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In this issue:

CITT/ICTS News:

Message from ougoing President

Message from incoming President

Tariffs Countermeasures: Message from the Board

Rendez-vous 2026: Thank you!

2026 CITT/ICTS Awards Recipients

2026 AGM Recording

2026 Election Results

2026-27 Board of Directors

CITT/ICTS Commissions

Callboard 2.0 Updates

New Industry In Memoriam Contact Form

Protocol magazine: Call for article submissions

EXPO-SCÈNE 2027

Regional Section News

Welcome to our New Members!

Industry News

Resources

CareerHub

Members Area

Thanks to our Contributing Members!

Advertising Space

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Looking Back on Rendez-vous

& Looking Ahead for CITT/ICTS

– Message from CITT/ICTS' outgoing President –

What an exciting time in Ottawa! As always, I loved it. It was great to see so many people come out, join the conversations, reconnect with friends and meet new people.

I can’t think of a better way to end my time as President of CITT/ICTS. It has been an honour to serve as President for the past two-and-a-bit years. I truly believe in this organization, what it represents and, most importantly, the people it represents.

Thank you to the Board for all their support over the past year, and to everyone who has been involved at all levels—from the regions and committees to the Board. As always, I encourage you to invest some time and get involved.

A special thank you to Jacquie, Marie-Laure and Kevin, along with all the volunteers who made Ottawa such a great event—and for all the work they do throughout the year to keep this organization moving forward.

You are in great hands with Josh. I’m looking forward to spending my final year with CITT/ICTS as Past President and, of course, seeing everyone in Winnipeg.

Take care,

Russell Martin

CITT/ICTS Past-President

– Message from CITT/ICTS' incoming President –

Earlier this month, we gathered in Ottawa for Rendez-vous 2026, our annual conference and trade show. It was a fantastic week of learning, connecting, and looking ahead as an organization.

I had the opportunity to attend several excellent sessions, meet with colleagues from across the country, and take in all the energy and enthusiasm that helps make CITT/ICTS such a unique community. If you haven’t been to a Rendez-vous recently, I really hope you find the time to make the trip next year to Winnipeg. This event continues to grow and develop and I think this may have been the best edition I’ve attended yet.

The week was filled with important additions, key milestones, and an epic Swag Bingo event. During our Opening Soirée, we celebrated some of our community's most exceptional members by presenting them with CITT/ICTS Awards. We held an inaugural Trade Show “warm up”, sponsored by A.C. Americas, where coffee and snacks were enjoyed before the show floor opened. It was a great and much appreciated new addition! We held the first meeting of our newly established IDEA Commission, and our Education Commission celebrated its first anniversary. I also co-led the kickoff session for what will become our Training Commission, an exciting step forward in expanding and increasing awareness around professional development opportunities for our members. These commissions are great examples of the resources that can grow from an idea into an important and active part of our organization. Lastly, we presented our new online community platform and held a vote for the name. I am excited to see how others interact with it as we roll it out to a larger part of our membership for more beta testing in October.

We closed out the week with our AGM, where we bid farewell to an outgoing Board member Autumn Coppaway. Autumn will be dearly missed on the Board and we thank her for all her contributions over the years! We also welcomed two awesome new Board members, Jason Vergnano and Jess McNabb. The following day, while most attendees headed out, we held our incoming Board meeting. At this meeting, I was honoured to assume the role of President of the National Board of Directors from outgoing President, Russell Martin. I am grateful for the confidence placed in me by my colleagues and excited about the opportunity to serve the Board and our membership over my term.

There is certainly a lot of work ahead of us, both as a Board and as an organization. I am, however, energized by the opportunities in front of us and, most importantly, by the people that make up our community. Every event is a chance to meet new members and catch up with old friends and each time I find myself learning something new and getting fired up by the potential I see for CITT/ICTS as we continue to grow. I am truly looking forward to the year ahead with the new Board. Together, we will continue working to strengthen CITT/ICTS, support our membership, and build an organization that serves the unique needs of our industry.

A huge Thank You to Jacquie, Marie-Laure, Kevin, our amazing volunteers, our conference hosts and sponsors, and to all the attendees and exhibitors who made Rendez-vous such a success! I look forward to seeing you all in some form throughout the coming year.

