13 BEST 3D EVENTS TO ATTEND IN 2024

1. VES Society Awards

When: 21 February

Where: Los Angeles, USA

The VES Awards is an awards ceremony presented by the Visual Effects Society in Los Angeles and is regularly attended by celebrity directors, VFX supervisors, and actors. There are a variety of ticket options for society members and nonmembers to enjoy the glitz and glamor. The VES Awards recognizes the very best in VFX for film, television, and other media—think of it as the Oscars of VFX! Oppenheimer, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Last of Us are among the nominees this year.

2. SXSW

When: 8 – 16 March

Where: Austin, USA

First started in 1987, South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music conferences. The film conference spans five days of panels, sessions, workshops, and more from industry leaders. Past speakers have included the likes of Jon Favreau, Ryan Gosling, Nicolas Cage, and Tilda Swinton. Technology companies can also take part in SXSW Interactive, which focuses on emerging tech and includes a trade show, speakers, and a startup accelerator.

3. GDC

When: 18 – 22 March

Where: San Francisco, USA

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) brings the games industry together across five days of education, inspiration, and networking. Featuring a conference, an expo, and awards ceremonies, GDC attracts a wide range of attendees including programmers, artists, producers, and game designers. For this year, The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. Wonder talks have already been announced.

4. Adobe Summit

When: 26 – 28 March

Where: Las Vegas, USA and online

Adobe Summit is one of the industry’s biggest annual events, where Adobe’s in-house team and other industry leaders take attendees through a series of keynotes, speaker sessions, and hands-on labs. This year we can expect more than 200 sessions on everything from personalization at scale to generative AI. For an alternative Adobe event, there’s also Adobe Max—a free virtual ‘creativity conference’ with keynotes, giveaways, and a sneak peek into what’s being worked on at Adobe Labs.

5. Vertex

When: 19 April

Where: London, UK

Vertex holds a special place in our hearts, as several of Liaison’s team used to work for what is now 3D World magazine—an organizer behind this event. Vertex brings attendees unmissable talks from some of the creative industry’s biggest names, and must-see stands from exhibitors. This year, speakers include Digital Artist at Pixar, Dylan Sisson, Director/Producer Haz Dulull, and Art Director and Lead Illustrator at Arch Villain Games, Thomas Elliott. Liaison also has some exciting news about the conference, so stay tuned for more updates!

6. NAB

When: 13 – 17 April

Where: Las Vegas, USA

NAB is the annual trade show produced by the National Association of Broadcasters. It’s a massive show, featuring an exhibition space, workshops, awards, talks, and other sessions. Everything from AI to virtual production and spatial computing in the broadcast industry is covered. Don’t forget to take a look at Broadcast Beat’s yearly list of parties and events around the show.

7. FMX

When: 23 – 26 April

Where: Stuttgart, Germany

It all started in 1994, back when the renowned film school Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg decided to host an exchange fair for its students. Today, FMX has evolved into a fully-fledged computer graphics conference with a small exhibition space as well as plenty of opportunities to attend or give presentations and workshops to attendees, the majority of whom tend to be students.

8. Annecy International Animation Film Festival

When: 9 – 15 June

Where: Annecy, France

Created in 1960, Annecy is one of the world’s best-known animation festivals. Competing films are normally projected throughout the city’s cinemas and an open-air night projection is organized on Pâquier, in the center of town, all before the award winners are presented. This is a fantastic opportunity to submit your work, go to masterclasses, or simply attend and see the latest and greatest animations. Also, don’t forget to take part in the Women in Animation World Summit, which takes place at Annecy.

9. SIGGRAPH

When: 28 July – 1 August

Where: Denver, USA

SIGGRAPH is one of the oldest 3D events in the world: the first one was held in 1974! Today, it remains one of the largest and most popular conferences for anyone interested in the computer graphics industry. Attendees can experience presentations, educational courses, panel discussions, and more from impressive industry experts. For 3D companies, there’s also an exhibition space to highlight your latest products and the opportunity to submit technical papers. You can also get hands-on with very cool new technologies at the show’s VR Theatre and Immersive Pavillion, as well as attend plenty of parties.

10. IBC

When: 13 – 16 September

Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

For many, IBC is considered the European version of NAB. It’s a huge show that attracts exhibitors, speakers, and visitors specializing in broadcast, from more than 170 nations. The event offers a full schedule of presentations, panel sessions, workshops, product demos, and technology masterclasses. There’s also the opportunity to exhibit your latest products and network with industry peers. Not ready to say goodbye to The Netherlands after the show? Extend your trip by a few days and explore Amsterdam!

11. VIEW Conference

When: 14 – 19 October

Where: Torino, Italy

Based in Italy, VIEW Conference is another show that’s worth extending your trip for so you can see the city after the event. Though it’s a relatively new computer graphics conference, VIEW hosts amazing speakers from studios like Pixar, Lucasfilm, Illumination, DNEG, and Aardman Animations. There’s also the opportunity to attend master classes and theory lessons taught by experts.

12. Autodesk University

When: 14 – 16 October

Where: San Diego, USA and online

For three decades, Autodesk’s event has brought together 3D experts in architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, media and entertainment, and more. This is a great event for classes or talks on Autodesk products like Maya. It’s also a perfect opportunity to learn more about trends like generative AI. Don’t forget to tune into the on-demand sessions on the Autodesk University website after the show.

13. SIGGRAPH Asia

When: 3 – 6 December

Where: Tokyo, Japan

SIGGRAPH Asia is a roving computer graphics event in the Asia Pacific region. It’s very similar to the North American show with plenty of talks, workshops, and a computer animation festival. This year, the show is going to be hosted in Tokyo—another fantastic city to explore!

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