CHICAGO—Following an unprecedented decision to move its 47-year-old annual conference fully virtual, organizers of SIGGRAPH 2020 have quickly pivoted to design an all-digital conference that is as unique as its typical in-person offering. Originally planned to take place 19–23 July in Washington, D.C., SIGGRAPH 2020 will shift to late summer, spanning two weeks from 17–28 August.
The virtual SIGGRAPH 2020 conference will be hosted on the Hubb virtual event platform in conjunction with additional platform partners for registration, livestreaming, and the Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater. The Electronic Theater is set to be presented using virtual film festival platform Eventive, which will launch during the conference’s second week.
As the world’s leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques, the virtual event hopes to carry that legacy of innovation with both on-demand presentations, livestreamed events, and scheduled sessions. Beginning 17 August, on-demand content will become available, allowing participants one week to explore, learn, and connect without a guided schedule. Then, starting 24 August, the Electronic Theater, Real-Time Live!, and other scheduled, interactive sessions will kick off. For the convenience of participants, content for most programs will continue to be available within the virtual platform through 27 October.
SIGGRAPH 2020 Conference Chair Kristy Pron, of Walt Disney Imagineering, shared, “We’ve spent the past several weeks listening to our SIGGRAPH community—sponsors, contributors, participants—in order to determine the best way to bring the 2020 conference to life. Many across industries are yearning for the sense of togetherness that is most associated with annual gatherings like SIGGRAPH. While it will not be the same, we are excited with how thinking has evolved to create a valuable space for our community to gather virtually.”
Pron also noted that the conference’s Think Beyond theme, chosen in 2019, is more relevant than ever, given the ways in which the pandemic has forced new thinking. Participants can and should expect programming that truly “thinks beyond” traditional expectations.
Registration for the virtual SIGGRAPH 2020 conference is not yet open. View packages and stay tuned for updates at s2020.SIGGRAPH.org/conference.
Photo by Jim Hagarty ©2019 ACM SIGGRAPH.