HPA issues call for proposals for 2022 tech retreat

The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has issued the call for proposals for the 2022 HPA Tech Retreat, the annual gathering of professionals from around the world who work at the intersection of technology and creative media.  The 2022 HPA Tech Retreat will take place February 21-24 at the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA.

The proposals selected in this process make up the main program, a series of short panels and presentations that sets the agenda for the year ahead in creative technology. Past presenters’ affiliations have included government agencies, academic institutions, and companies large and small. Proposals will be accepted through October 29.  

This year’s HPA Tech Retreat will return to its engaging in-person format which launches with TR-X (Tech Retreat Extra) and continues with the Supersession and main conference program hosted by Mark Schubin.  As in the past, breakfast roundtables, networking events and the Innovation Zone will complement the daily session.  

The HPA Tech Retreat attracts a wide array of distinguished attendees and speakers and engages leaders from every facet of the content ecosystem to debate, discuss, and educate about the industry’s dynamic path. 

Call for Proposals: Main Program

Main program presentations are strictly reserved for marketing-free content. The HPA Tech Retreat’s Mark Schubin notes that main program sessions can include a wide range of topics: “Anything involving motion imaging or associated technologies (such as sound) is fair game. Got a new way of solving a problem? Found fault with an old way? Thought of something no one has considered before? We’re interested, and you’ll get feedback from the best.”

Proposals are informal in nature and can be as short as a few words in length (typically a few sentences) and must be submitted directly by the would-be presenter. Submitters will be contacted if the topic is of interest. Presentations in the main program are typically of half-hour duration (though other time slots will be considered, and shorter ones are preferred), including set-up and Q&A. Time limits are enforced. The deadline to submit main program proposals is end of day, October 29. Submissions should be sent to tvmark@earthlink.net. All submissions are acknowledged soon after receipt. 

Schubin also noted that “We are always interested in hearing from those new to the event, particularly members of underrepresented groups; we greatly value their perspectives.”  

Call for Proposals: Breakfast Roundtables

Breakfast roundtables are set for Tuesday, February 22, Wednesday February 23 and Thursday, February 24. Unlike the main program presentations, breakfast roundtable moderators are permitted to include marketing information. 

Breakfast roundtables always fill quickly and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with no vetting process. Proposals must be submitted in the same way, directly by their proposed table moderators. Once the maximum number of tables is reached, no more will be accepted. All breakfast roundtable moderators must be registered for the Retreat and there is no Retreat registration discount conveyed by moderating a breakfast roundtable. 

Seth Hallen, president of HPA said: “It’s no secret that our industry has changed dramatically. The accompanying leaps in technology that have come to fruition since we last met in the desert have been nothing short of extraordinary. The HPA Tech Retreat – which will return to its deeply engaged, conversational, exploration-oriented roots – remains the place where problems and developments are put forth, explored and understood. Vital and important at its core, the Tech Retreat continues to evolve to speak to a changing industry of many different disciplines.” Hallen emphasizes, “We eagerly await the proposals for this year’s program, which promise to demand an even higher level of attention from our attendees. I sincerely hope for first time presenters and submissions from a broad spectrum of thought, with the goal of new approaches and paradigms being presented by speakers representative of our entire diverse community. With Mark’s program, and the plans we are putting in place for the supersession and TRX, the content will, as ever, be out of this world.” 

The HPA Tech Retreat perennially sells out. As the event returns to the in-person format, which may require some limitations to develop a safe and healthy event, it is anticipated that the attendance and presentation slots for 2022 will fill particularly quickly. Early registration and proposal submission are highly encouraged. Tech Retreat registration will open in October.