Adobe Systems is hosting the 7th annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA). The program honors and recognizes the most talented and promising student designers, photographers, illustrators, animators and digital filmmakers from the world's top design, film, interactive and Web higher education programs. This year, the competition will accept entries from 30 participating countries. Now in its seventh year, this world leading design competition has been expanded to include more students from across the globe by adding Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and Turkey. These students are invited to join students from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, U.K. and the U.S. in submitting projects. The nine submission categories include: animation, digital illustration, digital photography, interactive and Web design, live action, motion graphics, environmental graphics and packaging, multiple page print design, and single page print design. The designers of the 2007 ADAA marketing campaign were a collaboration of winners and finalists from the 2006 competition. A team of seven submitted the unique concept

IFTA Production Conference brings together key players in the independent film and television industries to discuss the impact of the introduction of new distribution technologies and content formats on a global basis. The cost (which includes a continental breakfast & parking) is $60 per person for IFTA members and $90 for non-IFTA members. The conference will run from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. For additional information, contact Lezlie Brazil at (310) 446-1043 or e-mail: lbrazil@ifta-online.org, or visit www.ifta-online.org.

The 2007 International CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, will celebrate the show's 40th anniversary. Bill Gates, chairman/chief software designer of Microsoft Corp., will return to CES for his ninth pre-show keynote address on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007, at 6:30 pm. Ed Zander, chairman/ceo of Motorola Inc., will kick off the 2007 International CES with an opening keynote, immediately following a State of the Industry Address by Gary Shapiro, president/ceo of CEA, which starts at 8:30 am on Monday, Jan. 8. Robert Iger, president/ceo of The Walt Disney Co., will round off day one of the International CES with his company's first CES keynote address at 4:30 pm, Monday afternoon. All keynotes for the 2007 show will take place at The Venetian's Palazzo Ballroom. The 2007 International CES will feature the hottest product debuts from 2,700 exhibitors, covering more than 30 product areas, including the latest in wireless, digital imaging, mobile electronics, home networking and more. For more news on the 2007 International CES before, during and after the show, visit www.CESweb.org.

The 2007 VES Festival of Visual Effects will take place the weekend of June 8-10 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. The VES defines most influential as "those films that have had a significant, lasting impact on the practice and appreciation of visual effects as an integral, artistic element of cinematic expression and the storytelling process." The VES Festival is open to the public; information on programs and tickets will be released in upcoming months. One of Hollywood's youngest organizations, the VES (www.visualeffectssociety.com) was formed in 1997 in response to the explosive growth in the visual effects industry. It is a professional, honorary society, dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and applications of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community, and promoting industry recognition. The VES is the entertainment industry's only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners including artists, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos and games. Comprised of a diverse group of about 1,500 global members, the VES strives to enrich and educate its own members and members of the entertainment community at large through a multitude of domestic and international events, screenings and programs.

The 2008 International CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, will celebrate the show's 40th anniversary. The event will feature the hottest product debuts from 2,700 exhibitors, covering more than 30 product areas, including the latest in wireless, digital imaging, mobile electronics, home networking and more. For more details, visit www.CESweb.org.

The NAB Show is the world's largest professional digital media industry convention. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has been hosting this event for over 80 years for all traditional broadcast, entertainment and emerging platform industries, including TV, Radio, Film, Internet and many others. This is where it originates -- an extraordinary experience, over twice the size of any other tradeshow centered on content: creation, management, commerce, distribution and delivery. The NAB Show is the ultimate destination for a global audience of media professionals who seek to deliver enriched content from concept to consumption. Kamy Merithew, Vice President of Marketing for WEGENER, and Gary Pelkey, WEGENER’s VP System Architect, will present discussions at the World Teleport Association (WTA) Content Distribution Forum and the 62nd Annual Broadcast Engineering Conference respectively. Pelkey will be joined by Eric Wiler, VP of Technology for Jones Radio Network, for a presentation entitled "Radio Broadcasters: Building File-Based Networks". They will examine the technology behind the next generation of satellite-delivered programming and discuss ways to provide listeners and advertisers with a sense of local presence by transitioning to file-based program delivery. The presentation is part of the session, Radio Technology Advancements and is scheduled for Sunday, April 13 at 1:00 p.m in the Las Vegas Convention Center Room S226/227.

From 6-7 p.m., Orlando ACM SIGGRAPH hosts "It's All Connected," a presentation by Larry Mitchell, who will discuss how mastering many areas of digital media increases the value of the individual and the company. From 7:30-9 p.m., Orlando ACM SIGGRAPH screening: 2008 ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival The 2008 Computer Animation Festival presents artists and experts in talks on all aspects of production, from animation to visual effects, from shorts to full-length features, from television to movies, from art to science, from learning the history of animation to learning the craft. This is your opportunity to totally immerse yourself in the full spectrum of animation and visual effects. This event is open to Orlando ACM SIGGRAPH members as well as conference attendees. Current Orlando ACM SIGGRAPH members also receive free access to the Create Chaos exhibit hall, plus a $200 discount on 3-day and All Access passes to the full Create Chaos Conference. Members must be current as of noon Friday, October 10. Members must register on arrival at the conference. Request discount code by emailing OrlandoACMSIGGRAPH@gmail.com.

