Draft:Imagine RIT
RIT flagship event
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Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival is an annual public festival at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Henrietta, New York. The free, one-day event features interactive exhibits, research demonstrations, and performing arts by RIT students, faculty, and staff.[1] First held in 2008, it typically draws over 30,000 visitors and around 400 exhibits.[2]
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Submission declined on 24 February 2026 by CostalCal (talk).
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| Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Science and technology festival |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Venue | Rochester Institute of Technology campus |
| Locations | Henrietta, New York, United States |
| Inaugurated | May 3, 2008 |
| Founder | William W. Destler |
| Attendance | 30,000+ (typical annual attendance) |
| Website | rit |
History
Origins
William W. Destler proposed the festival during an open forum while a candidate for RIT's presidency in 2007, arguing that RIT had an "unfair advantage" for such an event because of its mix of technology, arts, and science programs alongside the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.[2][3]
Barry Culhane, Destler's executive assistant, was named the festival's first chairman and had eight months to organize it.[4] Culhane chose the name "Imagine RIT" after hearing the John Lennon song on the radio shortly after being assigned the project.[5]
The first festival, held May 3, 2008, drew approximately 17,500 visitors.[6][7] Attendance reached 25,000 in 2009 and exceeded 30,000 by 2010.[8]
Growth
By 2017, cumulative attendance since 2008 had reached nearly 270,000.[9] The 2018 festival had a record number of exhibitors, and the 2025 festival set a new record with 434 exhibits.[10][11][12]
The festival received gold medals from CASE District II for Community Relations and Best Practices in Communications, as well as a national gold award in the Special Events category of the CASE Circle of Excellence Awards.[13]
COVID-19 disruptions
The 2020 festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] A virtual version was held in 2021 with over 250 exhibit videos posted online; this was the first time RIT's global campuses participated.[14][15]
However, the in-person festival returned in April 2022 with a hybrid format: 272 in-person and 77 virtual exhibits. Attendees were required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.[16][17]
International participation
Starting in 2023, students from RIT Croatia, RIT Dubai, and RIT Kosovo traveled to Rochester to present exhibits.[3][18] The number of proposals from global campuses grew from 28 in 2024 to 80 in 2025.[3]
Format
The festival takes place on a Saturday in late April or early May, usually two weeks before RIT's commencement, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission and parking are free.[6][1]
Exhibits are organized into color-coded zones spanning the campus and cover subjects including robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biomedical engineering, sustainability, and design.[19][20] Recurring exhibits include a human-sized hamster wheel built by Engineering House students, miniature amusement rides by Theme Park Enthusiasts, glassblowing demonstrations, and a concrete canoe project.[6]
Futurists Symposium
A Futurists Symposium has been held the day before the main festival since 2019, featuring RIT alumni speaking about trends in technology, arts, and design.[3][21][22]
TAD Competition
Introduced in 2022, the Technology, the Arts, and Design (TAD) Competition awards $5,000 prizes to student exhibits that combine all three disciplines.[23] Categories include solving problems, visual communication, and storytelling through enhanced realities.[24]
Notable exhibitors
Sean Petterson and Justin Hillery first showed their industrial safety wearables at Imagine RIT while students; they went on to found StrongArm Technologies. Petterson was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017, and the company was acquired in 2023.[3][25] Kailey Bradt displayed a waterless powder shampoo at the festival before launching OWA Haircare.[3]
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