Meet Me in the Middle: SEGD Unveils 2026 Conference Program in Kansas City

June 24, 2026

October 22-24, 2026 | Kansas City Marriott Downtown

Washington, D.C. The Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) is proud to unveil the theme and program details for the 2026 SEGD Conference Experience Kansas City, taking place October 22-24, 2026. Hosted at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, this year’s event, Meet Me in the Middle, will bring together designers, strategists, artists, and changemakers for three days of immersive learning, inspiration, and community connection.

The theme Meet Me in the Middle is more than a conference title. It is an invitation, a philosophy, and a provocation. Kansas City sits at the literal and geographic heart of the United States, and this year, SEGD uses that position as a lens through which to examine everything our community stands for. The middle is not a compromise. The middle is where meaning is made.

Set in a city that earned its place not through geography alone, but through a thriving design culture spanning sports architecture, world-class museums, design innovation, and gritty entrepreneurship, the conference challenges attendees to design futures that don’t erase what came before, but build on it, honor it, and transform it into something enduringly new.

“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,” said Cybelle Jones, CEO of SEGD. “This conference is about what happens when we stop treating that middle as a place of tension and start treating it as a place of possibility. Kansas City is the perfect city to have that conversation.”

A Program Rooted in Convergence, Craft, and Courageous Collaboration

With over 20 featured speakers and sessions curated around the intersection of culture and place, this year’s conference explores urgent, open-ended questions:

• When does place shape design, and when does design shape place?
• How do we integrate client vision, community voice, and user need without losing any of them?
• And how do we ensure the work we make doesn’t just get seen, but felt, remembered, and carried forward?

Meet the 2026 SEGD Conference Co-Chairs

The conference is guided by three dynamic leaders deeply rooted in the creative landscape, each bringing a distinct lens to the program:

Rick Smith, Vice President of Experiential Design at Dimensional Innovations, brings more than 30 years of experience leading landmark projects spanning sports venues, museums, zoos, and corporate environments. As a creative leader, Rick guides the creation of fully integrated experiences that connect brand, space, and technology, with the end user at the center. He is also deeply invested in the Kansas City design community, having served as past president of the Center for Architecture & Design, chaired the local SEGD chapter, and served on the Kansas City Design Week Planning Committee.

Wendy Manning, Managing Principal of Demeter Strategy Design, helps organizations navigate complex change with clarity and disciplined implementation. With more than 30 years of experience at organizations including The Boeing Company and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, she specializes in aligning strategy, systems, and people to deliver solutions that balance business goals with a people-centered focus. Wendy also serves on the SEGD Board of Directors, bringing her commitment to the field’s growth to its highest levels of organizational leadership.

Jackie Berra, Founder and Brand Experience Director of JBerra Consulting & Design, brings more than 20 years of experience across branding, experiential design, digital strategy, and creative operations spanning retail, sports, nonprofit, and healthcare. Known for blending strategy with creativity, Jackie specializes in transforming ideas into clear, impactful visual stories rooted in collaboration and intentional design thinking. She is passionate about community-focused design, mentorship, and creating meaningful experiences that connect people through storytelling and innovation. 

Our conference chairs are also supported by the Kansas City Chapter Chairs, Kate Schmidt and Sarah Onken, and our event narrative and brand design partner, Studio Loutis. 

Design Immersions Across Kansas City

Attendees will experience Kansas City’s rich and layered creative ecosystem through a series of SEGD-curated design tours. From street-level mural culture to world-class museum collections, these immersions offer a living curriculum on how design shapes identity, community, and place, and how Kansas City has long proven that the middle is where culture concentrates and creativity ferments.

National World War I Museum and Memorial
Witness what your SEGD peers built. The designers and fabricators transformed a century of conflict into one of the world’s most acclaimed memorials. Study how projection, lighting, and narrative design turn raw history into a visceral, unforgettable experience, then get the inside story directly from the team who made it.

Mural Tour with Urban Hikes KC
Start at the Barney Allis Pedestrian Bridge and walk into Kansas City’s living canvas. Explore bold murals, an art-filled bridge, and the historic Westside neighborhood that reveal how public art shapes community identity and place. History, creativity, and street-level culture, all within walking distance of home base.

Rabbit Hole: The Director’s Cut
A new museum experience celebrating American children’s literature for visitors of all ages. From beloved classics like Goodnight Moon to new favorites like Last Stop on Market Street, its ever-growing array of exhibits brings to life more than a century of important children’s book titles and creators. Every inch is designed and built by the museum’s own in-house team of artists and designers.

