fbpx
HPA Awards - Submit an Entry Now!

Key Dates for 2024 HPA Tech Retreat:

  • February 19-22, 2024 – HPA Tech Retreat, Westin Mission Hills, Rancho Mirage, CA
  • July 2023 – Innovation Zone Applications Open
  • August 2023 – Call for Proposals Open – Main Program & Roundtables
  • October 2023 – Main Program Call for Proposals Closes

About the HPA Tech Retreat:

Why is the HPA Tech Retreat the most important event of the year?

Bringing together a world-class roster of leaders in engineering, technology, creativity and business to explore and experience the most compelling topics around the creation, management, and dissemination of content, the HPA Tech Retreat is unique among industry events. Ideas are rigorously explored and debated – not just during onstage presentations, but continuously throughout the event, from breakfast roundtables through to nightcaps.

The Tech Retreat depends on participants turning away from their day-to-day routines to engage with the brightest minds in the industry. This kind of focused, and authentic discussion between experts happens nowhere else.

Who Will Be There?

Participants have included Oscar winners, studio technology chiefs, NASA scientists, and executives from the most compelling technology hubs.  Attendees are there to engage completely with forward-looking trends and technologies of the content creation ecosystem while tackling issues of the present from fresh perspectives.


NAVIGATE THE FUTURE

Networking

The who’s who of the industry gather to connect, collaborate and shape the future of media and entertainment. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to get in front of top level decision makers without distractions. No mute buttons here!

Breakfast Roundtables

Pull up a chair with a handful of thought leaders and hear from a subject matter expert while you enjoy your parfait. Ask questions, argue, learn, and enjoy. Bon Appetit with a side of insight.

Tech Retreat Features

TR-X

TR-X

Tech Retreat Extra is a one-day deep dive into a new topic each year. Stay tuned!

Supersession

Supersession

Why so super? This session has been on the cutting edge of technology and workflows in today’s ever-changing landscape. See what happens in 2024!

Main Program

HPA Tech Retreat Main Program

The launchpad and very foundation of the Tech Retreat. A day and a half of panels and presentations about the most important and intriguing ideas today, given by the people who know the most about them. Curated by the inimitable Mark Schubin, HPA Tech Retreat Maestro in Residence.

Innovation Zone

Innovation Zone

See it in the Main Program or the Supersession or TRX? Want to experience it in a fully interactive environment? It’s where you can find the latest and most compelling technologies for tire kicking and test driving. Applications open in July 2023.

