USITT’s inaugural Digital Media Symposium in association with the LUMA Festival is fast approaching and we’re looking forward to seeing you there for an event full of media creation, education, conversation, and collaboration in and around the streets of Binghamton, NY. The event takes place Sept. 4-6 and will conclude just as LUMA Festival begins; that’s a two-for-one in our book!

Did we mention we’re a mere DAYS AWAY from the registration deadline? FOMO (fear of missing out) isn’t fun and it’s the last thing you’ll want to experience when you have the opportunity to register TODAY! Rub elbows with the industry’s biggest digital media designers and get up close and personal with state-of-the-art equipment and consoles introduced and taught to you by masters in the field. Registration ends Aug. 19. We want you to have every opportunity to attend, so register today and we’ll see you there!

Extra convincing never hurt. Here are our top five reasons to attend the inaugural Digital Media Symposium:

1. Digital Media Giants Want to Talk to YOU!

Ana Herruzo and Finn Ross are no strangers to the white-hot field of digital media creation. These designers will bring a fresh, cutting-edge perspective to digital media purveyors and projection designers alike. Their keynotes and conversations are sure to wow!

Ana Herruzo is an architect, designer, and programmer working at the intersection of art, technology, and architecture. She has worked on projects for high-profile companies such as Samsung, Nike, Google, and NASA. Her focus is on the combination of lighting, audio, and video with the physical environment, materials, and human interaction.

Finn Ross is a Tony Award-winning video designer for live performance and co-creative director of London based FRAY Studio. He specializes in integrating live and pre-recorded images, animations, or anything else you can imagine, into a live performance environment. He has worked in all facets of digital media from fringe to Broadway and pop to opera.

Trust us, you will not want to miss this unique opportunity to hear these luminaries share their life’s work while being surrounded by projections from some of the best designers in the country.

2. The LUMA Projection Arts Festival

USITT’s Digital Media Symposium will take place in association with The LUMA Festival; the largest projection design event in the country. Double your fun of projection and digital media fascination by attending both!

Design fans will have much to experience over the weekend when projection and digital media designers ascend onto the streets of Binghamton, NY, showing off their best work on the city’s most historic building and landmarks. The event will foster a connection between audience and designer while cultivating networking opportunities for those fresh off the heels of the Digital Media Symposium.

3. State of the Art Equipment

Get up close and personal with the best consoles and projection equipment in the industry with instruction by experts in the field. Nowhere else will you be able to experience such an intimate setting between user and console in an educational session (except USITT2020, of course)! Round out your new knowledge of these consoles and equipment by attending Friday’s panel discussion comprised of LUMA Festival artists.

4. Tech Crawl

Let loose during our version of the traditional pub crawl with an industry spin — Tech Crawl. Experience the local spirits and fare while discussing the work and installations in progress on the surrounding streets. What better way to explore the local scene while soaking up beautiful displays of artistic expression? A sort of “behind the scenes” of the LUMA Festival, if you will.

5. Networking & New Perspectives

The Digital Media Symposium will be a networker’s paradise. Not only will you be learning from some of the brightest industry experts, but you will also be surrounded by like-minded individuals seeking connection with others interested in media creation and projection design. You may go home with an innovative idea in your back pocket or the business card of a potential colleague. The possibilities will be endless!

Without our sponsors, this event would not be a reality. Inaugural Digital Media Symposium sponsors include Gold Level sponsor Notch; Silver Level sponsors Show Sage LLC./Watchout, Green Hippo, and 7thSense Design.

LUMA Festival photo by Drew Lewis