Kansas City International Airport
The largest infrastructure project in the region’s history was built with its community in mind. KCI’s new terminal redefines inclusivity and accessibility from curb to gate, shaped by thousands of resident voices. Study how intentional wayfinding and human-centered design can transform one of travel’s most stressful environments into a welcoming journey.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art anchors Kansas City’s vibrant arts and culture scene. This exclusive tour invites designers to explore the museum’s seen and unseen aspects, discovering the balance among displaying art, creating immersive experiences, and showcasing its 22-acre campus. The tour delves into the critical roles of Exhibition Design, Wayfinding, and Graphic Design: showcasing art, embracing innovation, and enhancing the community’s connection.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and 18th + Vine Jazz District
Step onto the Field of Legends, with ten life-sized bronze statues on a mock diamond, and feel history pull you in. The NLBM masterfully blends spatial narrative, emotional pacing, and multimedia storytelling to humanize one of America’s most complex chapters. A model in immersive exhibition design, rooted in KC’s iconic 18th and Vine Jazz District.

Atlas9
A 46,000 square-foot reimagined movie theater where RFID tracking, projection mapping, and live theatrical performance merge into one choose-your-own-adventure. Atlas9 is a masterclass in seamless tech integration and multi-layered audience engagement. Come for the spectacle; leave with a blueprint for the future of immersive experience design.

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum
Reopened in 2021 following a nearly $30 million gut renovation, the Truman Presidential Library entirely reimagined its exhibits through experiential media storytelling. Step into the Oval Office, encounter a 14-foot interactive globe, and study how expertly layered information design guides visitors from a history lesson to an emotional reckoning. A benchmark for visitor-centric, multi-sensory museum storytelling.

Kansas City Current Stadium
The world’s first purpose-built stadium for a professional women’s team is also one of its most thoughtful. CPKC Stadium eliminates nosebleed seats, integrates sensory-inclusive spaces, frames downtown skyline views, and runs entirely zero-waste food-and-beverage operations. A bold proof that inclusive, sustainable design and world-class fan experience are not competing priorities.

Two Tone Press and Oddities Print Shop
Ink is the medium. Craft is the point. Two Tone Press opens its working letterpress studio for an intimate look at the equipment, history, and hands-on tradition behind every impression. One block away, Oddities Print Shop pushes the craft forward with silkscreen and Risograph printing for artists and collaborators worldwide. Together, two stops that prove analog print isn’t nostalgia. It’s practice.

Signature SEGD Moments

The 2026 SEGD Conference is designed not only to inspire, but to connect. Attendees who arrive early will enjoy the Conference Welcome Party. Thursday evening kicks off with our President’s Reception and Annual Auction for Excellence, supporting the next generation of designers. On Friday night, we celebrate the year’s most innovative work with the SEGD Global Design Awards Ceremony and Reception. Saturday morning features the 2026 SEGD Achievement Awards and a mimosa toast, followed by a powerful discussion with our incoming SEGD Fellows as part of the Voices of Experience documentary series.

Be sure to stay through Saturday for our closing keynote and interactive sessions, a celebratory and participatory finale to the conference. Throughout the event, you’ll find networking opportunities, NEXPO booths and talks, and an offering of professional development bootcamps. Emerging experiential professionals (EXP) will have access to dedicated programming, including a poster contest and one-on-one connections with seasoned practitioners. The experience wraps with our Saturday night closing party at the National WWI Memorial and Museum, where we bring the community together to reflect, recharge, and celebrate what’s ahead.

Who Should Attend?

This conference is for anyone shaping how people experience place, including designers, strategists, and storytellers, as well as business leaders, developers, and directors who hire or collaborate with creative teams. Whether you’re working in cultural institutions, wayfinding, brand, sports, transportation, or digital experience, SEGD Kansas City offers inspiration and insight into what’s next in bespoke, place-based design. Students and emerging professionals are especially encouraged to attend and connect with leaders across the field.

Registration

Register now using this direct link for the 2026 SEGD Conference in Kansas City. Current rates apply through August 31, with discounts for members, students, and nonprofit professionals.

SEGD has reserved a discounted room block at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, our official conference venue, for US $217 per night plus tax and fees. This special rate is available through September 29, 2026, or while inventory lasts. Reserve the special rate using the online link​. If you need to call the hotel directly, please dial 816-421-6800.

Our Partners

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsors, Color-Ad Signs and Exhibits, and Nanolumens for making this event possible! And thank you to all of our event sponsors: Archetype, AVI-SPL, CREO Industrial Arts, Daktronics, Design Communications Ltd. (DCL), Donna Lawrence Productions, Electrosonic, MAD Systems, Modulex, Moss, Peregrine OKB, S+D Corp., SignAgent, SNA Displays, Tangram Design, Thought Process, and TFN Architectural Products.

For information about partnership opportunities or exhibiting at NEXPO, download the 2026 SEGD Conference Prospectus, or get in touch with Kristin Bennani at kristin@segd.org.

About SEGD

SEGD (Society for Experiential Graphic Design) is a multidisciplinary global community of professionals who design experiences that connect people to place. From public information systems and exhibitions to branded environments and immersive media, SEGD supports practitioners through education, inspiration, and community.

Media Contact: Kristin Bennani, Director of Sales and Marketing, SEGD | kristin@segd.org | +1 771 208 0933