2023 Tech Retreat Participating Companies

  1. 3500Kelvin
  2. 3BMG
  3. 3rd i Digital
  4. 495 Productions
  5. 4Wall Entertainment
  6. 6P Color, Inc
  7. A+E Networks
  8. AbelCine
  9. Absen
  10. Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
  11. Adobe
  12. Advanced HDR by Technicolor
  13. Advanced Systems Group LLC
  14. AJA Video Systems
  15. Altman Solon
  16. ALT Systems, Inc.
  17. Amazon
  18. Amazon Prime Video
  19. Amazon Studios
  20. Ambidio
  21. AMD
  22. Annex Pro
  23. AOTO USA
  24. Apple
  25. Arch Platform Technologies
  26. ARRI
  27. ArsenalFX Color
  28. Artistic Resources Corp.
  29. ASG
  30. ASTRODESIGN INC
  31. Ateliere Creative Technologies
  32. Autodesk
  33. Avid Technology Inc
  34. AWS
  35. Backblaze
  36. Backlight
  37. Barco
  38. Barnstorm VFX
  39. Baylor University Film And Digital Media Department
  40. Belinda Reps . . . .
  41. Berkeley Communications
  42. Bibio Consulting Limited
  43. Blackmagic Design
  44. Blackstar Engineering
  45. Boland Communications Inc
  46. Bolt Graphics, Inc.
  47. Brooklyn College
  48. Bubble Agency
  49. BYU Broadcasting
  50. Cambridge Research
  51. Canon USA, Inc.
  52. Change-IO
  53. CHAOS GROUP
  54. CHESA
  55. Chesapeake Systems
  56. Christie Digital Systems
  57. CineCert Inc.
  58. Cinegy
  59. CineSys
  60. Cinnafilm
  61. Cobalt Digital Inc.
  62. CODEX+PIX
  63. Colorfront
  64. Color Space
  65. Company 3 Method Studios
  66. Computer Graphic News
  67. Conductor Technologies
  68. Convergent Risks
  69. Crafty Apes
  70. Creative Computing Solutions
  71. Cricket Lane Post
  72. CUNY TV
  73. Dalet Digital Media Systems
  74. Dark Fiber Production Technology
  75. DataCore
  76. Data Expedition, Inc.
  77. Dell
  78. Deloitte Consulting LLP
  79. Deluxe Media Inc.
  80. Department of Defense
  81. Devoncroft
  82. Digital Domain
  83. Disguise Systems Ltd.
  84. Diskover Data Inc
  85. Diversified
  86. Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
  87. DPP
  88. DreamWorks Animation
  89. DTS/Xperi
  90. EBU
  91. EditShare
  92. EIKON Group
  93. EIZO
  94. ELEMENTS Media Solutions Inc
  95. Eluvio, Inc
  96. Endava
  97. Entertainment and Media Technology Marketing, Inc.
  98. Entertainment Technology Center @ USC
  99. Epic Games
  100. Evercast
  101. Evertz Microsystems
  102. EVL/UIC
  103. Exceptional Minds
  104. Fancy Film Post Services
  105. Filmlight
  106. First Mile Technologies
  107. Florical Systems
  108. Fortinet
  109. Foundry
  110. Fox Entertainment Group, Inc.
  111. FPT Software
  112. Frame.io
  113. Fujifilm/Fujinon
  114. Fuse technical group
  115. FX-DMZ
  116. GB Labs
  117. GDC Technology
  118. Geoffrey Tully Inc
  119. Glassbox
  120. GLOSHINE USA INC.
  121. Google
  122. Google Cloud
  123. GrayMeta
  124. Hammerspace
  125. HAND (Human & Digital)
  126. HoloDeck LED
  127. HP Teradici
  128. IABM
  129. ICVR
  130. IDC LA
  131. ILLUMINATE
  132. Imagica Entertainment Media Services
  133. Imajeo Ltd
  134. IMAX
  135. Implid Ventures – Perfect Memory
  136. IN2CORE
  137. Independent Security Evaluators
  138. INFILED
  139. InterDigital
  140. International Cinematographers Guild
  141. Interra Systems, Inc.
  142. intoPIX sa
  143. iodyne
  144. KCET/PBS SoCal
  145. Key Code Media
  146. Keywords Studios
  147. Kibo121
  148. Kino Flo Lighting Systems
  149. Lawo
  150. LDS Motion Picture Studio
  151. LearnIPVideo
  152. Lewis Communications