Sincerely,

Joshua C McIntosh

CITT/ICTS President

Message from the CITT/ICTS Board of Directors

Canada's Countermeasures to new U.S. Tariffs

As announced last week by the federal government, countermeasure tariffs on U.S. products will take effect on Tuesday, September 8, at 12:01 a.m. Many of these tariffs will impact our members.

The list is extensive and includes theatrical and film lighting, AV and digital equipment, cultural constructions and renovations, and costumes and wardrobe.

See a full list of US products subject to countermeasure tariffs here

We encourage our members to talk directly to their suppliers and dealers to see how these measures will affect them.

Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns so that we can address them for the general membership.

We know this is an additional hurdle to overcome, and we are working to determine what other resources we can provide to members during this time.

Thank you for another successful Rendez-vous!

The Rendez-vous Team (Jacquie, Kevin, Marie-Laure, and Kyle) would like to warmly thank everyone who attended, presented, supported, and sponsored this year's event. Your presence, generosity, and passion are what make this event a celebration of our community and a space for growth, connection, and inspiration. 

We hope to welcome you to Winnipeg next year!

SURVEYS for DELEGATES and EXHIBITORS:

Links to our conference surveys were sent to attendees and exhibitors on Monday, August 24.

Please take the time to evaluate your experience and share your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions for future conferences as we will take them all into consideration! The last day to complete the surveys is Monday, August 31.

If you did not receive the email and links, please contact us.

SESSION FEEDBACK IN THE APP:

If you would like to provide some more in-depth feedback on the sessions you attended during the conference, we invite you to do so through the app.

How to: In the app Schedule, select the session for which you want to leave feedback and click on the 'Take Survey' at the bottom of the screen. The deadline for submitting session feedback through the app is Monday, August 31.

SWAG BINGO:

To echo our President's words above, this edition of Swag Bingo was truly epic. The Nostalgica Pub was reserved exclusively for this event and was filled to capacity with players who ate, drank, played, and generously bid from 7 to 10 p.m. The energy was electrifying—dare we say, a bit crazy? We would like to extend a very warm thank you to our bingo callers, Brianne Gwartz and Paul Fujimoto-Pihl, for entertaining our players like pros all night long.

We are thrilled to announce that Swag Bingo 2026 raised $4,000 for The AFC. Thank you to all our participants for their generosity and positive attitude throughout the night! Until next time!

CONFERENCE PHOTOS:

See below for a selection of photos taken during the conference. The full photo gallery will be available on our website soon.

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

A huge thank you to our two amazing student volunteers for Rendez-vous 2026, Lael Szabo and Lee Foland (see second row, third photo from the left), both students at the University of Ottawa. They left the conference having gained new experiences, skills, friends, contacts, and job offers. We are very grateful for their hard work and positive attitude throughout the event. Best of luck in your studies and future endeavors!

Don't miss any updates! Follow Rendez-vous on:

✨ Congratulations to the 2026 Recipients!

The CITT/ICTS Awards recognize individuals and companies that excel in their field of live production in Canada.

We would like to thank everyone who submitted a nomination. We are honoured to present the three award recipients for 2026:

Achievement in Education Award: Sholem Dolgoy

Sholem Dolgoy is a distinguished educator and lifelong learner. He was a professor at Ryerson Theatre School (now TMU) for 40 years and is now Professor Emeritus. As a lighting designer, he has worked in theatre, dance, opera, corporate events, exhibits, and facility construction, both nationally and internationally. He is widely respected by his former students and colleagues, who continually seek him out for his knowledge as an educator and designer. 

Technical Innovation and Achievement Award: Hazebase, and President of Hazebase America, Andrew Strain

Hazebase is relatively new to the CITT/ICTS membership and community. They exhibited for the first time at EXPO-SCÈNE in 2026, where they were well received and hosted hands-on training. Through hands-on experience, Andrew and the company have made outstanding contributions to atmospheric effects technology, notably with their products FAB and CubeHazer2, advancing reliability, consistency, and ease of use for technicians working in demanding touring and theatrical environments.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Denis Lefrançois

Denis Lefrançois's contributions are vast and include working with the Montreal Olympic Committee to provide audio solutions throughout Montreal and the Stade Olympique in 1976. After that, he founded and ran Solotech from 1977 to 2013. During that time, the company grew and worked on projects with Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal Jazz Festival, and many others. Since his "retirement" in 2013, he has continued to offer his support to various companies, including Scapin Staging, Show Distribution, and Niscon. ShowSDT continues to thrive and offers services across Canada, France, and the USA.

