We’re lucky to be in such an arts & design busy place as SoCal! Here are a few Conferences & Events you might like to check out. Pricing varies from free, to modest cost, to expensive. If you’re able to go, go! You’ll learn a lot and have fantastic opportunities to build out your career network!

Some conferences use student volunteers. This is a chance to get in free and network with both peers and pros!

All events are in LA/SoCal unless otherwise noted. Some are in different cities different years.

Calendar

January

• Anime Los Angeles – https://animelosangeles.org/

February

• LA Art Show – https://www.laartshow.com/

March

April

• Brewery Artwalk – https://breweryartwalk.com/

May

June

July

• Twitch Con, Paris – https://twitchcon.com/en/
• Anime Expo – https://www.anime-expo.org/

August

• Siggraph – https://www.siggraph.org/ (different cities different years, but in LA 1/2 the time)

September

• Pacific Design Center, Fall Market – https://pacificdesigncenter.com/fall-market-2023/

October

• Twitch Con, Las Vegas – https://twitchcon.com/en/
• Brewery Artwalk – https://breweryartwalk.com/
• Adobe Max – https://max.adobe.com/
• AIGA-LA Design Conference – https://losangeles.aiga.org/
• Lightbox Expo – https://lightboxexpo.com/
• SILA Illustration West Exhib – https://si-la.org/save-the-date-illustration-west-61-award-winners-exhibition-oct-4-27-2023/

November

• IAAPA (attractions industry), Florida – https://www.iaapa.org/expos/iaapa-expo
• World Animation Summit – https://animationmagazine.net/summit/

December

Other Lists

Here are other lists of Art Events around SoCal

• Curate LA – https://curate.la/
• Art Galleries in Los Angeles – https://art-collecting.com/galleries_ca_losangeles.htm

Professional Organizations

Many of these organizations have low-cost student memberships. In addition to big, annual conferences they often have great monthly speakers. They may not have gotten their monthly programming going again since the pandemic. But, they probably will before too much longer.

Join! Participate! Be informed! Network!

• Set Decorator’s Society of America – https://www.setdecorators.org/
• IAAPA (attractions industry) – https://www.iaapa.org/
• Art Directors Guild (IATSE) – https://adg.org/
• AIGA-LA (graphic arts) – https://losangeles.aiga.org/
• SILA (illustrators) – https://si-la.org/

Other Resources

Access to info!

• LA 411 Directory – https://la411.com/
• Graphic Artists Guild, Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines – https://www.amazon.com/dp/0262542390/

More?

List other Conferences, Events & Talks in the comments below and I’ll add them to our list!