Photonics West conference in SF attracted 20K attendees

The Photonics West conference in San Francisco’s Moscone Center from 1 February through 6 February attracted over 20,000 attendees, more than 1,300 exhibitors, 5,300 presentations, nearly 60 technical courses, and multiple industry-related special events.

Highlights included the SPIE Photonics West symposium, its BiOS, LASE, and OPTO symposia, and the inaugural AR/VR/MR conference.

“The robustness and resiliency of the global photonics community shone through at Photonics West,” said SPIE Senior Director of Global Business Development Andrew Brown. “We experienced an extremely vibrant gathering of the international community in San Francisco: the packed plenary sessions and conferences, dynamic networking and industry events, and hustle of business being conducted during the exhibition brought a sense of normality to a period of global uncertainty. This was also a time when the values of our community around diversity, inclusion and compassion were reinforced. We truly are a global family in the photonics industry, and Photonics West continues to be the welcoming venue for its annual reunion.”

Photonics West 2021 will take place 23-28 January at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The call for papers for the 2021 event will open in early April, with abstracts due 15 July.