16TH BIENNIAL TECH EXPO DISPLAY AND CATALOG Inside USITT's Theatre Technology Exhibit THE THEATRE TECHNOLOGY EXHIBIT (TECH EXPO) is a biennial juried exhibition of creative solutions to challenges in all aspects of theatre production. The first Tech Expo was held at the 1987 USITT Conference in Minneapolis and featured 36 entries displayed on the show floor, which were later published in the 1987 Tech Expo Catalog. The 2017 USITT Conference and Stage Expo in St. Louis marked the 16th Tech Expo display and catalog. Within the pages of the 16 Tech Expo catalogs, readers can find 418 articles detailing and explaining solutions to myriad production challenges. Whenever I find myself at a loss, unable to think of a good solution to whatever problem I am facing, I often retreat to my office. There, I consult the collective wisdom of my peers and colleagues, most of whom I have never met, and thumb through my cherished collection of Tech Expo Catalogs. Even if I cannot find an exact solution, I'll most often find an idea that helps me to look at the challenge in a different way. With that nudge, I am usually able to come up with an approach that will work. This valuable resource would not exist were it not for the talented and inventive members of the USITT 50 theatre design & technology S u m m e r 2 0 1 7