🔗 Learn more about the CITT/ICTS Awards

2026 AGM - Recording is now available

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is an opportunity to meet with the CITT/ICTS Board of Directors and Section Chairs, and to learn about the organization's past and future activities and goals. A the 2026 AGM, the Board presented the 2026 financial statements along with the Regional Section and Committee Reports, introduced introduced the newly elected members and discussed the organization's future.

The 2026 AGM was held in-person and via Zoom on August 14th, 2026 during Rendez-vous 2026. The recording is now available for viewing at the link below. Note that it was filmed with an Owl (video conferencing camera).

▶️ WATCH NOW

2026 Election Results & 2026-2027 Board of Directors

The election results were announced at the 2026 Annual General Meeting. There were 4 Director positions up for election and there were 5 candidates. Voting was open from May 19 to June 19, 2026.

Congratulations to the re-elected incumbent Board members:

• Peter (Spike) Lyne (Director-at-Large)
• Debbie Richardson (Director-at-Large)

Congratulations to the newly elected Board members:

• Jess McNabb (Treasurer)
• Jason Vergnano (Director-at-Large)

The following directors are continuing their term on the Board of Directors:

• Joshua C McIntosh (President)
• Russell Martin (Past-President)
• Crystal Lee (Vice-President)
• Andrea Lundy (Secretary)
• Brianne Gwartz (Director-at-Large)
• Craig Langlois (Director-at-Large)

→ To learn more about each Board member, please visit the Board of Directors webpage of our website.

→ For more information about the election process, qualifications of candidates and links to relevant documents about the organization, such as the by-laws, governance document, annual report and financial statements, please visit the About Us section of our website.

🩵 We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our outgoing Vice-President, Autumn Coppaway, whose term on the Board ended this August. Her extensive contributions will leave a significant and lasting impact on the organization and the broader community it serves.

🩵 We would also like to thank our outgoing President, Russell Martin, for his leadership, advocacy, and dedication to CITT/ICTS during his presidency. Russell continues his term on the Board as Past-President and is also co-chair of the IDEA Commission.

✨ Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to officially congratulate Joshua C. McIntosh on his transition from Treasurer to President. We wish him the best in his new role and look forward to his leadership, ideas, and vision. Onward we go!

2026-2027 Board of Directors

(August 2026 to August 2027)

As of August 2026, CITT/ICTS has three active Commissions: Education, Training, and IDEA.

ℹ️ Visit our website here to learn more about each Commission!

See below for upcoming meeting details, if applicable.

EDUCATION COMMISSION

Next meeting: Monday, September 21

Time: 1 PM - 2:30 PM EDT

Registration is not required.

Via Zoom 🔗 Use this link to join the meeting

TRAINING COMMISSION

Upcoming meeting details to come.

The Commission held its inaugural meeting in person and via Zoom during Rendez-vous 2026 on Thursday, August 13.

IDEA COMMISSION

Upcoming meeting details to come.

The Commission held its inaugural meeting in person and via Zoom during Rendez-vous 2026 on Friday, August 14.

MEMBERS! Hang tight...

Your new digital platform will be available shortly!

Beta launch date: First week of October. Members in good standing will receive an email invitation with instructions for testing the beta version.

Good to know: The new platform will be accessible via single sign-on (SSO).

This means that your current CITT/ICTS account sign-in credentials will be the same for the new hub. Once you are signed in to the website, you will also be automatically signed in to the new platform, and vice versa, without having to re-enter your credentials when switching platforms.

Reminder: To access the new hub (and all member benefits), your membership must be in good standing.

Unsure of your membership status? Now is a good time to check!

Log in to your CITT/ICTS account

> On the home page of the Members Area, you will see the status of your membership in the gray rectangle.

> Is your membership in good standing? Then, you have access to all member benefits and the new hub.

> If your membership has expired, hit the red "Renew Now" button to gain access to member benefits and the hub.

Not a member yet?

Learn more about the membership categories, fees and benefits!

An official name is in the works

A poll was held during Rendez-vous 2026, with four voting jars. Delegates could add a jelly bean to the jar representing their favourite name or submit a new suggestion. The names suggested by the Board were: The Atelier, The Green Room, and The Loading Dock. We also received a good number of great suggestions.

