Being a General Chair (GC) for IEEE VIS puts you at the head of a talented team of enthusiastic and capable people from around the world. It enables you to draw upon these people, and your own local talent, to deliver an exciting VIS conference in your way, as you bring the global visualization community to you. It is a lot of work, but it is a rewarding, influential, and well-supported role.
General Chairs work closely with the Visualization Steering Committee (VSC), IEEE staff, and the broader organizing committee to deliver a successful conference. The VSC provides continuity across conference cycles, strategic guidance, and support throughout the planning process, while enabling General Chairs to bring their own vision, innovations, and local perspective to IEEE VIS.
This structure has enabled many members of the community to deliver great international conferences in places that are important to them and in ways that reflect their local communities and strengths. Here, former General Chairs describe and reflect on their experiences to provide a sense of the benefits, opportunities, and workload associated with leading IEEE VIS. We hope that these perspectives inspire future organizers to help shape the next chapter of the VIS community.
““This is your chance to take the entire community to a whole new place!”
Johanna Schmidt (General Co-Chair, IEEE VIS 2025, Vienna)
“It is a big commitment, and not something to take on lightly, but in the end it is really fun. I would recommend it to anyone with the energy and desire to be involved in the community.”
Valerio Pascucci (General Co-Chair, IEEE VIS 2020, Salt Lake City)
“You learn a lot about our community and yourself. Even if you are very experienced in several aspects of VIS organization. Chairing a VIS conference is different and brings you many new insights that you never expected.”
Holger Theisel (General Co-Chair, IEEE VIS 2018, Berlin)
“It is like hosting an event for a thousand of your closest friends.”
Jim Ahrens (General Chair, IEEE VIS 2019, Phoenix)
What Does a General Chair Do?
General Chairs lead the planning and delivery of IEEE VIS. They oversee conference operations, assemble and coordinate the organizing committee, work with IEEE and local venues, manage strategic decisions about conference programming and attendee experience, and serve as ambassadors for the conference and community.
While the role requires significant commitment, General Chairs are supported by experienced volunteers, IEEE staff, and the Visualization Steering Committee throughout the process.
Have Influence
General Chairs deliver the conference according to an established framework, but there is considerable opportunity to shape the conference through new ideas, initiatives, and experiments. IEEE VIS encourages thoughtful innovation, and the VSC works with General Chairs to evaluate and support changes that strengthen the conference, broaden participation, improve attendee experience, and respond to the evolving needs of the community.
Former General Chairs have introduced initiatives that changed the scope, focus, and delivery of IEEE VIS while helping bring the conference to new audiences. Examples include:
- Expanding the art show substantially.
- Increasing funding and visibility for diversity programs.
- Introducing industry keynotes to strengthen industry engagement.
- Improving the supporter and sponsorship program.
- Moving to electronic poster sessions and online poster access.
- Introducing short papers across the conference.
- Enhancing attendee experiences through local culture and hospitality.
- Initiating career development activities for supporters, exhibitors, and attendees.
- Creating unified plenary experiences across SciVis, InfoVis, and VAST.
Showcase Your Part of the World and Inspire Your Group
Hosting IEEE VIS provides an opportunity to showcase your city, institution, and local research community to an international audience.
Former General Chairs have enjoyed introducing attendees to their home cities, institutions, facilities, and local culture while engaging students, collaborators, and colleagues in meaningful conference roles.
Local volunteers often take on important organizational responsibilities and gain valuable experience that helps strengthen the local visualization community.
“We are proud of the event (lasting memory 😊), but I also see a somewhat stronger community connection in the local scene now.”
“We selected local talent to deliver the conference, including our inspiring keynote speaker.”
Make New Connections
As a General Chair, you will work closely with a broad range of community members, from rising researchers to long-established leaders in the field.
Former General Chairs consistently report that working with conference organizers, volunteers, and community leaders results in lasting professional relationships and friendships that extend far beyond the conference itself.
