 21 • 6:00–9:00 PMLocation: The Queen Mary, Long Beach
Ticket Price: $75 (limited to the first 500 guests)
For the first time ever, USITT invites you aboard the legendary Queen Mary for an exclusive evening experience. Enjoy food stations, a cash bar, live music, a silent disco, and both self-guided and guided tours of this historic ocean liner. Dressing the part is optional, but prizes will be awarded for the best costumes.
Your ticket price includes round trip transportation, food stations, a silent disco, guided tours, and music. As day turns to night, take in the spectacular sunset views over Long Beach Harbor from the decks of this iconic ship. Secure your ticket now before they’re gone.
Already registered for USITT26? Click here to visit the Attendee Service Center and RSVP.
Sponsored by:
Awards, Awards, Awards!
Thursday, March 19 • 2:00–3:15 PM
Location: Terrace Theatre
Celebrate your fellow industry designers, creators, managers, luminaries, and more at our awards presentation. Show your support and join in the fun as we present our winners with their accolades. Learn about this year's recipients here.
Conversation Hour
Thursday, March 19 • 2:00–3:00 PMLocation: Promenade Side
Conversation Hour is a new addition to break from the usual schedule, giving attendees a chance to connect and get to know each other. You can choose from different groups that focus on specific interests or topics, or use this time to catch up with friends you've already made in the USITT community. It's a great opportunity to meet others in the industry who are also balancing work and everyday life.
The Vault
The Vault Hours:
Wednesday, March 18: 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 19: 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Friday, March 20: 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 21: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The Vault is a safe space initiative providing Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender non-conforming USITT Members a more comfortable and accessible way to find clothing that fits their professional and stylistic needs. All of our clothing is donated by USITT Members eager to help their fellow technicians! This year you’ll find it in the
Chorus Dressing Rooms.
Have clothing you’d like to donate? Pack it with you and drop it off with us in Long Beach!
USITT Store
Bookstore Hours:
Wednesday, March 18: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 19: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 20: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: March, 21: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Leave Long Beach with a suitcase (or trunk) full of USITT merch, a Member-author book, and hey, why not throw in a sticker or two? Stop by the USITT Store on the 2nd floor lobby to stock up on USITT hoodies, sweats, t-shirts, stickers, hats, pins, and of course, books!
Member-Author Book Signing
Location: USITT Store, 2nd Floor Lobby
Get your favorite industry book signed, grab a refreshment, and chat with our Member-authors at our well-loved Member-author book signing event! Each year a collection of our Member authors sell their own literary works of art at our USITT Store both online and at Conference. We encourage you to order your books online before Conference or purchase at our USITT Store and have your book signed during this one-on-one industry author experience!
Emerging Creatives Showcase
Location: Seaside X
The Emerging Creatives Showcase is an annual open adjudicated exhibition of designers, craftspersons, and managers. The Emerging Creatives Showcase helps us showcase emerging talent that has, for the most part, been left unfeatured in this and other exhibitions of rising talent. The cohort for this year's exhibition features designers and craftspersons of Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, and North African descent.
The Emerging Creatives Showcase is an annual open adjudicated exhibition of undergraduate and graduate students in their final year, and early career designers and craftspersons. This year's cohort of talented artists will be available to meet and receive feedback on their work. The session takes place from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Pacific Gallery near the entrance to Expo Hall C.
Educators and Production Managers are invited to attend.
The Soles of the Nation
Location: Promenade Ballroom Pre-function Lobby
We invite you to select 1–3 pairs of shoes from your Costume Shop’s collection to exhibit with us at USITT26! Please bring shoes with a unique identity — whether they are distinctive in how they were acquired, how they have been used, how they are constructed, or simply because they are a favorite or tell a story you would like to share.
Interested in contributing? Please complete this form. To participate, you will need to make room in your luggage or arrange an alternate way to bring the shoes to USITT26.
If your submission is accepted, we will follow up with additional details about when and where to bring the shoes for display.
Design Expo
Location: Hall C
Design Expo is back for USITT26 in Long Beach! The Design Expo is a juried exhibit of scenery, costume, and lighting in the performing arts displayed at Conference. The showcase will include costume, scenery, and lighting designs by students, educators, and working professionals who are Members of USITT. Design Expo can be added during your registration process. Already registered? You may access your registration and make edits at any time.
Tailoring Drag Masculinity: Re-Cutting Billy Flynn in Pompeii
Location: Promenade Ballroom Pre-function Lobby
This special exhibit presents a tailored Billy Flynn suit designed and constructed for a trans male drag king performer in Pompeii, a drag theatre production by Detour Productions directed by Eric García and Chuck Wilt. The garment reimagines one of musical theatre’s most iconic masculine silhouettes through queer tailoring practices, fusing precision handcraft with performative subversion. Constructed in burgundy twill burnout striped silk georgette, flatlined with vibrant orange cotton, the piece evokes volcanic eruption through light and transparency- reflecting Pompeii’s narrative of collapse, exposure, and rebirth. The garment’s visual and material layering transforms the canonical “power suit” into a symbol of gender affirmation and theatrical reinvention.
USITT Fabric Fair
Location: Hall C
Coordinated by The Costume Source, the first Fabric Fair at USITT brings together offerings from fabric vendors all over the country. Looking to expand your shop’s fabric resources, or to pick up some swatches for the upcoming season? Join us in between the Costume and Hair & Makeup Labs! And just for students and teachers, the Swatch Spot offers unused swatches from designers and shops, free for the taking, and perfect for expanding a department swatch library or preparing for upcoming paper projects!
Infinity Cube
Location: Dark Zone - Hall A
The concept was to create an immersive experience using light, sound, and reflection to represent various biomes around the world. The project was imagined for the Burning Man festival, which is held in the extremely harsh environment of Black Rock Desert. Open during Stage Expo hours.
THEM
Location: Hall C
This exhibit showcases the design process for THEM, an interactive art installation inside Omega Mart (the Meow Wolf Las Vegas location). The exhibit features a visual timeline of THEM’s development from early concept and models to final execution, culminating in a VR walkthrough of the completed environment. It will also include a scaled version of an interactive element from the space available for attendees to experience in person. THEM combines traditional theatrical scenic and lighting techniques with innovative approaches to how we use technology to create a space with a self-sustaining narrative.
T3 Tech Challenge
Friday, March 20 • 6:00–7:30 PM
Location: Terrace Theatre
It’s time to put your technical theatre skills to the test with T3 — an USITT Theatre Technology Tournament presented by Disney Live Entertainment. Seven events will allow teams made up of four to six people the opportunity to demonstrate a range of technical backstage skills. Each team will compete for qualifying scores early in the week, with our top teams competing on stage during our high-stakes final round on Friday at our Annual Conference & Stage Expo! Are you up for the challenge?
Presented by:
The Betty Blyholder National Poster Gallery
Location: Hall C
The Betty Blyholder National Poster Gallery allows presenters to share their research and expand scholarly activity. They are a great way to experience new solutions to old problems, innovations, research results, discoveries, developments, and more.
This exhibit runs and is open the length of the Conference. However, stop by March 18, 19, and 20 from 9:30-10:30 AM to see presentations done.
DAAs in Conversation
Friday, March 20 • 7:30–8:30 PM
Location: Ocean Theatre - Aquarium of the Pacific
Sit down with this year’s Distinguished Achievement Award Winners and discuss the finer points of the live entertainment industry. Click here to learn more about the recipients.
