General Show Information
ACT Booth #377
The ACT Entertainment team is going to be at USITT and we've got classes and panels you won't want to miss! Also, be sure to stop by our booth to learn about the latest technology in the industry and see how it can fit into your next project.
Location
Columbus Convention Center
400 N High St
Columbus, OH 43215
Exhibit Floor Hours
Thursday, March 6th, 2025: 11:00am — 6:00pm
Friday, March 7th, 2025: 11:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday, March 8th, 2025: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Opening Night Ceremony
Date: March 5th, 2025
Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm (EST)
Location: Exhibit Hall A, Columbus Convention Center
ACT Academy Training Sessions
Join us for multiple training sessions over the course of March 5th-7th!
MA Classes:
ACT Academy invites you to get hands-on with the grandMA3 console! This session will offer an overview of the grandMA3 hardware and software capabilities, how they are used in various live entertainment scenarios, as well as the core concepts behind controlling today's most complex and capable lighting fixtures. Focused on how to get from your first showfile to your first show, this session breaks down the grandMA3 platform into approachable pieces for new learners and will help put you on your own path to learning the programming skills you can build a career around.
March 5, 2025
Getting to Know grandMA3
Time: 3:00PM → 4:30 PM (EST)
Trainer: Lauren Bonavitacola
Room: A124 & A125
March 6, 2025
Getting to Know grandMA3 Getting to Know grandMA3
Time: 9:00 AM → 10:30 AM (EST) Time: 4:30PM → 6:00 PM (EST)
Trainer: Amanda Gougelmann Trainer: Lauren Bonavitacola
Room: A124 & A125 Room: A124 & A125
March 7, 2025
Getting to Know grandMA3 grandMA3 Special Topics: TimeCode
Time: 2:30PM → 4:00 PM (EST) Time: 4:30 PM → 6:00 PM (EST)
Trainer: Lauren Bonavitacola Trainer: Amanda Gougelmann
Room: A124 & A125 Room: A124 & A125
Green Hippo Classes:
ACT Academy invites you to Step Into the Mix with Green Hippo! This introductory seminar is designed to bring the world of video to ground level, helping you get started with your first show. You'll gain a close understanding of setting up real-time video playback through an overview of our powerful and flexible Mixes panel, while also exploring the creative possibilities Hippotizer offers. Covering essential concepts from upload to output, this beginner-level course provides an excellent foundation for future learning.
March 6, 2025
Step Into the Mix with Green Hippo
Time: 2:30 PM→ 4:00 PM (EST)
Trainer: Brian Rothschild
Room: A124 & A125
March 7, 2025
Step Into the Mix with Green Hippo
Time: 11:00 AM→ 12:30 PM (EST)
Trainer: Brian Rothschild
Room: A124 & A125
PK Sound Classes:
There are plenty of amazing loudspeaker systems in the market, but what happens when you put a great-sounding loudspeaker in a poor acoustic environment – like an opulent theatre full of reflective surfaces? How about multipurpose event spaces, or venues whose physical configuration can change for various applications? Robotic line array systems not only solve these problems and more, but offer a host of acoustic & operational advantages that will improve the sound quality for your event or venue while also saving time and resources. Learn how to optimize an audio system from design and simulation to showtime using PK .dynamics software, which unites every stage of the modern live sound workflow in one simple and intuitive application, and then experience the difference first-hand with the T8 robotic line array system, featuring PK Sound’s patented Multi-Axis Robotics.
March 5, 2025
Improving Live Audio via Dynamic Soundfield Control
Time: 1:30PM → 2:30PM (EST)
Trainer: Darryl Ross
Room A124 & A125
March 7, 2025
Improving Live Audio via Dynamic Soundfield Control
Time: 1:00PM → 2:00PM (EST)
Trainer: Darryl Ross
Room A124 & A125
Panel Sessions
We will also have several Panel Sessions for you to attend while at USITT!
Battle of the Beams will feature Tony Award Winning Lighting Designer Jeff Croiter walks students through a live fixture comparison. Ayrton Rivale and Veloce will be amongst the fixtures evaluated.
Battle of the Beams
Date: March 6th
Time: 4:30PM → 6:00PM EST
Location: Expo Main Stage
Battle of the Beams
Date: March 7th
Time: 11:30AM → 1:00PM EST
Location: Expo Main Stage
Live Entertainment Education, Curriculum, and Careers Presented by ACT
Date: March 6th
Time: 2:15PM → 3:15PM EST
Location: A222
Speakers: Kevin Lawson, Dave Grill, Michael Ianelli, Sharon Huizinga, Jason Lyons
Description: How do you build a curriculum that prepares students for the modern entertainment industry with the tools and resources of the traditional theatre & arts programs most institutions are geared up for? Our panel of industry professionals will explore the topic of training students to meet an ever-evolving landscape of entertainment technologies and the implications for educational programs. We'll work to identify the key challenges and opportunities in preparing students for a dynamic and multifaceted industry and attempt to address the chronically difficult tension between the need for classroom education and hands-on experience.
The 2025 MA3 Programming Contest
The 2025 MA3 Programming Contest is back! This programming contest is open to students enrolled in a secondary or higher education program in the US or Canada who will compete both for themselves and on behalf of their educational institution. For more information and all rules of the contest, please click here. We can't wait to see what you all submit this year!