We look forward to revealing the new hub's name!

Support the dream

Become a Founding Sponsor ✨

A variety of sponsorship levels and ad space opportunities are available with guaranteed visibility and reach.

Explore this Brochure to learn more about opportunities.

For information and to book, please contact Jacquie Lazar.

🔗 Learn more about CALLBOARD 2.0

Thank you to our first Founding Sponsors:

ETC

CETEC

G.C. Stage Equipment Ltd

On-Site Drapery Cleaners

University of Saskatchewan | School for the Arts - Drama

NEW Permanent Webpage & Contact Form

To commemorate individuals from our industry who have passed away. 

Our website now has a permanent page with a contact form that you can use to submit information about a deceased loved one or colleague from our industry.

We accept submissions year-round. Received submissions will be included in an In Memoriam slideshow presented at that year's CITT/ICTS Annual General Meeting, and on the webpage.

Thank you for your consideration 💛

🔗 Go to Industry In Memoriam Contact Form

📣 CALL FOR ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS

Winter Issue of Protocol Magazine

The National Office invites members and non-members to submit an article for the CITT/ICTS column in the fall issue of Protocol Magazine.

Have you been working on a project or event, conducting research, or developing a great resource that would interest readers of Protocol Magazine? Don't miss this unique opportunity to have your achievements published in a distinguished industry magazine!

Protocol is a quarterly publication featuring columns and articles of interest to professionals in the entertainment technology industry on business and technical topics, current standards issues, certification developments, and trade shows. Since its inception in 1994, Protocol has grown to become the leading source of information for businesses in the field of entertainment technology.

Submission Guidelines and Article Specs:

• Length: 800-1200 words
• Please include:
• High-resolution photos
• Author Headshot
• Author Bio (50 words)

The deadline to submit is Friday, October 9, 2026. The Winter issue will be published early December 2026.

→ Send us your files - Thank you!

EXPO-SCÈNE 2027 will be held on April 7 and 8, 2027

at the Palais des congrès de Montréal

Visitor registration opens in November 2026.

For exhibiting information, visit this page.

Don't miss any updates! Follow EXPO-SCÈNE on:

+ Sign up for EXPO-SCÈNE's email updates

Call for Nominations:

The Board of Directors for the Ontario Section of the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology invites nominations for positions on the Ontario Board of Directors.

Nominations shall remain open until September 10th, 2026. The slate of Nominees shall be voted upon by attending membership at the Annual General Meeting.

The following members of the current Board have agreed to stand for re-election at the time of this notice:

• Stephanie Grinton
• Colin Harris
• Jasper Jacobs
• Taylor Sinstadt
• Matthew Sirna

We encourage anyone interested in furthering the mission of CITT/ICTS to nominate themself to the board. The Board of Directors actively promotes programming that enriches and improves the technical craft of theatre and live events.

Questions regarding the roles and responsibilities of the Directors, or requests to be added to the slate to be elected, may be directed to: Matthew Sirna – Secretary, CITT Ontario at ontario@citt.org.

When submitting a nomination, please include the following information:

Name / Email Address / Phone Number / Address.

AGM:

September 13, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST

Online via Microsoft Teams.

Find the connection details and agenda in the AGM package (link below). We look forward to seeing you there!

➡️ AGM Package

Rendez-vous technique 2026

There is still time to register!

September 9 and 10, 2026 | Palais Montcalm (Québec City)

The 2026 Rendez-vous technique des arts de la scène offers eight workshops that combine theory, demonstrations, and hands-on practice, incorporating activities that engage participants to help them retain knowledge and new skills. Two days of training tailored to both professional and emerging stage technicians and technical directors, as well as artists, set designers, stage managers, and cultural sector workers.

Workshops:

- Advanced GrandMa3 FULL

- Audiovisual Networks: Demystified and Real-World Examples

- Creating Immersive Sound Spaces

- Wireless Sound Systems FULL

- Electrical Supervisor for Events

- Stage Equipment Maintenance

- The Basics of Rigging FULL

- Master Class: Inspiring Projects

In French.

🔗 Learn more & Register

TD Roundtable

Challenges in Technical Direction: Major Renovation of a Performance Venue, Resource Sharing, and Employee Retention

As part of the Rendez-vous technique, the CQICTS invites you to continue the discussions that began in April at Place des Arts regarding the various issues related to technical direction. This discussion will be followed by a tour of La Caserne - Scène jeune public, which has recently been renovated.

