More than $150 million has been spent to make the Kansas City Convention & Entertainment Facility in Kansas City, Missouri into a state of the art place for meetings. USITT will hold its Annual Conference & Stage Expo there March 31 to April 3, 2010.

Photo/Kansas City CVA

Helen Willard
Stage Expo Sales Manager

The 50th Annual USITT Conference & Stage Expo will be held in the Kansas City Convention & Entertainment Facilities in Kansas City, Missouri. A 1,000,000 square foot, multi-venue facility, the convention center boasts nearly 450,000 square feet of exhibit space, with Bartle Hall featuring 388,800 of column-free exhibit space on one level.

A $150 million expansion and technology upgrade was recently completed, including improvements to 45 state-of-the-art meeting rooms. The new Grand Ballroom is one of the 10 largest convention center ballrooms in the country.

The Municipal Auditorium, an art deco landmark, includes a 2,400-seat Music Hall, an arena that seats 10,700 people, 46,000 square feet of exhibit space on two levels, and an octagonal 5,000 square foot Little Theatre. Additional facilities include the Conference Center and Barney Allis Plaza, an outdoor plaza and sculpture garden. Hidden but accessible is underground parking for 1,000 cars.

USITT Stage Expo 2010 will take place in Bartle Halls A, B, & C, a 190,000+ square foot column-free exhibit hall on level three of the convention center. This large exhibit hall will have a 40 foot stage as the centerpiece of the show. USITT’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated with a variety of special exhibits focusing on the changes in design and technology from 1960 to 2010.

Meeting rooms are located on level two of the convention center, with direct access to the exhibit halls via four escalators. Wednesday through Friday, each Conference day will begin with a blockbuster general session, followed by a block of Stage Expo only time. Program sessions will be held each afternoon, with various special events and receptions scheduled each evening.

The spectacular 46,000 square foot Grand Ballroom celebrates Kansas City’s rivers and fountains with water-themed walls, ceiling and carpet, and features a controllable natural day-lighting system, with a 38 foot high glass wall offering dramatic views to the south. The LED lighting system allows nearly unlimited color combinations for dramatic lighting of the space.

The headquarters hotel for the 2010 Annual Conference & Stage Expo is the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, which includes the historic Muehlebach tower. Additional room blocks have been booked at the Crowne Plaza, Aladdin Holiday Inn, and Hilton President Hotels.

More than 90 exhibitors have already reserved space for next year’s show in Kansas City. For more information on exhibiting at Stage Expo 2010, please contact hpwillard@aol.com.

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