2026 SEGD Conference Experience Kansas City
Oct 22 – 24, 2026
Meet Me in the Middle
Kansas City sits at the crossroads—geographically, culturally, and creatively. In 2026, SEGD brings its annual Conference Experience to this dynamic Midwestern hub to explore how place, community, and imagination shape experiential design.
This year’s theme, Meet Me in the Middle, is an invitation to explore convergence: where client vision meets user need, where culture meets place, where technology meets humanity, and where great ideas become meaningful experiences. Hosted in the heart of the country, the conference brings together designers, strategists, artists, and changemakers to explore how design creates connection across disciplines, communities, and increasingly complex worlds.
From iconic fountains and historic boulevards to revitalized arts districts, cultural corridors, and world-class sports venues, Kansas City offers a living laboratory for experience-led design.
Practice Areas
Focus Areas
Reserve Your Stay
Kansas City Marriott Downtown
SEGD has secured a discounted room block.
$217/night (plus tax and fees). Available through September 29, 2026, or while inventory lasts. If you need to call the hotel directly, please dial 816.421-6800.
Featured Speakers
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Rick Smith
Conference Co-Chair; Vice President of Experiential Design, Dimensional Innovations
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Wendy Manning
Conference Co-Chair; Managing Principal, Demeter Strategy Design
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Jackie Berra
Conference Co-Chair; Founder and Brand Experience Director, JBerra Consulting & Design
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Pan Hu
Senior Wayfinding Designer, Populous
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Nathan Lachenmyer
Co-Founder & Technology Lead, Sitara Systems
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Jonathan Mugmon
Principal and Wayfinding Director, Populous
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Ezz Osman
Senior Wayfinding Designer, Populous
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Sarah van Haastert
Global Director of Strategic Partnerships, AVI-SPL XTG
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Ashley Wysong
Senior Wayfinding Planner, Populous
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Cynthia Sharpe
Executive Creative Director/Senior Principal, TAIT
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Lucy Holmes
Founder & Creative Director, Holmes Studio
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François Roupinian, IALD
President, Lightemotion
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Aki Carpenter
Vice President, Chief Creative Officer, RAA (Ralph Appelbaum Associates)
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Taylor Loutsis
Founder & Creative Director, Studio Loutsis
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Lisa Maione
Kansas City Art Institute
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Paula Neston
Cultural Practice Executive, Dimensional Innovations
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Sara Pasch
Director of Integrated Media, Obama Presidential Center
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Jeremy Shellhorn
Professor of Design, University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design
Why Attend
As experience designers, we have always lived in the middle. Between client vision and user need. Between the built environment and the human spirit. Between the world as it is and the world as it should be.
The spaces we create shape how people move, gather, learn, remember, and belong. They help strangers find their way, communities see themselves, and institutions tell stories that matter. In a time of growing complexity and division, the work of connecting people to place—and to one another—has never been more important.
The 2026 SEGD Conference Experience is an invitation to explore that responsibility together.
Through inspiring keynotes, hands-on workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, and honest conversations with leaders across design, culture, technology, and the built environment, we’ll examine some of the defining questions facing our profession:
- How do we balance client vision, community voice, and user need without losing any of them?
- When does place shape design, and when does design shape place?
- How do we create experiences that don’t just inform, but foster belonging, understanding, and lasting impact?
- What role can experience design play in bridging the divides that define our world today?
Join the global community of designers of experiences in Kansas City—the geographic heart of the country—to discover new ideas, strengthen your practice, and reconnect with the people shaping the future of our field.
NEXPO: The Industry Marketplace
NEXPO connects design thinking with making.
It’s the place to see, touch, and discuss the materials, technologies, and fabrication approaches that turn design concepts into built environments.
As the conference marketplace and showcase, NEXPO offers:
- Direct access to products, materials, media, and services used in experiential projects
- Face-to-face conversations with industry partners and makers
- Opportunities to explore fabrication techniques, technologies, and workflows
- A space where ideas move from concept to implementation
For attendees, NEXPO is where inspiration meets execution. For exhibitors, it’s where relationships begin and partnerships take shape.
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