From Denver to Tokyo - My First SIGGRAPH Experience
In 2024, I was lucky enough to attend not just one, but two SIGGRAPH conferences—SIGGRAPH 2024 in Denver and SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 in Tokyo—as a Volunteer. What started as an opportunity to give back to the creative tech community ended up being one of the most inspiring, fun, and meaningful experiences of my grad school journey.
🎉 Getting Started
I was introduced to SIGGRAPH by my professor at USC and a few friends in the USC SIGGRAPH Chapter. I had no idea at the time that signing up would take me across continents, introduce me to lifelong friends, and reshape the way I think about collaboration in creative technology.
📍 SIGGRAPH 2024 – Denver
Denver was my first SIGGRAPH ever—and it delivered.
Between volunteering shifts, I found myself surrounded by creative technologists from all over the world. My roommates (shoutout to Carlos, Omar, and Isac!) made every late-night convo and early morning worth it. We bonded over shared passions, cracked jokes during shift calls, and hyped each other up before social events.
Some moments I’ll never forget:
- The Chapters Party at Temple Denver – possibly one of the coolest venues I’ve ever danced in 🔗 Temple
- Attending the keynote with Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg—watching industry leaders talk about the future of graphics and AI was surreal
- Going to the Pixar RenderMan Fair, where I somehow ended up holding a Yeti Teapot (yes, that one)
I came in not knowing what to expect. I left feeling like part of a community.
🗼 SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 – Tokyo
Tokyo was a completely different vibe—in the best way.
The pace was fast, the environment electric, and the cultural mix was incredible. Navigating language differences, volunteering in a non-English-dominant setting, and watching how SIGGRAPH adapted its communication style for accessibility taught me so much.
I also carved out some time to explore—wandering through Kyoto’s shrines, Osaka’s food alleys, and Tokyo’s vibrant neighborhoods gave me a deeper appreciation of where I was and who I was sharing the week with.
✨ What I Took Away
Volunteering at both conferences gave me more than just access to talks and tech—it gave me people, perspective, and a sense of belonging in a space that bridges creativity and computation.
I’m currently pursuing my Master’s in Computer Science – Multimedia & Creative Technologies at USC, and I can say with confidence: no class or project could’ve offered what SIGGRAPH gave me in 2024.
It’s rare that a single year can leave you this changed—but this one did.