  153. LG Electronics
  154. LG Electronics – Zenith R&D
  155. Library of Congress
  156. Light Iron
  157. Like Minded Labs
  158. LinkedIn
  159. LucidLink
  160. M2 IT Consulting
  161. Magicbox
  162. Marvel Studios
  163. MAX Post
  164. Media Globalization Consultancy
  165. Megapixel VR
  166. MelroseINC
  167. MelroseMAC, Inc.
  168. Merrill Weiss Group LLC
  169. MESH
  170. Microsoft
  171. MJB Consulting
  172. Mobile TV Group
  173. Mod Tech Labs
  174. Modern Film Consortium
  175. Mo-Sys
  176. Motion Picture Association
  177. Motion Picture Solutions
  178. MovieLabs
  179. MPSE
  180. NAB
  181. NAGRA
  182. NBCUniversal
  183. NEP
  184. NetApp Inc.
  185. NetApp & Berkeley Communications
  186. Netflix
  187. NEWSBRIDGE
  188. Nomad
  189. NVIDIA
  190. NTC
  191. Object Matrix
  192. Open Drives
  193. Origin Point
  194. PACE / JUCE / ADC
  195. PADEM Media Group
  196. Panavision
  197. Paramount
  198. Paramount Global
  199. PB Technologies Group LLC
  200. Perception Grid
  201. Perfect Memory
  202. Perforce Software
  203. PHOTRON LIMITED
  204. Picture Shop
  205. Pixar Animation Studios
  206. Pixelogic
  207. Pixelworks
  208. Pixitmedia
  209. Pixotope
  210. Planar
  211. Portrait Displays, Inc.
  212. postPerspective
  213. Post Super Ltd
  214. Preevue
  215. PRG Production Resource Group
  216. Prime Focus Technologies Inc.
  217. ProductionPro
  218. ProVideo Coalition
  219. PUBLIC MEDIA GROUP OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
  220. Puget Systems
  221. QTAKE
  222. Quantum Corp
  223. Qube Cinema
  224. Real D
  225. RED
  226. RFX Inc
  227. RheinMain Univerz
  228. Riedel Communications
  229. ROE Visual US, Inc
  230. Rohde & Schwarz
  231. Ross Video
  232. Roundabout Entertainment
  233. Scale Logic Inc
  234. Scanline VFX
  235. SchubinCafe.com
  236. SDVI
  237. Seagate Technology LLC
  238. Sensor Tower
  239. SGO
  240. Shift Media
  241. Signiant
  242. Skywalker Sound
  243. SMPTE
  244. Sohonet
  245. Solotech
  246. Sony Electronics
  247. Sony Pictures
  248. Sound Particles
  249. Spectra Logic
  250. SPROCKIT
  251. SRI International
  252. Stanford University Byers Eye Institute
  253. Storj
  254. Streambox Inc
  255. STYPE & BROTHERS, INC.
  256. Synaflux
  257. TAG Video Systems
  258. Tech Standard Solutions
  259. Technicolor
  260. Telestream, Inc.
  261. Teradek
  262. Teradici
  263. Testronic
  264. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  265. The Hollywood Reporter
  266. The Landmark Group
  267. The Mill
  268. The Modern Film Consortium
  269. The Rebel Fleet
  270. The Studio-B&H
  271. The Walt Disney Company
  272. TMS Consulting, Inc.
  273. TMT Insights
  274. Trackit.io
  275. Tractiv
  276. Trailblazer Studios
  277. Universal Pictures
  278. Unreal Engine
  279. V-Nova
  280. Venera Technologies Inc.
  281. Verimatrix, Inc.
  282. Veritone
  283. Verizon
  284. Visual Data Media Services
  285. Vitrina AI
  286. Vizrt Group
  287. Voxx Studios
  288. Vū Technologies
  289. Wacom Technology Corporation
  290. Walden Pond
  291. Walt Disney Studios
  292. Warner Bros. Discovery
  293. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
  294. Wasabi Technologies
  295. WEKA
  296. Work Editorial
  297. X15
  298. X2X
  299. Xperi
  300. XR Studios
  301. Xytech Systems Corporation
  302. YouTube
  303. ZEISS Cinematography
  304. ZEISS Group
  305. Zero Density
  306. ZMC

