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Stage Expo:
Toronto
Awaits
Helen Willard
Stage Expo Sales Manager
One of the perks of being the Stage Expo Sales Manager is that I have an opportunity to visit the conference site several times before the Annual Conference. This January brought our final trip to Toronto before the March event as the Conference Committee met to review the programming schedule one last time. We marveled at the number and variety of programs offered at this year's conference as we struggled to make sure there were enough rooms and computer projectors available in each timeslot.
Yet another tour of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and the conference hotels delivered no surprises, and, in this case, the best surprise is definitely no surprise. Some members of the group enjoyed seeing the Toronto Bridal Show being staged at the MTCC, although I was aghast at how many exhibitors were still setting up their displays just minutes prior to the show opening. That would never happen at Stage Expo.
We visited some of our favorite restaurants - The Lone Star Café for lunch, Canyon Creek Chophouse and Il Fornello for dinner, and promised ourselves to try some new places in March. A few members of the group stayed on for a Monday morning meeting at the MTCC, so we did some exploring on Sunday, driving around a few of Toronto's many distinctive neighborhoods including Cabbagetown, Chinatown, Oldtown, and Little Italy. Then we checked out the Entertainment, Fashion, Financial, Gallery, and Harbourfront districts.
There was time for a stroll around the Distillery District, which will be the site of a special tour during the conference. The former Gooderham and Worts Distillery is a national historic site in the heart of downtown Toronto, home to one of the best-preserved collections of Victorian industrial architecture in North America. The district comprises dozens of heritage buildings on a 13-acre site, now a pedestrian-only village dedicated to arts, culture, and entertainment. After visiting the Mill Street Brewery and Blue Dot Gallery, we adjourned to the Pure Spirits Oyster House & Grill for a delicious late lunch.
Before we left town, I stopped by Theatrix Costume House to deliver a box of Stage Expo VIP passes. All exhibitors are given a supply of free VIP passes to invite customers and prospects to Stage Expo. Holly Kisly of Theatrix was delighted to receive hers in person. Just two blocks north of the MTCC on King Street, Theatrix Costume House is a stone's throw from the Royal Alexandra and Princess of Wales Theatres. With an inventory of over 50,000 costumes, it is a fascinating place to visit.
This trip whetted my appetite for our March week in Toronto, although with the OISTAT World Congress and World Stage Design 2005 being held in conjunction with the USITT Conference & Stage Expo, it is going to be difficult to fit in all the things I want to do.
Oh yeah, there's also this little thing called Stage Expo, which is poised to break all existing records, with more than 170 exhibitors in nearly 25,000 square feet of exhibit space. See you at the Grand Opening 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 17.
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The Metro Toronto Convention Centre will look very different
when visitors travel up this escalator to Stage Expo. Photo/Barbara E.R. Lucas.
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Preliminary list of exhibitors for Stage Expo 2005,
as of February 15, 2005:
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- A.C. Lighting
- A.C.T Lighting, INc.
- University of Alabama
- ALLROUND-Stages Forneberg
- Altman Lighting
- American Harlequin Corporation
- Apollo Design Technology, Inc.
- University of Arizona
- Automatic Devices Company
- Barbizon Lighting Company
- Ben Nye Company
- Bon-Mar Textiles Inc.
- Boston University
- Boyer Drawing & Painting
- Brandeis University
- California Institute of the Arts
- California State University-Fullerton
- California State University-Los Angeles
- Carnegie Mellon School of Drama
- Cast Software
- University of Central Florida
- Checkers Industrial Products Inc.
- University of Cincinnati
- Cirque du Soleil
- CITT-ICTS
- City Theatrical, Inc.
- J.R. Clancy
- Clark Transfer, Inc.
- Clear-Com Communications Systems
- Cobalt Studios
- Colorado Scenery
- Columbia University
- Columbus McKinnon
- Compulite/Pulsar
- Contact Distribution
- Creative Conners, Inc.
