From Denver to Tokyo - My First SIGGRAPH Experience
In 2024, I was lucky enough to attend not just one, but two SIGGRAPH conferences as a Volunteer: SIGGRAPH 2024 in Denver and SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 in Tokyo. 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.
đź“Ť 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.
đź—Ľ 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.
At the time, I was in the middle of 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. This one did.