This roundtable is intended for technical directors of touring companies and venues, regardless of their level of experience.

Seats are still available!

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

6:00 PM to 7:30 PM: Roundtable (45 minutes of discussion per topic)

7:30 PM to 8:00 PM: Tour of La Caserne - Scène jeune public and networking

🔗 Learn more & Register

INDIVIDUAL

Paul Gladish, Ottawa, ON

Andrew Galligan, Ottawa, ON

Brian Ball, Vancouver, BC

STUDENT

Lee Foland, Ottawa, ON

The Event Safety Guide Version 2

ESA has announced the development of The Event Safety Guide Version 2 (ESG2), a significant evolution of their foundational resource that was created to support safer planning and operations throughout the live events industry.

Building on the foundation of the original Event Safety Guide, ESG2 does not just rewrite the existing resource, it updates and expands its guidance to reflect how the industry has evolved and it makes the information more accessible, practical, and easier to apply.

Additional information about ESG2--its contributors, development process, and publication--will be shared on the ESA website this fall.

ESG2 was discussed as part of the marking of 15 years on from the Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse, a summary of which, with two webinar recordings and other information, can be found here.

🔗 Read the press release

'All about PACT' Information Session

Learn more about The Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT)!

Tuesday, September 22, 1:00pm ET | Via Zoom

This session is designed to help you better understand the association, the services available to you, and how PACT can support you in your professional journey. During this event, you will meet Staff from across the organization, including their Program, Membership, Labour, and Executive Leadership, and what they do. The presentation is followed by a Q&A.

This event is specially valuable for:

• New Members and Colleagues looking to get connected with PACT
• Members and Colleagues who want to learn more about available programs, services and supports
• Peers, or prospective members who are not yet familiar with the association
• New staff who have recently joined your organization
• Anyone interested in building relationships with the PACT staff

PACT highly encourages individual theatre workers, new graduates, and folks at independent theatre organizations to join.

🔗 Full details

Resource Stage Announces Fall/Winter Seminar Series

Join Resource Stage for three practical seminars designed for the crew behind the curtain — whether you're in a church, school, community theatre, or production company.

In-person at 1910 Huron St, London, ON or Online. Free.

September 8th at 7 PM: Next level lighting concepts

Take a look at four technologies opening up new possibilities for control, connectivity, and creativity: DMX over Networks, Wireless DMX, Wireless (battery powered) Lighting, and Pixel Lighting Control. 

October 13th at 7PM: Miking drums and percussions in a live environment

Everything from simple setups with just a few microphones to more detailed setups with plenty of channels to work with, using live demonstrations to explore mic selection, placement, and different approaches to capturing the kit. In partnership with Audio-Technica.

November 10th at 7PM: Video transport over network

Explore the concepts behind transporting and routing video over networks, how the technology works, and why it’s becoming increasingly relevant for theatres, schools and churches.

🔗 Learn more & Register

Submit press releases, resources, and information about upcoming events for consideration in the Monthly Newsletter and the Industry News section of our website.

Newsletter deadline: please submit your news before the 25th of the month.

⇢ Send here

ESTA Standards Watch

The latest issue is now available.

ONLINE READS

from our Media Partners

LSA

August 2026

Read online here

TFWM

August 2026

Read online here

Qui Fait Quoi

August 2026 (in French)

Read here (pdf, $5)

READ THE ARTICLE  //  READ THE MAGAZINE

Do have an opportunity?

⇢ Apprenticeship and Professional development postings are free.

⇢ Job postings and Apprenticeships are also shared across our social networks.

JOIN OR RENEW

It’s About Networking, Best Practices and Sharing of Knowledge!

CITT/ICTS members represent multiple fields of interest and expertise in all areas of production for the live entertainment industry. Join CITT/ICTS or renew your membership today to strengthen the voice of the Canadian live performance community.

Become a Member | Log in to your Member Profile

MEMBER BENEFITS

Your membership includes many benefits.

New offers for CITT/ICTS members are added regularly throughout the year. Visit your Member Area to learn more.

View list of Benefits | View current Offers & Promo codes (login required)

→ Visit this page to learn more about our advertising opportunities!

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