consortium

VAC Consortium Membership

• Commercial software companies can simultaneously learn about new potential uses and markets for their software and identify potential intellectual property that could be licensed to augment their product portfolios
• Current or potential users of visual analytics technology can bring their unaddressed problems to the R&D community and the commercial software industry to consult with the world’s experts and visionaries
• Funders of research learn about unmet user needs that inspire new research directions and they can keep abreast of the latest visual analytics research
• Researchers can establish new relationships and work collaboratively to address grand challenges of community interest
• Educators can engage with a vibrant visual analytics curriculum development community, connect with new resources, and gain a better understanding of the breadth of ongoing research
• Students can identify internship opportunities, connect with fellow students, talk with the visual analytics leaders, and identify potential career opportunities
• Software engineering and commercialization organizations can connect with researchers and user organizations from around the world.

VAC Consortium Events and Resources

• Annual Consortium Meeting. The flagship activity of the VAC Consortium is the annual VAC Consortium meeting. These events bring together all the visual analytics stakeholders for two days of intensive focus on needs and opportunities for visual analytics. At this meeting, user communities share their needs, program managers share their visions, researchers highlight their new breakthroughs, and industry partners talk about their solutions. The meetings also include plenty of networking time so that members can talk to one another and form the collaborations that meet their needs. The Consortium provides real and reciprocal value to its members. Consortium members gain unique and valuable insight into the activities of information and visual analytics activities around the world. Participation influences the direction for both development and deployment of solutions and future generations of information and visual analytics. Find out more about past meetings here.
• International Community of Research and Practice web site http://vacommunity.org. While the Consortium meeting is an annual event, the community of research and practice web site is the focal point for ongoing collaborations, communications, and connectivity year-round. The site supports a public and members area with extensive social media elements. The site includes resources of broad interest to Consortium members. In addition, it supports collaboration among smaller teams in topics driven by the community. Current special topic areas include curriculum, video analytics, cyber analytics, interaction research, and evaluation techniques.
• Workshops. The Consortium holds workshops focused on special topics of interest. Workshops may be held in conjunction with the Consortium meeting or at other times throughout the year.

Corporate Membership Categories

• Corporate Member - $5,000 annually. This is the standard corporate membership level. Benefits at this level include:
  • Paid attendance for up to 3 participants in the annual VAC Consortium meeting
  • Opportunity to demonstrate products during the demo session at the VAC Consortium meeting
  • Full participation in members-only sections of the VAC Consortium community web site
• Corporate Leader - $25,000 annually. Corporate Leaders receive the benefits listed above for Corporate Members. In addition, they receive the following benefits:
  • Paid attendance for up to 4 participants in the annual VAC Consortium meeting
  • A seat on the Consortium Advisory Committee. This committee sets priorities and directions for the Consortium and the VAC. They ensure that the interests of all parties are considered in the use of VAC resources.
  • Recognition in Consortium publications and on the Consortium community web site
• Small / Startup Company Member - $1,500 annually. Small or startup companies may join at a reduced fee. To qualify, the company must either have fewer than 10 employees or be in business for less than 7 years and have gross sales of less than $5 million. Key benefits at this level include:
  • Paid attendance for up to 2 participants in the annual VAC Consortium meeting
  • Opportunity to demonstrate products during the demo session at the VAC Consortium meeting
  • Full participation in members-only sections of the VAC Consortium community web site
  • Additional Support Options

• Research Sponsor. Corporate sponsors can choose to work through the consortium to fund visual analytics research to address research challenges of particular relevance to their business. Costs vary depending on the complexity of the research challenge and researching partners.
• Consortium Meeting Major Sponsor. Consortium members may sponsor an annual VAC Consortium meeting. Sponsors will be recognized on all promotional materials for the meeting and will have special opportunities to highlight their products during the meeting. Costs vary depending on the meeting. Sponsorships for particular portions of the meeting, including meals and receptions, may also be arranged.
• Workshop Sponsor. Consortium members may sponsor a special interest VAC workshop. Sponsors will be involved setting the workshop agenda, recognized on all promotional materials for the meeting, and will have special opportunities to highlight their products during the workshop. Workshop costs vary based on meeting location, length, and complexity.

Join the VAC Consortium

1. Register and purchase a VAC Consortium Membership (Use this form even if you will be paying via check)
2. Sign and return the VAC Consortium Member Agreement (This is available to preview on the registration form, and a completed version will be e-mailed to you after registration.)