Alongside our educational sessions, hands-on labs, and expansive Stage Expo attendees are invited to join USITT for these exciting and immersive experiences! These include our awards presentations, Opening Night Celebration, and much more! Explore what special events will be happening in Columbus below, and visit our Conference Website for more details!

 

Special Guest Bob Mackie at USITT25

Fashion designer Bob Mackie, the mind behind numerous Emmy and Tony Award-winning productions, will attend our 65th Annual Conference & Stage Expo as a special guest! Check out his schedule below, and get ready to dive into the world of fashion with him on Thursday and Friday, March 6 & 7!

 

Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m.

Join us for a special screening of the recently released documentary directed by Matthew Miele, Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion! Bob Mackie himself will be in attendance as we explore the depth and breadth of his illustrious career. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the screening officially starting at 6:30 p.m. This event has limited seating and is only open to attendees with a full-conference registration. Make sure you RSVP during your registration process. Already registered? No problem! Hop into the Attendee Service Center and RSVP to the screening today!

 

Thursday, March 6 at 8 p.m.

After the screening, attendees may stay for an open Q&A with Bob Mackie! Hosted by Stephen Cabral, Director of the TDF Costume Collection, this Q&A is your chance to dive deep into Mr. Mackie’s experiences designing for a collection of live entertainment’s most prolific performers!

 

Friday, March 7 at 11 a.m.

Finally, join us on the Expo floor on Friday morning for a book signing! The USITT bookstore will be selling a limited number of copies of The Art of Bob Mackie, by Frank Vlastnik and Laura Ross on Thursday beginning at 11 a.m. Grab your copy on Thursday at the USITT Bookstore and have it ready to be signed by the man himself on Friday!

We're excited to have Bob Mackie in Columbus — the number one metro city in the U.S. for concentration of professionals working in the apparel and fashion industry. We hope to see you at all of these events!

 

Opening Night & New Tech Showcase
There’s something energizing about gathering thousands of live entertainment professionals and students together to kick off an event ALL about Powering Live Entertainment, and we want YOU to be there! Join us for our opening night celebration where we’re showing off the latest tech, bringing out special guests, and sharing our excitement for the next four days of education, speakers, networking, new technology, special exhibits, hands-on labs, training, and so much more! This year we're featuring new tech from Cuelist, EmptySpace Technology, ETC, Gig Gear, LECTROSONICS, Technical Theatre Products, and ThermApparel!

Make sure you let us know during your registration process if you plan to attend and get there early to grab a seat! Spots are limited. But don’t worry, if you don’t make it inside to see the action up close and personal, we’ll have screens showcasing the fun in the atrium lobby so you can still see the latest tech and celebrate as you enjoy refreshments and spend your evening connecting with fellow attendees and exhibitors in preparation for the rest of the week!

The night doesn't stop there — keep your excitement going as you explore our special exhibits on display, nosh on refreshments in the atrium lobby, and spend your evening connecting with fellow attendees and exhibitors in preparation for the rest of the week during our Opening Night Reception!

Sponsored by

Closing Night Party
Catch a wave in Long Beach! We’re already feeling the excitement for USITT26 in Long Beach, March 18-21, 2026, and we want you to share the excitement with us! Join us for our Closing Night Party where we’ll be celebrating a great Conference week and looking ahead to USITT26 while we sip drinks complete with umbrellas, don our warm weather attire, and get ready to feel the sunshine in Long Beach!

Please RSVP in advance!

Sponsored by

First-Timers Event
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 USITT25.

Sponsored by
 

Meet the Commissions

Following our First-Timer's event, attendees will get the chance to meet with our USITT Commissions! This is the perfect opportunity to meet like-minded industry professionals, chat about how you can get involved and stay involved with USITT outside of Conference, and share ideas about commission events for your industry niche! New this year is our Commissioner's Passport that allows you to make your commissioner connections while also giving you a chance to win BIG prizes!

 

Stage Expo Opening 

Join us and hundreds of other attendees for our Stage Expo opening celebration! Outside the Expo hall just moments before you experience USITT25’s Stage Expo, we’ll be jamming out, 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! Looking for a sensory-friendly expo opening experience? Enter through the Hall D entrance to avoid larger crowds! This entrance is near the North Entrance to the Convention Center, near the As We Are sculpture.

Sponsored by

Awards, Awards, Awards!
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. After our awards presentation, all Awards, Awards, Awards attendees will travel to the Expo hall, led by our fantastic entertainment group to be the FIRST attendees to enter the Expo floor during our Expo Floor Opening Celebration!

 

The Vault

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 room A225.

Have clothing you’d like to donate? Pack it with you and drop it off with us in Columbus!
 

USITT Bookstore
Leave Columbus 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 Bookstore located just inside Exhibit Hall B on the Expo Floor to stock up on USITT hoodies, sweatpants, t-shirts, stickers, hats, pins, and of course, books!

 

Member-Author Book Signing
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 bookstore both online and at Conference. We encourage you to order your books online before Conference or purchase at our USITT Bookstore and have your book signed during this one-on-one industry author experience! This year you’ll find it in the USITT Bookstore Lounge. 