Our Sponsors

Diamond Title Sponsor

Foundation Members

Media Partners

Location

The HPA Tech Retreat will take place February 19-22, 2024 at the The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA (Palm Springs area).

Nestled on 360 acres in Rancho Mirage, The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort is a desert oasis, moments from Palm Springs. Rugged mountains and panoramic views set an extraordinary backdrop for an unforgettable experience. Spacious guestrooms and suites feature signature Westin Heavenly Beds® and other personalized details. Several dining destinations beckon, showcasing flavorful California fare and 130,000 square feet of inspiring event space is at your disposal.

Attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. Registration fees for the Tech Retreat do not include hotel accommodations.


Event Hotel

The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa
71333 Dinah Shore Drive
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
http://www.marriott.com
Main Telephone: 1-877-253-0041

The Westin Mission Hills Reservations

HPA will have a room block available to book rooms at our discounted rate. Please check back for details when available.


Directions & Transportation

The Westin Mission Hills is located 7 miles from Palm Springs International Airport, 130 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 77 miles from Ontario Airport, 130 miles from Burbank Airport and 116 miles east of Los Angeles if driving. For driving directions, please click here. Or, For those of you who use GPS or Google Earth, the coordinates: 33.81021715293067 North, 116.41294168768748 West.

Shuttle Companies

Taxi Companies

  • Yellow Cab of the Desert
    760-340-8294
  • Uber
    Uber.com
  • Desert City Cab
    760-328-3000

There are also a large number of limo, town car and private shuttle options. The full listing of available ground transportation from the airport can be found here.


For More Local Area Information, Please Click Here.


FAQ

1. Health & Safety

HPA is committed to your health, safety, and comfort while attending the HPA Tech Retreat. Please read our Event Policy before registering, and do not hesitate to contact us at hpa@hpaonline.com with any questions or concerns.

We are currently following the most recent state and government guidelines for COVID-19 protocols. Currently, there are no health restrictions in place, but we strongly recommend that attendees continue to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We also encourage all attendees to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. 

In the event of any health concerns during the event, health and safety personnel will be available onsite. Please check-in with the Registration counter for assistance.

2. What is the HPA Tech Retreat?

The HPA Tech Retreat is the pre-eminent gathering of industry-leading thinkers and innovation-focused companies engaged in the creation, management, and dissemination of content. Every year, for a week near Palm Springs, the HPA Tech Retreat brings together a world-class roster of well-known and emerging leaders in engineering, technology, creativity and business. At the HPA Tech Retreat, the most compelling topics facing the media and entertainment landscape today are presented, explored and debated.

3. How did it start?

The International Teleproduction Society (ITS, later the Association of Imaging Technology and Sound) offered a Presidents Retreat to allow chief executives of its member companies to combine a vacation with some information exchange. In 1995, the idea was extended to engineers with a Technology Retreat, which rapidly became more information and less vacation. After ITS ceased operations in 2001, the HPA began sponsoring the Tech Retreat.

4. What does “all aspects” mean?

All aspects: academics, archivists, broadcasters, cable-TV system operators, cinematographers, computer and software makers, consultants, consumer-electronics manufacturers, digital rights managers, directors, display designers, editors, equipment-rental houses, forensic investigators, government officials, historians, Hollywood studios, intelligence analysts, interactive gamers, journalists, lawyers, lens manufacturers, licensing pools, the military, networks, producers, production facilities, professional-equipment manufacturers, post-production facilities, satellite-system operators, semiconductor manufacturers, sound mixers and editors, standards organizations, telephone companies, theater owners, venture capitalists, and vision scientists are among those who have been there or sent representatives.

There have been representatives of MPEG the Moving Picture Experts Group and MPEG the Motion Picture Editors Guild, NATO the National Association of Theater Owners and NATO the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. To add to the alphabet soup, AAF, AMPAS, ASC, ATSC, BBC, CEA, CEDIA, CPTWG, DCI, DoD, FCC, MPAA, NAB, NABA, NIMA, NSA, SMPTE, and USC have all been officially represented. So have ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, UPN, and the WB among broadcast networks; Sinclair and Tribune among other broadcast-station owners; Columbia/Tri-Star/Sony, Disney, Fox, Paramount, and Universal among Hollywood studios; Adobe, Apple, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft among others from the computer industry. People attending the retreat have also come from all over the world.

5. What does “top engineering and technical talent” mean?

SMPTE Fellows, Oscar nominees, Emmy-award winners and Ph.D.s. Creators of some of the basic technologies used daily in content creation.Many of the attendees have CTO, vp-engineering, or director of technology titles. Others work on blockbuster movies and top-rated streaming and broadcast. Thanks to the informal nature of the retreat, it’s not easy to tell, and everyone is welcome to attend.

The unofficial motto of the HPA Tech Retreat is “Someone Will Be There Who Knows the Answer.”

6. What does “informal” mean?

It’s not a typical technical conference. There are no droning introductions listing a presenter’s academic credentials. In fact, there are no introductions at all beyond name and affiliation.

7. What does “exchange information” mean?

The retreat is divided into several categories: pre-retreat seminars and events, the main program, breakfast roundtables, the demo area, the quizzes, and the softball challenge. There are also meals and breaks that are useful for networking.

