Bangkok ACM SIGGRAPH Association will hold the first ever, SIGGRAPH Asia 2017 in Bangkok to create opportunities, develop professionals and improve knowledge of the digital content to encourage the Thai digital industry and to showcase the ability of the locals to the international levels.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Surapong Lertsithichai, President of Bangkok ACM SIGGRAPH Association stated that ACM SIGGRAPH (Association of Computer Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques) is the biggest association for computer graphics that includes researchers, students and artists from around the world, along with global professional chapters and world-leading universities and studios such as Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, Industrial Light and Magic, and Digital Domain as valuable members and participants. The association aims to develop and provide knowledge for digital content development within its annual conference that is held worldwide and hopes to successfully add value to the local economy.
SIGGRAPH is the biggest Computer Graphics Conference in the United States which is held in August every year. It has celebrated its 43rd conference in 2016 and is known to attract more than 30,000 visitors annually from around the world with particular focuses on computer graphics and animation. As SIGGRAPH gained more international popularity from Asian participants, SIGGRAPH ASIA was established in 2008 and proposed as an extension to promote a similar computer graphics conference with particular focuses on selected countries within Asia. In 2017, SIGGRAPH Asia will host its 10th conference in Thailand with quality no less than that of the SIGGRAPH in the United States.
Thailand has been given the opportunity with the support of SIPA and TCEB to be the host of SIGGRAPH Asia 2017. The event will be the summit that results from the gathering of the best in digital content from around the world including, international studios that will showcase their projects and research to allow growth and positive movements for the economy and industry of Thailand. The stage will be open for possible networking and knowledge sharing between global and Thai professionals and establishing international business partners in the future.
"SIGGRAPH Asia 2017 Conference will be held for the very first time in Thailand as Bangkok was selected as the host city of this world-renown event. It is of a great strategy to be able to promote a local Thai digital content to the international level as it also corresponds to Thailand's digital economy policy initiated by the government to support the local industry. One of the main reasons that Bangkok was selected to host such event was because we were able to secure crucial resources and financial support from related government agencies following its policy to drive the digital industry forward to the new Thailand 4.0. Thai culture also played a huge role in the bidding since our unique society flourishes from the integration of the arts and technology" said Asst. Prof. Dr. Surapong Lertsithichai.
From an official study of the Thai Digital Content industry conducted by the Ministry of Commerce and its Department of International Trade and Promotion, surveys have shown that the market of the Digital Content industry in Thailand is currently valued at 38 billion baht, of which, 18 billion baht is its the export value from both original copyrights and freelance works. This event will further contribute to the development of the knowledge and the skillsets of our human resources to endorse the network between industries. In the past, having able to expose the researches, renders developments and growth to the commerce allowing job creation and employments.
The 10th SIGGRAPH Asia conference in 2017 will be held during the 27th to the 30th of November 2017 at BITEC BANGNA. The main events will include the following:
? Computer Animation Festival with over selected 450 animations to screen.
? Workshops & Courses with world renowned artists to show their skills and techniques
? Technical Papers & Symposiums with over 450 topics including production pipelines, processes from famous animation studios and numerous talks by researchers and students from all around the world
? Latest Emerging Technologies and prototypes from international universities and research laboratories
? Exhibition to reveals both hardware and software manufacturers in particular focus for the digital content
The conference will be able to elevate local awareness in digital content and knowledge as the conference includes famous international speakers and studios in the field of computer graphics. It is the top priority that during the 10th SIGGRAPH Asia 2017 in Bangkok, connections between different organisations, companies, individuals shall bring many prospects in academic and commercial collaborations for Thailand. SIGGRAPH Asia 2017 is expected to attract over 7,000 visitors from Japan, South Korea, China, United States and other European countries.
Mrs. Jirawan Boonperm, Chairperson of the Board of Committee of Software Industry Promotion Agency (Public Organization) SIPA, stated that 'SIPA has always been a major supporter of the Digital Content Industry till this very day where it is becoming more and more tangible. The digital economy policy will be able to use Digital Content as a mechanism to help promote Thailand's digital content industry to the global stage. In the past, SIPA has organised events and activities that will support every segment of the industry from human resources, market promotion and network facilitation. We hope that this event will be the stage that finally drives Thailand's digital content industry to an international level as a crucial step towards future commercial value of the country's economy.
Mr. Nopparat Mataveekulchai, President of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization), added that 'it is of a tremendous gratitude that Thailand has been given this occasion to host such a world-renowned event. Lecturers, organisations, companies from all important international background will converge in this very event in Thailand. It will be a great stimulus for the economy of this field, and will set a new impression to the face of Thailand digital industry which is the very mission of TCEB that will always support international MICE like this in Thailand. We are happy that we had endorse Thailand to be able to host SIGGRAPH Asia 2017 and hope for the event to be continuous and beneficial for everyone.