Wenger Corporation is at USITT 2026
Mark your calendars!
USITT 2026 is almost here, and Wenger Corporation is so excited to present and showcase new and innovative technologies.
USITT- Powering Live Entertainment
The United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT) hosts its annual conference to promote networking, dialogue, and education around theater technology.
The conference will be held in Long Beach, California this year March 18th-21st. This is an exciting opportunity for members of the theatrical community, students, and teachers alike. Registration is currently open for members, non-members, and students (registration link here).
Wenger Corporation is excited to showcase three new innovations at Booth #927 in addition to presenting automation, control, safety, and staging technologies. There will also be several members from our team giving presentations.
Presentations to Attend
At the conference there are many different presentations, events, and experiences to take advantage of. Wenger is excited to have various members of our team presenting. Some of these presentations will be in partnership with other industry professionals. Listed below are the presentations, presenters, and information to attend.
- Fire Safety Curtains 101
- Presented by Dan Culhane and Bill Conner
- Thursday, March 19th, 3:15 – 4:30 PM
- 102A&B TPR, Promenade Side – Long Beach Convention Center
- A Deep Dive into the History and Future of ANSI Rigging Standards in the Entertainment Industry. Are We There Yet?
- Presented by Richard Nix, Dan Culhane, and Reid Neslage
- Friday, March 20th, 3:30 – 4:30 PM
- 201B ENG, Promenade Side – Long Beach Convention Center
- Stage Machinery: Arresting Falling Loads
- Presented by Pete Svitavsky
- Wednesday, March 18th, 1:30-2:30 PM
- 201B ENG, Promenade Side – Long Beach Convention Center
- Accessibility for Backstage Spaces and Equipment: A Collaborative Workshop
- Presented by Kascey Haslanger, Eric Huss*, Caroline Andrew, Amanda Fisk, Eben Alguire, and Verda Beth Martell
- Saturday, March 21st, 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
- 102C ARC, Promenade Side – Long Beach Convention Center
- Safety Strategies to Stop Automation Systems Before an Emergency Stop
- Presented by Gareth Conner, Kody Green, and Dan Lisowski
- Friday March 20th, 2:00 – 3:15 PM
- 201B ENG, Promenade Side – Long Beach Convention Center
- When One Just Won’t Do, Strategies for Grouping Multiple Motors to Share the Load
- Presented by Christian Basse and Gareth Conner
- Friday March 20th, 12:30-1:30 PM
- 101A EdU, Promenade Side – Long Beach Convention Center
Visit Booth #927
Wenger Corporation is excited to present various technologies and innovations at Booth #927 this year. Please visit our landing page (linked here) for the full rundown of what will be presented. However, Wenger has three new technologies that we cannot wait to showcase.
- One Ecosystem
- Controlling all your automated machines like curtains, electrics, hoists, turntables, and more with one system is now possible. Spikemark is a complete motion-control ecosystem that brings together software, controllers, and safety systems into a unified programing and operating environment regardless of what hardware already in place. Swapping has been made easy by installing Stagehand controllers, adding Spikemark interface, and incorporating Showstopper as your safety chain.
- Spikemark Vantis
- Spikemark Vantis is a handheld pendant built for day-to-day facility use, offering easy jogging, grouped motion, and preset recall while remaining fully integrated with the powerful Spikemark Ecosystem. Operators can jog and group axes, record presets, and reliably run looks. Complex cuing can be achieved through Spikemark as the production needs grow. Throughout this process, existing systems can stay in place, eliminating the need for replacing expensive hardware.
- SummitTM Theatron
- The new J.R. ClancySummit Theatron Hoist has been engineered as an economical solution for high school and university theatres. It is easy to install, inspect, and maintain. This hoist offers optimal capacity, travel, speed, and load sensing to meet the demands of any performance space. The Summit Theatron design is built on a proven, precision-engineered parallel groove cylindrical drum designed for multi-layer cable winding for smooth and consistent performance.
Hope to See You There
USITT has been a hub for innovation and creativity for the last sixty-six years. This conference presents so many learning opportunities for people across the arts and in arts education. Wenger is so excited to join this conference for yet another year, and we hope you will pay us a visit in Long Beach!
