Save money by registering for the USITT Annual Conference& Stage Expo before the Very Early Registration deadline on December 6.

Members and non-members are eligible for discounts on the cost of Conference attendance by completing the registration process online or mailing forms before midnight on that Thursday.

To learn more about all that is available, including a day-long behind the scenes tour of NASA, a trip to San Antonio's famous McNay Art Museum, and Professional Development Workshops held before the start of the Conference, visit www.usitt.org/houston.

And don't forget to secure a hotel reservation when registering to get the low rates negotiated for USITT guests in Houston.

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The applications deadline for the 2008 USITT Grants Program is fast approaching.

All grant applications for the 2008 funding cycle must be submitted by January 10, 2008. For more information on the process and application requirements, visit here.

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The opportunity to distinguish yourself and become ETCP certified just became easier! The ETCP Council announced that all three ETCP examinations will be offered, in pencil and paper format, at the Annual USITT Conference & Stage Expo on March 21 and 22 in Houston, Texas.

The schedule for the exams is:

• Entertainment Electrical, 2 p.m. March 21;
• Arena Rigging, 9 a.m. March 22; and
• Theatre Rigging; 2 p.m. March 22.

Interested applicants must submit their application, along with supporting materials and fee, postmarked by February 15. Space is limited.For more information or for eligibility requirements or applications, contact Meredith Moseley-Bennett, ETCP certification coordinator, at certification@esta.org or 212-244-1505. Complete information is also available on the ETCP website.

Those unable to attend this test administration can apply to take an examination at a local computer testing center. All three exams are available at over 190 testing centers in the United States and Canada on most business days

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Electronic Theatre Controls recently challenged the entertainment technology industry to step up to the plate at LDI for ESTA Foundation's Behind the Scenes program.

In announcing the ETC $50,000 Challenge Grant, CEO Fred Foster said, "Our industry runs on the flexibility, skills, and artistry of people who dedicate themselves to creating the magic of the theatre. Sadly, this means that many times an illness or crisis can catch one of us without the support of full benefits and insurance. Behind the Scenes provides a perfect way for us, as an industry, to provide a much needed backstop to this shortfall."

During LDI, November 16 to 18 in Orlando, Florida the Foundation raffled off the beautiful custom bike known as the "Broadway Chopper" as well as $2,500 and $1,000 Visa gift cards. LDI's first ever Texas Hold 'Em Tournament's proceeds went to Behind the Scenes, and Behind the Scenes Holiday Cards were available.

For more information about Behind the Scenes, to donate, or to apply for a grant, visit here.

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Heading into the home stretch of 2007, keep in mind the deadline to submit proposals for the 2008 Costume Poster Session is February 1.

The Poster Session is a time when costume designers and technicians are able to share information that is probably not well-known or perhaps of their own invention.

Poster presentations are widely accepted as meeting the requirements for scholarly publication. While preparing ideas and/or posters, the committee requests a final version of the poster and related information (i.e. handouts) in a digital format.

All submissions are juried by the Costume Poster Selection Committee. Ideas need to be presented in the form of an abstract -- a brief, concise summary of the information to be presented in the poster and no more than 200 words typewritten. Mail, e-mail, or fax an abstract by February 1 to Donna Meester, University of Alabama, Dept. of Theatre & Dance, Box 870239, 235 Rowand-Johnson Hall, Tuscaloosa, AL 25487-0239; 205-348-9032; Fax 205-348-9048; e-mail dmeester@bama.ua.edu.

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In October, the ANSI Board of Standards Review approved as American National Standards two new documents from ESTA's Technical Standards Program: E1.35, Standard for Lens Quality Measurements for Pattern Projecting Luminaires Intended for Entertainment Use, and E1.36, Model Procedure for Permitting the Use of Tungsten-Halogen Incandescent Lamps and Stage and Studio Luminaires in Vendor Exhibit Booths in Convention and Trade Show Exhibition Halls. They are now available for purchase on the website of The ESTA Foundation at www.estafoundation.org/pubs.htm.

ANSI E1.35 - 2007, Standard for Lens Quality Measurements for Pattern Projecting Luminaires Intended for Entertainment Use, describes a method for measuring stage and studio luminaire lens quality with particular emphasis on contrast and perceived image quality (sharpness). It also offers a way for presenting these results on a datasheet in a format readily understood by a typical end-user allowing the end-user to directly compare lenses in a meaningful way.

The download version of E1.35 is a ZIP file that includes the standard as a PDF and an EPS graphic file of the test pattern described in the standard. The test pattern is presented in three common gobo sizes, but the graphic is scalable. The print version is the standard only.

ANSI E1.36 - 2007, Model Procedure for Permitting the Use of Tungsten- Halogen Incandescent Lamps and Stage and Studio Luminaires in Vendor Exhibit Booths in Convention and Trade Show Exhibition Halls, is a model set of procedures that can be used by convention center and trade show exhibition hall staff to mitigate the risks that may be associated with the use of tungsten-halogen lamps and stage and studio luminaires helping promote their use a safe manner.

Both standards were developed by the Photometrics Working Group, part of ESTA's Technical Standards Program. Information about ESTA's Technical Standards Program is available here.

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