USITT Presents the Gift of TrainingThe United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) is ushering in the New Year with a new series of training sessions on the latest sound, lighting, and design products for members in the field, USITT executive director David Grindle announced. USITT is joining forces with industry leaders such as Meyer Sound and High End Systems/Studio Gear to provide specialized training on their products in one- or two-day sessions around the country, throughout the year. Grindle calls it "the gift of training." "We want to offer our 4,000 members the best training on the products they use at the most affordable cost," Grindle said. "As a leader in entertainment industry training, we are now providing ongoing opportunities year after year." Training is also available to those who are not members. USITT has scheduled the first two USITT Presents for February 20 at Meyer Sound in Nashville, Tennessee, and March 18 and 19 at Studio Gear in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the city that's hosting USITT's 2013 Annual Conference & Stage Expo the rest of that week, March 20-23. The Meyer Sound workshop, USITT Presents: Quick System Setup and Alignment, will teach methods for quickly and efficiently designing, installing, and optimizing basic to complex sound systems for various applications on tight deadlines, using such Meyer tools as MAPP Online Pro, Compass, and M Series. "USITT Presents: Hog 4 Course Training, the two-day course at Studio Gear leading up to the 2013 conference, will offer introductory training on the new software for the High End Systems Hog 4 lighting control console," said USITT Stage Expo manager Ron Procopio. For more information or to sign up, visit the URL below. "We will be one of the first in the world to offer this training on one of the newest industry standards in lighting consoles," Procopio said. "Everyone wants to know how the bells and whistles on this piece work." The USITT member cost for these sessions is just $50 for the Meyer training and $100 for the Hog 4 training -- with both open to student and early career members at half-price. USITT Presents also is open to non-members, but at double the cost. Procopio is currently in talks with several other companies, such as TMB, Panasonic, and Harman, to offer training on their products to USITT's membership. "In the next few months, we hope to offer training opportunities in every facet of the industry, from costumes, props, and scenic design, to rigging, lighting, and audio," Procopio said. At the recent USITT board meeting, it set the goal of increasing its year-round presence with more training opportunities, Grindle said. "Our New Year's resolution is to be known as more than a once-a-year organization," Grindle said. "We are a year-round organization." USITT Presents is a win-win venture for participating companies and USITT, Procopio said. The companies provide the same types of training they already offer at their own venues, at dates and times convenient for them. USITT members get a new benefit, product-specific training at a far lower cost than is available to the general public. "We are basically delivering a new audience to our training partners and a new training opportunity to our members," Procopio said. "We are bringing together people with challenges and people with solutions." For more information about USITT Presents, visit www.usitt.org. Or contact Ron Procopio at 800-938-7488, ext. 107, or ron@usitt.org. 
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