Directed by Bill Sapsis of Sapsis Rigging, NATEAC will take place at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University in downtown Manhattan. Tom Young, vice-president of marketing for J. R. Clancy, serves on the NATEAC advisory board and understands the importance of establishing a dialogue between architects, consultants, engineers and manufacturers who build new theatres and renovate existing performance spaces.
"Theatre design and construction have become more complex than ever, with the onset of digital technology, automated control systems and dynamic new staging options," said Young. "The more all the parties involved can share knowledge and understand one another's role in the overall process, the more exciting and versatile the end result can be. We at J. R. Clancy have chosen to be at the forefront of this effort, by demonstrating our support of NATEAC."
In addition to the sponsorship, Young will participate in two panel discussions during the conference. He serves as a panelist on Monday, July 21 at 9:30 a.m., in a discussion of inspection and maintenance of theatre systems. Bill Sapsis will moderate this panel, which also will include theatre consultant Charles I. Swift.
Later on July 21, at 2:00 p.m., Young will moderate a panel on design and construction of educational facilities. He will be joined on the dais by Robin Crews, senior associate with Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon & Williams, Inc., one of the nation's most prominent acoustical consulting firms; and Scott Butler, AIA, of Wilson Butler Architects in Boston, a firm dedicated to architecture for the arts.
(Claire Beeson)