“The organizing committee is really an amazing group with a great energy and desire to support the community. Being in the middle of it is really rewarding.”
“You get to know a wide range of people in the visualization community including people with different backgrounds, areas of interest, and passions in the field.”
Lead the VIS Team and Enhance Your Reputation
Serving as a General Chair provides visibility within both the VIS community and IEEE while offering opportunities to develop leadership, organizational, and strategic planning skills.
The role involves coordinating a large team of enthusiastic and capable volunteers while helping guide one of the field’s premier research conferences.
“Chairing is hard work but does not need to be overwhelming. There is a great team of people in the Visualization Steering Committee, the Organizing Committee, and at IEEE who will support you in planning and running the conference.”
“Being a GC gives you visibility within VIS and IEEE. It is a chance to develop organizational skills and demonstrate the ability to take on major leadership roles.”
Make a Contribution
Ultimately, serving as a General Chair is an opportunity to contribute to the long-term success of the visualization community.
Many former General Chairs describe the experience as one of the most meaningful forms of service they have undertaken, allowing them to shape the conference while giving back to a community that has supported their careers.
“People had a good time, and it is rewarding when they express their appreciation for that.”
“Folks still come up to me, over 10 years later, remembering interacting with me at that VIS or at least remembering the conference that year and recognizing I was the chair.”
“We worked hard to leave the conference in better shape than when we arrived.”
Think About It!
If you are inspired to think about hosting IEEE VIS, we encourage you to connect with the Visualization Steering Committee and review the IEEE VIS General Chair Applications and Bid Process.
The first stage of the process is intentionally lightweight. It is an opportunity to discuss ideas, explore possibilities, and receive feedback before investing significant effort in venue selection or detailed planning.
Remember that:
- Stage 1 commits you to nothing and simply initiates a conversation.
- Venue selection and negotiations occur later during Stage 2 with support from IEEE staff.
- What matters initially are desire, ambition, capability, and promising ideas for people and locations.
Building the Future of VIS
Under the current governance structure, the Visualization Steering Committee serves as the primary body responsible for conference continuity, future venue selection, General Chair appointments, and long-term strategic oversight. General Chairs partner closely with the VSC throughout the planning process, benefiting from the experience of previous organizers while retaining substantial flexibility to shape their own conference.
Ultimately, VIS as a community is looking for capable people to either take the conference to new places or revisit favorite locations that have served the community well. The conference thrives when new organizers bring fresh perspectives while building upon the experience and institutional knowledge of previous conference teams.
In both cases, we hope organizers will build upon this conference series to move IEEE VIS forward in exciting new directions that benefit the community, their institutions, and their host cities.
“Serving your community as a GC of VIS can be one of the most rewarding professional experiences of your career. If you love VIS, you can contribute and make your impression on the conference.”
Terry Yoo (General Co-Chair, IEEE VIS 2016, Baltimore)
“Hosting the IEEE VIS conference positions the chair’s institution at the forefront of the international visualization research community and enables the conference to benefit from new ideas, venues, and local talent upon which future conferences can build.”
Maxine Brown (General Co-Chair, IEEE VIS 2015, Chicago)
“Being a General Chair at IEEE VIS is an opportunity to be in both a leadership and service role simultaneously, helping steer and grow our community while serving the current and next generation of visualization researchers.”
Mike Kirby (General Co-Chair, IEEE VIS 2020, Salt Lake City)
“It’s really great to do something for the community.”
Johanna Schmidt (General Co-Chair, IEEE VIS 2025, Vienna)
Change Log
- May 2026 - VSC: Updated to reflect the unified Visualization Steering Committee governance structure, updated leadership terminology, and clarified the relationship between General Chairs and the VSC.
- April 2021 - VEC: Minor updates and proofreading.
- April 2021 - VEC: Initial version.
- 26 April 2021 - VEC : minor updates on proofing
- 23 April 2021 - VEC : created