Reports from ACM Multimedia 2024

Introduction

The ACM Multimedia Conference 2024, held in Melbourne, Australia from October 28 to November 1, 2024, was a major event that brought together leading researchers, practitioners, and industry professionals in the field of multimedia. This year’s conference marked a significant milestone as it was the first time since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic that the event returned to the Asia-Pacific region and resumed as a fully in-person gathering. The event offered a dynamic platform for presenting cutting-edge research, exploring new trends, and fostering collaborations across academia and industry.

Held in Melbourne, a city known for its vibrant culture and technological advancements, the conference was well-organized, ensuring a seamless experience for all participants. As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting the next generation of multimedia researchers, SIGMM awarded Student Travel Grants to 24 students. Each recipient received up to 1,000 USD to cover their travel and accommodation expenses. These grants were intended to help students who showed academic promise but faced financial barriers, allowing them to fully engage with the conference and its events. To apply, students were required to submit an online form, and the selection committee chose the recipients based on academic excellence and demonstrated financial need.

To give a voice to the travel grant recipients, we interviewed several of them to hear about their experiences and the impact the conference had on their academic and professional development. Below are some of their reflections.

Zhedong Zhang – Hangzhou Dianzi University

ACM Multimedia 2024 in Melbourne was my first international academic conference, and I am incredibly grateful to SIGMM for providing the travel grant. It was a great honor to present my paper, “From Speaker to Dubber: Movie Dubbing with Prosody and Duration Consistency Learning”, and to receive the Best Paper Award. As a PhD student, this recognition means a lot to me and encourages me to keep pushing forward with my research. 

Beyond the academic presentations, I had the chance to meet many brilliant researchers and fellow PhD students. I made connections with scholars working on similar topics and exchanged ideas that will help improve my work. The networking events and social gatherings were also highlights, as they allowed me to build friendships with colleagues from different parts of the world. I am truly grateful to SIGMM for making this experience possible and for the chance to be part of such a vibrant and inspiring academic community. I look forward to continuing my research and contributing to this exciting field.

Wu Tao – Zhejiang University

I’m incredibly grateful to the SIGMM team for awarding me this student travel grant – it really helped me a lot. I got to learn about so many fascinating papers at the conference and meet some brilliant professors and students. I even see some potential for future collaborations. I also had the chance to meet some big names in the field, like Tat-Seng Chua, who I’ve admired for a while. Meeting him, chatting, and even taking a photo with him felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m so thankful for it.

As for my own paper, I was both surprised and thrilled to see it actually got quite a bit of attention. At the welcome reception on the second day – before the poster session even began and before I’d even put up my poster – I noticed a few students already looking it up on their laptops. During the poster session, which was supposed to be two hours but probably stretched to three, I had a steady stream of people coming by to check out my work and ask questions. Some people even approached me earlier that morning. It was incredibly motivating to feel that kind of recognition and interest in what I’m working on. Thank you once again for this generous support! I look forward to attending the conference again.

Jianjun Qiao (Southwest Jiaotong University)

Attending ACM Multimedia 2024 in Melbourne was an incredible opportunity that greatly enriched my academic journey. This was my first time participating in an in-person conference, and I’m so grateful for the experience. The keynotes were fascinating, especially the talk on the Multimodal LLMs, which has significantly influenced my current research. I also enjoyed the poster sessions, where I could present my own work and engage in meaningful discussions with researchers from diverse backgrounds. The networking opportunities were invaluable, and I made several connections that I believe will lead to fruitful collaborations. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to SIGMM for the travel grant, which made my attendance possible. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

Changli Wu (Xiamen University)

ACM Multimedia 2024 was an unforgettable experience that exceeded all my expectations. As a PhD student, this was my first time presenting my research on 3D Referring Expression Segmentation at such a prestigious conference. The discussions I had with other attendees were invaluable, and I received constructive feedback that will undoubtedly improve my work. The diversity of the sessions was a highlight for me, as I was exposed to a variety of multimedia topics that I hadn’t considered before. The conference also provided a unique opportunity to interact with industry leaders, and I am now considering how to apply my research in real-world settings.