Rendez-vous 2026 Brings Canada's Live Performance Community Together in Ottawa

	The next edition of Rendez-vous will take place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

CITT/ICTS' 2026 Rendez-vous, held August 12 to 14 in Ottawa, Ontario, brought together emerging and established professionals from across Canada's live performance and events industry. The annual conference and trade show, which moves to a different Canadian city each year, welcomed both CITT/ICTS members and non-members in a welcoming, hands-on environment designed to inspire ideas, strengthen connections, and support career growth.

The 2026 edition took place across three Ottawa venues: the University of Ottawa Faculty of Arts' Department of Theatre LabO, Arts Court, and the National Arts Centre.

CITT/ICTS "extends its sincere appreciation to each venue for opening its doors to the community and for providing outstanding support throughout the event," the organization says. "Attendance increased significantly compared with previous years, with particularly strong participation across both the conference program and trade show, reflecting renewed enthusiasm for coming together in person to learn, share expertise, and celebrate the industry."

Attendee engagement remained consistently strong throughout the event, with lively participation in sessions and meaningful exchanges among colleagues and peers. Survey feedback also confirmed the success of the gathering, with respondents expressing a high level of satisfaction with the event overall, as well as its educational programming and networking opportunities. Pre-conference workshops were especially well received, including Theatrical Rigging and Counterweight Fly Systems, presented in partnership with JOEL Theatrical and Down Stage Right Industries, and the PM/TD Arts Series, which explored three essential building blocks of production management.

The IATSE Training Hub also returned with five practical workshops covering wigs, costumes, makeup, and Vectorworks. Across the main conference program, 21 educational sessions, panels, and roundtables brought together specialists from across the sector. Topics ranged from production management, health and safety, and IDEA to lighting and sound design, 3D printing, theatre seating, stage rigging, network systems, and RF transmission for live events, providing participants with opportunities to expand their skills and discover new approaches to their work.

The trade show featured more than 25 exhibitors across two busy floors. A new trade show warm-up networking event gave exhibitors and attendees an informal opportunity to connect over coffee and breakfast ahead of the trade show opening. During the trade show, Triple E also offered a stage track training session, adding a hands-on learning opportunity to the busy exhibition program. Two showcase events also drew strong crowds: the Loudspeaker Showcase and the Lighting Fixture Showcase, which was presented by Christie Lites.

The Swag Bingo fundraising event raised $4,000 for The AFC in just three hours. The Opening Soiree also introduced a new element this year with the CITT/ICTS Awards Ceremony, honouring three outstanding contributors to the industry: Sholem Dolgoy, recipient of the Achievement in Education Award; Hazebase and Andrew Strain, president of Hazebase America, recipients of the Technical Innovation and Achievement Award; and Denis Lefrançois, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Rendez-vous reminds us of the value of gathering as a community, sharing what we know, discovering new possibilities, and recognizing the people whose work strengthens live performance across Canada," says Jacquie Lazar, CITT/ICTS' executive director. "The enthusiasm and generosity we experienced in Ottawa made this edition particularly meaningful, and we are proud of what we accomplished together. Our sincere thanks go out to every participant, presenter, exhibitor, sponsor, volunteer, and venue partner who helped make it possible."

"CITT/ICTS extends its warmest appreciation to the student volunteers, presenters, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees whose time, expertise, and enthusiasm contributed to another memorable Rendez-vous," the organization concludes.

The next edition will take place in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

To learn more about Rendez-vous, visit: www.citt.org/annual_conference.html.

For more information, or conference-related inquiries, please contact: rendezvous@citt.org.