- Dazian LLC
- d&b audiotechnik
- University of DelAware
- Designlab Chicago
- DiGiCo/GerrAudio Distribution
- Dodger Costume Rental
- Dove Systems
- Ducharme International Seating
- Durand Interstellar
- EdgeView Software
- Electronics Diversified, Inc.
- Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)
- Entertainment Design/Lighting
Dimensions/ETS-LDI
- Entertainment Services and
Technology Association (ESTA)
- Entertainment Structures Group
- Entertainment Technology
- Farthingales
- Focal Press an imprint of Elsevier
- FSU School of Theatre
- Full Sail Real World Education
- Future Light
- GALA, a division of
PACO Systems, Inc.
- GAMPRODUCTS, Inc.
- Glimmerglass Opera
- H&H Specialties Inc.
- HME/GerrAudio Distribution
- IATSE
- IATSE Local One
- Illinois State University
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- Indiana University
- Insul-8 Corporation
- University of Iowa
- Irwin Seating Co
- Joel Theatrical Rigging Contractors (1980) Ltd.
- Korean National University of Arts
- Kryolan Corporation
- Lambda Platform, LLC
- LEE Filters
- LeMaitre Special Effects Inc.
- Leprecon
- Leviton Canada
- Lex Products Corp.
- Limelight Productions Inc.
- Lycian Stage Lighting
- Make-Up Designory
- Martin Professional, Inc./Martin Canada
- University of Massachusettts, Amherst
- MDG Fog Generators Ltd
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- Mehron Inc
- The University of Memphis
- Meyer Sound
- Minnesota State University-Mankato
- University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
- MSR Mobile Stage Rentals/Stageline
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln
- Nemetschek N.A.
- University of Nevada - Las Vegas
- Niscon, Inc.
- Norcostco Inc.
- Norris-Whitney Communications
- North Carolina School of the Arts
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Northern Arizona University
- Ohio University
- University of Oklahoma
- Oklahoma City University
- Ontario Staging Limited
- Oregon Shakespeare Festival
- Pace University
- The Painter's Journal
- PAL Showcase 2005/MIAC
- Pathway Connectivity
- PCPA Theaterfest
- Penn State University
- Performance Solutions
- Period Corsets by Kaufman-Davis Studio, Inc.
- Power Group Ltd.
- Production Intercom Inc.
- Purdue University
- Quinette Gallay
- R.A.T. Music Stands
- Regent University
- Rosco
- Rose Brand
- Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.
- Santa Fe Opera
- Sapsis Rigging Inc
- Savannah College of Art & Design
- Seamless Costumes
- SECOA, Inc.
- Selecon USA
- Serapid Scenic Technologies, Inc.
- sfi Systems
- The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
- Show Distribution Group Inc.
- Shure Incorporated
- Smartstage
- Smooth-On, Inc.
- Soundsculpture Inc.
- University of South Dakota
- University of Southern California
- Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
- SPAM - Society of Properties Artisan Managers
- Stage Directions
- Stage Research, Inc.
- Stage Technologies
- Stagecraft Industries, Inc.
- StageRight Corporation
- Stagestep
- Staging Concepts, Inc.
- Steeldeck Inc.
- Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- Strand Lighting Inc.
- Strong Entertainment Lighting
- Syracuse Scenery & Stage Lighting Co., Inc.
- T.C.H. Sales Inc.
- University of Texas
- Texas Tech University
- Theatrix Costume House
- Thematics
- Thern
- James Thomas Engineering
- Tools For Stagecraft
- Tork Winch
- Trizart-Alliance
- Tulane University
- Union Connector
- United Scenic Artists Local 829 IATSE
- Utah Festival Opera
- Utah Shakespearean Festival
- Vortek
- Walt Disney Entertainment
- Wayne State University Dept. of Theatre
- Wenger Corporation
- Western Michigan University
- White Radio
- Wybron, Inc.
- Yale School of Drama
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