Author:
Jitao Sang (Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China)
From building a local multimedia community to fostering international collaboration
Multimedia research advances when ideas, disciplines, and communities meet. Professional societies help create the connections that allow research to grow locally and contribute globally. Since its establishment in January 2009, the ACM SIGMM China Chapter has worked to connect researchers in China with the international SIGMM community, create sustained opportunities for exchange, and build platforms for collaboration across academia and industry.
At the heart of this work is a long-term ambition: to cultivate a connected and collaborative multimedia community in which researchers, students, engineers, and practitioners can share ideas, develop partnerships, and contribute to the direction of the field. Established during a period of rapid growth in multimedia research in China, the Chapter was first led by founding chair Yong Rui. It is currently led by Changsheng Xu (Chair), Shuqiang Jiang (Vice Chair), and Richang Hong (Secretary-General). Volunteers from universities, research institutes, and industry have helped sustain its activities and broaden its connections over the years.
The Chapter also works with academic organizations in China to strengthen the wider community. In collaboration with the CCF Multimedia Technical Committee, it has supported activities such as the Multimedia Technology Summit and Young Scholars Forum, creating opportunities for exchange across institutions and career stages. These activities reflect the Chapter’s role as a bridge between local research communities and the global SIGMM network.
From ICIMCS to ACM Multimedia Asia
The development of the Chapter can be clearly seen in its conference-hosting history.
The International Conference on Internet Multimedia Computing and Service (ICIMCS) was the Chapter’s first major conference initiative. From 2009 to 2018, ICIMCS was held in Kunming, Harbin, Chengdu, Wuhan, Huangshan, Xiamen, Zhangjiajie, Xi’an, Qingdao, and Nanjing. The annual series provided an international forum for research in multimedia computing, analysis, systems, and applications. It also gave the Chapter extensive experience in international conference organization and helped establish a sustained network of researchers and volunteers.
By 2017, the Chapter saw an opportunity to extend this community-building work beyond a China-based series. Tao Mei and Changsheng Xu submitted a proposal on behalf of the Chapter to merge ICIMCS with the Pacific-Rim Conference on Multimedia (PCM) and establish ACM Multimedia Asia (MM Asia). The proposal joined ICIMCS’s established network in China with PCM’s long-standing Pacific-Rim community, creating the basis for a regional platform serving researchers and practitioners across Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
SIGMM approved the proposal in October 2017, and MM Asia began in 2019 under the organization of the SIGMM China Chapter and SIGMM sponsorship. ICIMCS 2018 in Nanjing and PCM 2018 in Hefei marked the end of the two predecessor series, followed by the inaugural ACM Multimedia Asia in Beijing on December 16–18, 2019.
Since its launch, MM Asia has developed into a rotating Asia-Pacific conference series. After Beijing in 2019, it moved to Singapore in 2020, with that edition held virtually in March 2021, followed by Gold Coast in 2021, Tokyo in 2022, Taiwan in 2023, Auckland in 2024, and Kuala Lumpur in 2025. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Hanoi, Vietnam, in December.
This expansion represents more than a change in venue. It reflects the Chapter’s growing role in sustaining an international platform that connects multimedia communities across the region. By combining local volunteer effort, SIGMM sponsorship, and international collaboration, MM Asia carries forward the experience of ICIMCS and PCM while creating new opportunities for the wider community.
Looking Ahead: A Connected Multimedia Community
As multimedia research increasingly intersects with multimodal AI, generative media, and intelligent interactive systems, the need for exchange across disciplines and regions will continue to grow. The Chapter can build on its experience in conference organization and community engagement to support early-career researchers, encourage collaboration across institutions and industry, and strengthen links between researchers in China and the global SIGMM community. Researchers and practitioners can contribute by organizing seminars and workshops, participating in conference committees, and supporting activities for young scholars. The Chapter’s long-term ambition is to help ensure that the community it serves remains active, collaborative, and engaged in shaping the future of multimedia research.