Members of the Conference Committee, including Joe Aldridge, David Wheeler, David Rodger, and Rick Cunningham, with Jill Maurer just visible behind them, review sites where Conference activities will be held.

Photo/Barbara E.R. Lucas

Helen Willard
Stage Expo Sales Manager

January brought the final pre-conference trip to Louisville for the Conference Committee meeting. Tours were conducted of the Kentucky Center for the Arts, the Kentucky International Convention Center, and the Marriott meeting room space for those who had not seen the various venues on earlier trips. A full day was spent reviewing the day-by-day conference schedule, then the group relaxed during an evening reception sponsored by the Marriott.

VP-Conferences Joe Aldridge, VP-Special Operations Bill Teague, and I traveled to Louisville a day early to meet with Kevin Belanger, our representative from Shepard Exposition Services, the general services contractor or "decorator" for the Conference & Stage Expo. Since it is Shepard's first time serving as the decorator for the show, it was important for us to go over the contract and the conference schedule in detail. Our meeting helped iron out many of the details involved with setting up the show and clarified how we want it to look.

We tried a relatively new restaurant in town, Melillo's, which is not far from the KICC on E. Market Street. Located in the Piazza di Felice, which boasts a covered courtyard, vineyard, and bocce ball court, Melillo's menu includes plenty of authentic family recipes.

Karen Wallace, from the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, treated us to lunch at Lynn's Paradise Café, a Louisville legend known for inventive home cooking in an eclectic atmosphere. Breakfast is served all day, and you can check out the winning entries in the annual ugliest lamp contest sponsored by Lynn's. Located in the Inner Highlands, you'll need a car to get to Lynn's, but taxi drivers are sure to know the way.

Ms. Wallace drove us through several Louisville neighborhoods including the Highlands, the Cherokee section of Indian Hills, and Old Louisville. This was a treat, since none of us had seen much of Louisville beyond the downtown area. Next trip we'll have to cross the Ohio River and visit Indiana.

That next trip is just weeks away. Stage Expo booth space was completely sold out in January, so we have added additional exhibit space to accommodate the demand. For more information about Stage Expo 2006 exhibitors, visit the Stage Expo web page to see the Stage Expo layout and a current list of exhibitors. Click on a highlighted booth to find contact information and a brief description for each exhibitor. Links are provided to exhibitors' web sites so you can learn more about their products and services prior to the show.

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