How IMAX Thinks About Immersive Experiences

Immersion is NOT a technology, and immersive experiences are NOT defined by devices or formats! Drawing on IMAX’s engineering-driven approach, this keynote explores immersion as a perceptual outcome shaped by human vision, sound, and cognitive limits. From large-scale cinema to home delivery, it examines how IMAX minimizes perceptual failure modes, preserves creative intent, and delivers sustained presence rather than novelty.

Pablo Calamera is a technology leader with more than 35 years of experience building innovative products and leading global organizations across the media, entertainment, and communications industries. He has held senior roles at some of the world’s most influential technology companies, from Apple to startups later acquired by Microsoft and Clear Channel. He currently serves as EVP & CTO of IMAX, where he oversees global technology strategy and leads initiatives in cloud, AI, mobile, and consumer electronics while strengthening the company’s core theatrical technologies. His leadership has helped IMAX expand into new markets and deliver groundbreaking solutions for audiences worldwide. Previously, Calamera was CTO of JW Player, Vonage, Clear Channel/iHeartRadio, and Thumbplay. At Vonage, he helped transform the company into one of the top UCaaS providers in the US At Clear Channel, he launched iHeartRadio, a leading music streaming service. Earlier, at Apple, his teams built MobileMe, the service that launched with iPhone — now branded iCloud. Calamera has also pioneered in consumer technologies at Danger (Sidekick), WebTV, and NotifyMe Networks, where he was co-founder and CTO. His career is marked by a consistent record of innovation, from early internet and mobile services to global-scale streaming platforms. He holds more than a dozen patents and has served on boards/advisory councils including Brown University’s Executive Master in Science and Technology Leadership program.

Tue, May 5, 2026 8:30 AM

Exhibit Hall registration includes access to keynote session. Exhibit Hall pass is complimentary with technical sessions (Symposium, Seminars, Business Conference, Computer Vision Conference). Register here.

Creating High-Quality Visual Experiences Through Disruptive Innovation and Collaborative Ecosystems

Display technologies are evolving beyond traditional screens to become ubiquitous interactive interfaces, profoundly transforming the way people live and interact with the world. However, delivering immersive, high-quality, and sustainable visual experiences remains a key challenge for the industry. This presentation will focus on the system-level value and emerging application scenarios of next-generation displays, and will share practical insights into how Visionox intelligent Pixelization (ViP) technology drives disruptive innovation and ecosystem collaboration —  bringing high-quality visual experiences and inspiring new possibilities for users worldwide.

Julia Yan is co-president of Visionox Technology, Inc. She holds a master’s degree from Peking University and an EMBA from Tsinghua University, and has more than 20 years of experience in the electronic display industry. She joined the OLED project team at Tsinghua University in 2000 and was a member of Visionox’s founding team, contributing to the establishment of China’s first mass-production PMOLED line. She has since played a key role in advancing AMOLED industrialization and the early development of next-generation display technologies such as microLED. Dedicated to building an open, collaborative, and sustainable display ecosystem, she is guided by the long-term vision of “Displays Everywhere” and continues to promote the expansion of display technologies into broader application scenarios and better experiences, contributing to the global display industry’s high-quality development.

Tue, May 5, 2026 8:30 AM

Exhibit Hall registration includes access to keynote session. Exhibit Hall pass is complimentary with technical sessions (Symposium, Seminars, Business Conference, Computer Vision Conference). Register here.

Enhancing the Human Experience with Artificial Intelligence

Advances in artificial intelligence are rapidly reshaping what machines can do, and this keynote focuses on how these advances are enhancing the human experience. Drawing on decades of work in computational perception, Bhowmik traces the evolution from enabling machines to sense the world to using AI to augment human capabilities. He presents a new class of intelligent, multifunctional ear-worn devices that improve communication, health, and daily interactions. The talk then explores emerging AI-native devices enabling multisensory human interactions, including augmented reality systems integrating vision and audition, and their implications for the display ecosystem. It concludes with a vision for human-centered technologies that seamlessly integrate into everyday life.

Achin Bhowmik is the chief technology officer and executive vice president of engineering at Starkey, where he leads the development of AI-powered communication and health-monitoring devices. He is an adjunct professor at Stanford University, where he teaches and advises research in computational perception, sensory augmentation, and intelligent systems. Bhowmik is also an affiliated faculty member of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and the Wu-Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Previously, as vice president and general manager of perceptual computing at Intel, he led pioneering advances in 3D sensing, computer vision, and immersive computing technologies that helped shape modern AR, VR, and autonomous systems. He is a Fellow of SID, IEEE, AIMBE, and AAIS, and has served as the president of SID. He sits on several boards, including RealSense, Mojo Vision, Astranu, OpenCV, the National Captioning Institute, and academic advisory boards at UC Berkeley and the University of Minnesota. Bhowmik has authored more than 200 publications, including three books and more than 80 patents worldwide. His innovations have been recognized with numerous honors, including TIME’s Best Inventions, the Gold Globee award for Most Innovative Person in Healthcare, and the Artificial Intelligence Excellence award.

Tue, May 5, 2026 8:30 AM

Exhibit Hall registration includes access to keynote session. Exhibit Hall pass is complimentary with technical sessions (Symposium, Seminars, Business Conference, Computer Vision Conference). Register here.

Architect of Global Content Operations & Studio Infrastructure

 In this talk, we’ll examine the dramatic evolution of human attention and storytelling, tracing the arc from the communal spectacles of ancient amphitheaters and early theatrical productions to today’s always-on, hyper-fragmented media environment. Drawing on more than three decades of leadership in media and entertainment, we’ll analyze how shifts in distribution, devices, and audience behavior have compressed adoption cycles — expediting transitions that once took decades, like the shift to color television, into the rapid emergence of today’s billion-dollar, mobile-first content ecosystems. We’ll explore how ubiquitous smartphones and democratized creation and distribution tools have redefined engagement, challenging traditional production models and reshaping notions of quality, scale, and cultural impact. Looking ahead, we’ll consider how emerging modalities, from robotics to drone-based narratives, can lead us toward increased digital fatigue or a more intentional, intelligent presence. Ultimately, the session reframes innovation not as a hardware problem, but as a human-centered opportunity to redesign how, where, and why stories meet us where we are

Joel Savitt unifies creative production, technology, and operations for global media leaders. For nearly three decades, he has served as a key architect at media and tech giants, including Google, YouTube, and NBCUniversal, translating ambitious creative goals into efficient, scalable global realities. As the director of Google Developer Studio, Savitt led a global in-house content studio responsible for over 2,600 videos per year. He oversaw 60 of Google’s O&O social channels (engaging 20M+ followers) alongside multi-disciplinary efforts across design, events, web production, intel, and localization. Previously, as Global Head of Production for YouTube Originals, Savitt managed a nine-figure annual global content budget and oversaw the end-to-end design and build of a multimillion-dollar sound stage facility. Savitt’s leadership extends beyond spreadsheets; he is a builder of teams and culture. From establishing the head of production role at Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Media to initiating the VP of production function at the Oxygen Network (for NBCUniversal), he has a track record of defining infrastructure from the ground up. His work has supported content that has won five Emmys, 19 Streamys, and three Webbys. Originally from Raleigh, NC, but now a three-decade Angeleno, Savitt is a member of the Television Academy and the Producers Guild of America.

Wed, May 6, 2026 12:00 – 2:00 PM

Display Industry Awards Lunch is held on Wed, May 6th at noon. Lunch tickets are available for purchase with conference registration. Register here.