2021 SPIE Photonics West rescheduled for March in San Francisco

The largest photonics event in North America has brought researchers, engineers, innovators, investors, and businesspeople together annually since 1995

BELLINGHAM, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, has rescheduled its 2021 Photonics West conference and exhibition. The event will take place 6-11 March 2021, in San Francisco’s Moscone Center. The co-located SPIE AR | VR | MR event has been rescheduled for the same week.

Each year, SPIE Photonics West showcases the latest in applications, technologies, and discoveries in optics and photonics, with three major conference tracks: BiOS, highlighting new research in biophotonics, biomedical optics, and applications of medical imaging; LASE, with its focus on the laser industry and applications; and OPTO, showcasing optoelectronics, photonic materials, and related devices. The annual event features over 4,000 technical presentations, 1,200 exhibiting companies, 50 courses, a best-of-class industry program, and multiple special events. In addition, the symposium is introducing a new conference, highlighting photonics research and technologies addressing COVID-19.

The new timeframe ensures extra floor space across all conference events, and SPIE will be working with vendors and the facilities to implement the latest recommendations from health and government officials across all venues and events affiliated with Photonics West.

“For the photonics community, the conference and tradeshow calendar begins with Photonics West,” said SPIE Senior Director of Technical Programs Marilyn Gorsuch. “This year, that excitement and buzz will be bottled up until March. SPIE knows that in-person conferences are critical opportunities to reconnect with colleagues, share research, and find new solutions. We are working to create the best Photonics West possible with all the exciting events the photonics community has come to expect from us, from BiOS Hot Topics, the Prism Awards and our industry exhibitors, to plenaries from our high-profile LASE and OPTO researchers. We are looking forward to showcasing the best in photonics science and engineering as we welcome our community to San Francisco in March.”

The call for papers deadline has been extended and potential presenters have until 26 August to submit an abstract for consideration by conference chairs.

Registration for 2021 SPIE Photonics West will open in November 2020. You can sign up for Photonics West updates here.

About SPIE

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves more than 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2019, SPIE provided more than $5.6 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources. www.spie.org.