I’d like to draw your attention to two visualization events that will be taking place in the next few months: InfoVis 2007 and VizThink 2008. Though quite different, these conferences are both worthwhile if you’re interested in the full spectrum of how visualizations can be used to help us think and communicate.

InfoVis 2007 (October 28 – November 1 in Sacramento, California) is this year’s version of an annual conference that is sponsored by IEEE. It is perhaps the best opportunity for people throughout the world who are involved in information visualization research and development to get together and showcase what they’re doing. This is where I go to stay in touch with the cutting edge of visualization research. Despite its academic and technical orientation, I believe that all software vendors who have an interest or any level of involvement in visualization ought to attend. This is a place where you can get to know people who really understand visualization and get exposed to great ideas that have not yet found their way into commercial software. I would especially love to see representatives there from every business intelligence vendor that sells software for reporting and analysis. I’ll be teaching a tutorial at the conference designed to help bridge the gap between infovis researchers and commercial software, and will also be delivering the capstone presentation, which will feature the infovis highlights of 2007–the good, the bad, and the just plain ugly.

VizThink is a brand new conference, which will have its inaugural conference January 27-29, 2008, in San Francisco. It is shaping up to include an interesting and ecclectic assembly of visualization experts. This event will bring together people who represent all the main ways that visualization can be used to enhance thinking and communication, including infographics, information visualization, mind mapping, and even comics. Along with me, featured speakers whose work I already know include Scott McCloud, Robert Horn, Nigel Holmes, Eileen Clegg, Dave Gray, and Nancy Duarte.

Take care,