VRST 2020

VRST 2020 will be a virtual conference!

Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to make VRST 2020 a virtual conference to ensure the safety of attendees. The conference will go ahead on the planned dates, and there is still time to submit to the technical program. Further details will be announced shortly.

ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology

Ottawa, Canada        November 1 - 4, 2020

News

We are pleased to announce the VRST 2020 keynote speakers will be Doug Bowman (Virginia Tech) and Mary Whitton (UNC Chapel Hill)!

  • Doug Bowman
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA
  • Mary Whitton
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

Welcome to Ottawa

VRST 2020 will be held alongside ACM CHI Play 2020 in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, which reflects the country’s bilingual and multicultural character. With over 12 national museums and the spectacular Gatineau Park, Ottawa River, Rideau River, and Rideau Canal (a UNESCO world heritage site) close by, there are many excellent recreational opportunities for attendees to enjoy.

Venue and Transportation

VRST 2020 will be held in downtown Ottawa’s largest convention centre, the Shaw Centre. The Shaw Centre is conveniently located near a wide range of hotels, restaurants, and entertainment options.

Getting to VRST 2020

The main ways of getting to VRST 2020 are summarized below.
  • By air to YOW: This is the general recommendation and also the easiest and fastest route. It is highly recommended for international visitors. The YOW airport has over 100 daily arriving flights and departures spread throughout the day, with daily arrivals from Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, Orlando, London, Calgary, Halifax, and various other destinations.
  • By air via other airports: It is possible to arrive at the Toronto (~400 km) or Montreal (~200 km) airports and make other arrangements from there. This option will be slower, but potentially less expensive. Visitors interested in sightseeing in southern Ontario might choose this option. Once landed, three options are available: train, bus or car.
    • Driving (rental car) is fastest: From Toronto on the 401, this will take about 4 hours. From Montreal on the Trans-Canada, it will take about 2 hours.
    • Train: Via Rail offers daily trains from Toronto Pearson Airport to Ottawa, which takes approximately 5.5 hours at around $100CAD. From Montreal Trudeau Airport, the trip is approximately 2.5 hours at around $45CAD.
    • Bus: Greyhound offers multiple daily busses from Toronto Pearson Airport to Ottawa. The trip takes approximately 6 – 7 hours, at about $45CAD. The trip from Montreal Trudeau Airport is about 2.5 hours at around $30CAD.

Sponsors

Related events

Nov. 1 to 4

CHI PLAY is the international and interdisciplinary conference (by ACM SIGCHI) for researchers and professionals across all areas of play, games and human-computer interaction (HCI)

CHI PLAY is co-located with VRST 2020 and with shared events

Oct. 31 to Nov. 1

ACM Symposium on Spatial User Interaction (SUI)

ACM SUI brings together top researchers and practitioners from around the world who focus on spatial interaction for Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and for real environments