8. What is the main program?

The main program is devoted to the most compelling issues of the time, with a focus to putting  the most knowledgeable experts together to explore and enliven a conversation around those issues.  Much of the main program is invited; the rest is drawn from submissions. The main program is run precisely by the clock. The slot for each presentation includes set-up and questions-&-answers, and speakers have sometimes been cut off in mid-sentence. Similarly, the program starts and returns from breaks at exactly the listed times.

9. How long are presentations in the main program?

They are probably a little shorter than they should be. Individual presentations typically last between 10 and 45 minutes. Panels typically run from 20 to 90 minutes. There is no fixed time period, but shorter presentations can more easily be squeezed in.

10. How does one get to present on the main program?

A Call for Proposals is issued every year around Labor Day. There are, year over year, more submissions than can be accommodated. The burning issues facing the ecosystem may help determine which submissions are accepted. Those wishing to make presentations should also consider breakfast roundtables and the demo area. Presentations in the main program, the breakfast roundtables, and the demo area are not mutually exclusive.

11. What are the breakfast roundtables?

Starting at 7:30 am, the breakfast roundtables are one of the most popular aspects of the retreat. Each table has a number which corresponds to a posted list of topics and moderators. Moderators may choose any topic and run the roundtables as they see fit. They may present information, gather information from those at the table, or simply moderate arguments between others. Popular tables might end up surrounded by layers of attendees and others might have only a few. There are no restrictions on topics other than length (so they may be printed; long topic titles will be abridged). There are no restrictions on moderators other than being registered at the retreat. All requests to moderate tables are accepted; if another moderator has chosen the same or a similar topic, the moderators will be informed so they may consider combining their tables. A moderator may choose to have tables at either or all, and if more than one, on the same or different topics. A single company or organization is welcome to provide moderators for as many roundtables as it would like. Once a roundtable is confirmed, it must be moderated, even if someone else seems to have a more attractive topic. Topics and moderators, however, may be changed.

12. What is the Innovation Zone?

The Innovation Zone is not a trade show but rather a curated area where the latest, often unseen technologies or applications are demonstrated.  Participants for the Innovation Zone must apply, and the applications are reviewed by the Innovation Zone manager and HPA Tech Retreat Committee.  The Innovation Zone is focused on new technology or applications. The retreat will provide table(s), chair(s), power, and security. No “booths” are permitted. No corporate signage is permitted; the retreat will provide a simple paper sign with the name of each demonstrator’s company or organization. Information about the technology or application is accepted and appreciated. White papers are encouraged. Relevant product literature is fine. Demonstrators are encouraged to join forces to show systems. In the past competitors have helped set up each other’s demonstrations.Many popular products were first introduced at the HPA Tech Retreat, -Panasonic’s Varicam and Sony’s HDCAM SR- among them. Other innovations shown at the retreat have yet to make it to mass manufacture, including a 72-frame-per-second HDTV camera and a system for automatically converging and color balancing multiple projectors forming a single image. Some are one of a kind, like a tiny Lucas Digital (ILM) camera-attitude sensor used in Star Wars: Episode 3. A slot in the main program at the end of the first day is reserved for demo introductions. Each demonstrator is allowed a very brief period (about a minute) to introduce the demonstration. That is followed by the first scheduled demo session, which includes a cocktail reception for attendees and their registered guests. There is another scheduled demo session at the end of the last day. In between, attendees may schedule demos at mutually convenient times.

13. What are the quizzes?

A quiz relating to television technology is posted at the registration table at the beginning of each session. A bowl is also provided there for answers. The first quiz is relatively easy, and there are multiple winners. Quizzes get progressively harder.
One year, participants were asked to derive the NTSC color subcarrier from scratch. Another quiz asked for the next number in these series: 51, 25, 19, 13, 8, 6 and …21, 16, 11, 8, 6.

Those entering are welcome to consult others, reference books, or the Internet. Past prizes have included glow-in-the-dark statues of the patron saint of television and plush teddy-bear TV remote controls.

We use non-personally-identifiable cookies to analyze our traffic and enhance your HPA site experience. By using our website, you consent to the placement of these cookies. Learn More »

Pin It on Pinterest