 

PRIMP (Portfolio Reviews & Interview Materials Prep)

Receive professional feedback on your design portfolio and get interview tips from industry professionals who know the ropes best! Portfolios reflect you and your work, so keeping them updated and showing off your best designs is key! Let our PRIMP volunteers guide you through making the best updates to your portfolio while also providing you with the tips you need to ace that interview! You can find our PRIMP volunteers in rooms A220 and A221.

 

Emerging Creatives Showcase
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.

 

Cover the Walls

Experience the work of your fellow designers! Cover the Walls is a joyous montage of professional and student designs, paper projects, crafts, and more. This exhibit allows for the exchange of ideas and design approaches with fellow USITT Members fostering an intimate atmosphere focused on design and implementation.

 

T3: Technical Theatre Tournament

It’s time to put your technical theatre skills to the test! Introducing T3 — an all-new 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
 

 

Moving Light Match-Up

Step up to the Moving Light Match-Up at USITT 2025 and witness cutting-edge moving lights go head-to-head in a live demo! This unique showcase gives you a front-row seat to compare performance, color, movement, and effects—all in real-time. Tony Award-winning Broadway lighting designer Jeff Croiter will provide expert insights, offering a rare opportunity to see how top-tier moving lights stack up side by side.

Presented by

 

Digital National Poster Sessions
USITT's Digital National Poster Sessions allow 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.

Sponsored by

 

DAAs in Conversation
Sit down with this year’s Distinguished Achievement Award Winners and discuss the finer points of the live entertainment industry. This year’s guests include winners Deb Acquavella, Jane Cox, Laura Crow, Regina García, Paul Garrity, Jeromy Hopgood, and John Huntington.

 

Joel E. Rubin Celebration of Life
Join us at the Expo Stage as we celebrate the legacy and life of the last co-founder of USITT, Joel E. Rubin. Stories, memories, and Joel’s wine of choice will flow during this celebration of one of our industry’s great leaders and pioneers of USITT. Through this celebration of Joel’s foundation and service to USITT, his vision and legacy will live on as we continue to Power Live Entertainment.

 

ETC Celebrates 50 Years!

Join the celebration! ETC is hosting a party to commemorate its 50th anniversary at the Ohio Theatre on Thursday, March 27, 6:30-9:00 PM. Grab a friend (or two!) and stop by for hors d'oeuvres, a scavenger hunt for ETC swag, and beverages.

 

Special Exhibits

 

Cher- The Bead Goes On

Come experience this unprecedented opportunity to tap into a world-class collection of Cher gowns owned by a Columbus resident. This local collection is unique in that it contains many outfits from the Sonny and Cher show AND items from tours and awards shows. What truly sets this collection apart is the fact that the collector has 12 custom mannequins made in the image of Cher that accurately capture both the essence of her iconic wardrobe and are posed to reflect her onstage persona. These 24 pieces (approximately) will be on display on the Expo Floor for the duration of the convention and is an opportunity not to be missed! Don't forget — Robert Haven will be available at times during the exhibit to demonstrate Tambour Beading!

 

The Heretic's Chair

The chair Justin Walsh built for a production of Addams Family is Gothic in appearance and features spikes that extend out from the seat and the back. The spikes are made from a painted sponge for actor safety and the mechanism is activated pneumatically. See it up close and in person to see the detailed build and technical execution yourself!

 

Undressing the Early 20th Century

How clothes were worn in other time periods is not just about the outer layer seen in paintings and other imagery. The silhouette was shaped by layers of undergarments, which in turn influenced movement and style. Based on the study of historical garments, see these half-scale replicas of clothing from various time periods and explore the undergarments that built these iconic historical silhouettes. We’ll be displaying a 1905 gown from the SIU Sharp Museum, alongside a series of four half-scale replicas detailing the addition of layers of undergarments. This exhibit isn’t just a teaching tool, but also a celebration of the technical skill inherent in the clothing of the time.

 

USITT 2025 Historical Renderings Exhibit

This exhibit will showcase more than 100 original costume, lighting, and scenery renderings and drawings from across America, Europe, and Asia. On display will be original work from Ming Cho Lee, Robert Edmond Jones, Howard Bay, and other professional 829 Union designers as well as professional academic instructors from around the nation. Special emphasis sections this year will be Japanese Banraku and Noh renderings, process/development renderings, and a special salute to Herb Camburn! Come look, Learn, and experience some of your theatre design history, up-close and in person! You'll find it at booth 175 on the Expo floor. Drop your business card into a fishbowl at the exhibit for a chance to win a rendering from the collection on Saturday!\

 

The Contemporary Theatre - Fat Ham

This exhibit highlights the work of Columbus designers and technicians on the production of Fat Ham playing at The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio.

 

CDTxHMP: Cognizant Design Theory: The Huddled Masses Project

Merging the practice of the Huddled Masses Project and Cognizant Design Theory, CDTxHMP is an exhibit featuring the editorial work of the Huddled Masses Project intertwined with interactive opportunities for the viewer to ponder the narrative capacity of the elements of garments, highlighting the surreptitious ubiquitousness of garments as a mechanism for connection both personally and between others. Viewers will see costumes on forms, visual process research, an explanation of theory and teaching materials, and interactive touchscreens where viewers can explore designs.

 

Masks and Puppets; Magic and Mystery

The exhibit will showcase a variety of masks and puppets created by talented theatre artists.

 

KCACTF

See the work of this year’s KCACTF winners from around the country!