Delcam will hold its 2009 ArtCAM User Group Meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kansas City, from 30th September to 2nd October. The event will open with a special networking evening at Hallmark Cards, one of the largest ArtCAM users in North America. This will be followed by two days of workshops on the latest versions of the software. In today's economy, everyone is looking for ways to be more competitive and more profitable. With this in mind, Delcam has decided to focus on ways of improving skill level and productivity at the meeting. The first day will be a general session covering core modelling functionality, 2D & 3D design styles, tips and tricks and what's to come in the 2010 version of ArtCAM. "Already used by many signmakers, cabinet-makers, and furniture manufacturers, this new version is set to further increase the use of ArtCAM in the three-dimensional world," said Ed Powell, ArtCAM Product Manager. ArtCAM 2010 will include a new modernised graphical user interface, direct interactivity and improvements to the core performance by utilizing GPU Acceleration and CPU multi-threading. As with previous versions, ArtCAM development continues to be designed around simplifying the workflow so that even beginners to CNC technology can start using the program as quickly as possible. More advanced users will appreciate the direct 3D interaction and the ability to customise their favourite toolsets. The use of multi-threading will enhance the toolpath calculation performance making ArtCAM even faster and more efficient. In addition toolpath strategies can now be associated with vector layers, making it easier to machine complicated nested patterns. The second day will be focused to specific industries and the related software. "We believe the second day split is the best way for our delegates to effectively make use of the time they have available," said Mary Shaw, Delcam Marketing Manager. "This year during this time we will be looking at the most practical combination of techniques and ideas to transform and improve what you can do with ArtCAM." "Both new and experienced users are often amazed how much they can learn by attending the User Group and learning from real world experience and expertise that is available," added Ms. Shaw. "As well as learning from the Delcam ArtCAM team, probably the best reason to attend a User Group is to meet other users of ArtCAM and learn from them." Like the online forum, the User Group is an opportunity to catch up with friends, find out about other equipment and materials and be inspired by the different uses and applications on show from ArtCAM customers. "Delegates will learn a lot about what is possible for them to achieve and be motivated when they return to their businesses to make ArtCAM an even more productive part of it," said Ms. Shaw. Once again, there will be a design competition in conjunction with the User Group. "We will once again be opening up the floor to our users to show us some of the excellent projects they've been working on," explained Ms. Shaw. Categories will be judged based on industry and product type with the prizes and winners being announced during the User Group. Entries for the competition can be submitted at www.artcam.com/promos/ug2009/index.htm For more information on the ArtCAM User Meeting, call the Delcam North American office at 1 877 335 2261 or email Jackie at jackie@delcam.com.

The Game Developers Conference Austin (GDC Austin) returns this September with three days focused on connected games including online games, virtual worlds, and social networking. Now in its 7th consecutive year, GDC Austin will continue as the mecca for online game developers worldwide to convene and share best practices, new perspectives, and business opportunities in connected games. GDC Austin conference tracks focus on the disciplines of Business and Marketing, Design, Social Networking and Community, Services, Production and Programming. Presented by Think Services, organizers of the industry-leading Game Developers Conference(R) (GDC), GDC Austin is a four-day event taking place at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas September 15-18, 2009.

The 2009 GDC Austin Advisory Board expands to include international game communities and perspectives with new members: Thomas Bidaux of ICO Partners, creator of successful European MMO titles, Dark Age of Camelot, Guild Wars and City of Heroes, and Min Kim of Nexon, creator of the critically acclaimed Maple Story. John Blakely of Sony Online Entertainment, Eugene Evans of EA/Mythic Entertainment, Mike Goslin of Hangout Industries, formerly of Disney where he developed Pirates of the Caribbean Online, and Sheri Graner Ray of Schell Games also round out the new lineup.

GDC Austin will also feature two-day Summits: Game Audio, Game Writers, Independent Games, and the newly introduced iPhone Summit, on September 15-16, 2009.

Online registration for GDC Austin opens in early June. For more information on GDC Austin and the advisory board visit www.GDCAustin.com.

The IGC East is for developers of console, flash and casual games who want a leg up on the competition and for the publishers who want to see the hottest games in development by the rising stars of the industry.

To get seen. The IGC Game Demo Night is the place to show your game off to the game publishers is a setting where your game is not one of thousands. By limiting the number of people who can register for the Game Demo Night we make certain that your game is not lost, but has the space to shine.

Publishers can find the next big game at the Game Demo Night where independent developers bring their skills and commitment to the show.

The sessions at the IGC focus on the business of being an independent developer as well as the technical demands of game development. With our three track approach the IGC is the place to be no matter what stage of development your company has reached.

The business track will give you a leg up on the completion with information on how best to leverage your IP.

The technical track focuses on the latest technology and how to take your game to the next level.

The IGC has helped publishers spot the next hot game or game developer and game companies get their name out to the publishers. The IGC has lead to successfully brokered deals in the Southern United States for the past two years and now we are bringing our proven success to the East Coast.