AES is On: Registration Opens for Virtual AES Show Fall 2020 Convention, October 2020

As audio engineers worldwide adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, so is the Audio Engineering Society (AES). The profession’s cornerstone convention has made the safe—and the only viable—choice by going purely online.

AES Show Fall 2020, happening through October, is now open for Early Bird registration.

Deeming all of October 2020 “Audio Engineering Month,” AES Show Fall 2020 (a.k.a. the 149^th International AES Convention) will virtually present its Fall Convention Technical Program and exhibition Showcase.

The schedule of audio presentations and activities will run from Tuesday, October 6 through Friday, October 30, offering attendees full Technical Program access to live and on-demand content, student and career activities, engagement with peers and accomplished audio colleagues, along with the audio hardware and software product showcase and special events throughout the month.

Early Bird rates are available now through August 31, costing $99 for AES Members and $224 for non-members, with the latter including one year of AES membership. Visit here to register.

The AES Show Fall 2020 Convention co-chairs are AES Secretary Valerie Tyler; educator, technologist, mastering engineer, and AES Governor Jonathan Wyner; and mixer/producer, and SonicScoop contributor Paul “Willie Green” Womack.

Mr. Wyner noted in an AES prepared statement, “Expanding the Convention offerings across a full month answers one of the biggest questions raised by Convention attendees in the past when faced with hundreds of compelling sessions packed into just four days: ‘How do I choose?’ Applying lessons learned from AES’s first online Convention experience with the highly successful AES Virtual Vienna, we are extending the timeline to provide our ‘attendees’ the opportunity to dive deeper into the program and explore new topics.”

(L-R) AES Fall 2020 Convention co-chairs Paul “Willie Green” Womack, Valerie Tyler and Jonathan Wyner

Ms. Tyler said, “With all the online content, the Convention can now be experienced by anyone in the world that has an internet connection. Combined with lowered registration fees, and without the necessity of travel costs and logistics, the 2020 AES Show will be the most accessible ever.”

Mr. Womack said, “It’s our goal, and my personal passion, to encourage diversity in our attendees. New voices and topics during the last several AES Conventions have broadened our attendee base. Now, we’re taking the Convention directly to everyone everywhere. That can only build on our progress – there’s infinite room under the umbrella.”

The first two weeks of Audio Engineering Month will feature interviews, Webinars and an online AoIP Summit.

Week Three will be Student Week along with the exhibition Showcase.

Week Four will bring the balance of the traditional AES Convention Tech Program – Workshops, Papers, Engineering Briefs, Keynotes and other Special Events.

Several new features of this year’s AES Convention have been designed and reworked in consideration of virtual multimedia presentation formats, combining live and on-demand sessions and real-time Q&A sessions with presenters.

While nothing can replace the social energy of the AES’ exhibition floor, the organization hopes to shine a light on new audio solutions with the AES Show ProductLaunch where attendees can see the latest gear from companies through video-based product launches and live engagement with product specialists and company personnel.

In addition, the TechTours segment will feature “The Seven Wonders of the Audio World,” a series of in-depth tours of elite studios worldwide, beginning in the first week of Audio Engineering Month.

Student & Career offerings have also been expanded into the AES Show Student Week. This sector will feature seven days of activities including Workshops, Recording Critique Sessions, Recording and Design Competitions, a Career & Education Fair, Mentoring Sessions and more. AES Student Member Early Bird Registration is $49 for full access to the entire four-day convention.

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