Image Credit: John Fujii © 2023 ACM SIGGRAPH
This article was contributed by the SIGGRAPH 2024 Student Volunteer Subcommittee.
The first ACM SIGGRAPH conference was in Boulder, Colorado, in 1974. With its return to Colorado this year in Denver, let’s review how far SIGGRAPH has come. At the first SIGGRAPH, there were only around 600 attendees. The conference had no formal proceedings, and the main draw was to see academic papers from professionals in the industry. SIGGRAPH really found its footing in 1977, three years after the first conference, by introducing formal commercial exhibits and inviting companies to the conference to highlight their work and products. In 1977, there were 38 exhibitors for the 750 attendees, and in 1984, just 10 years after the conference started, there were 218 exhibitors for 20,390 attendees.
There used to be one big animation showcase at the end of the conference, and in 1986, “Luxo Jr.” premiered at SIGGRAPH. This historic Pixar short brought about the icons of “Luxo Jr.” and the bouncing ball and then went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film! This beginning step for computer animation was showcased at SIGGRAPH.
By 2006, there were 90 SIGGRAPH chapters that would meet year-round and create relationships between members. Now SIGGRAPH has chapters all around the world. The chapters continue the work of SIGGRAPH year-round by hosting meetings, site visits, conferences, and art shows. The student chapters help recruit volunteers for the conference to provide crucial operational support, and, in return, the students get full access to the conference to meet peers, experience state-of-the-art technology, and learn about the industry.
Now SIGGRAPH is returning to where it began, back in Colorado for its 51st conference. Stay tuned into the ACM SIGGRAPH Blog and social media to see the announcement of Keynote Speakers, happenings in the Exhibition, and more! We are anticipating an amazing year in Denver and hope to see you there to continue making history. Register now to secure your spot.
When did you attend your first SIGGRAPH?
