Advanced Imaging Society
The Advanced Imaging Society is a U.S. non-profit trade association founded in 2009 that convenes major entertainment studios and technology vendors to advance immersive imaging technologies (3D, VR, AR, HDR) through the Lumiere Awards, conferences, and a global membership program spanning 20+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersEncino, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Advanced Imaging Society does
The Advanced Imaging Society (AIS) is a U.S.-based non-profit trade association founded in 2009 by a coalition of major entertainment studios and technology companies — including The Walt Disney Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Sony, Paramount, IMAX, Dolby, Panasonic, and MasterImage — to advance the creative arts and sciences of advanced imaging technologies such as stereoscopic 3D, VR, AR, HDR, 8K, High Frame Rate, volumetric capture, light field imaging, and immersive audio. Headquartered in the Los Angeles area with a lean staff of 1–10, AIS serves entertainment and technology professionals through four core program surfaces: the Lumiere Awards (its flagship annual recognition for immersive storytelling, currently honoring achievements across VR, AR, HDR, Stereo 3D, 360 Video, HFR, AI, and Real-Time Rendering), the On the Lot Conference, the AIS Evolve Summit, the Remote Control Virtual Production Conference, and member-facing content programs including The Insiders Show podcast and The Closeup video series.
AIS operates a membership-based business model funded by annual dues from studios and technology companies, recurring event sponsorships (e.g., Google Cloud as presenting sponsor of On the Lot, Dell as tech awards presenter), and one-time Lumiere Awards nomination and submission fees. Its distribution model is direct enterprise engagement: members gain board participation, quarterly research access, industry introductions, logo placement, demo and reception opportunities, and global speaking engagements. The society has extended its reach through regional chapters in the U.S., Japan (advancedimagingsociety.jp), the EU (stereopsia.com), India (theadvancedimagingsocietyindia.com), Canada, China, and the U.K., collectively serving thousands of professionals across more than 20 countries. AIS does not sell a unified software product; its commercial value is the curated forum and recognition platform it provides at the intersection of creative leadership and entertainment technology.
The organization is led by Jim Chabin as President & CEO (who also serves as CFO) and governed by a Board of Governors drawn from member companies, with founding chairman Buzz Hays (Global Head of Entertainment Industry at Google Cloud) anchoring technology-side leadership. Its strategic posture centers on category stewardship — defining what counts as advanced imaging achievement in entertainment — rather than on building proprietary technology assets.
Advanced Imaging Society firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Advanced Imaging Society
- Legal name
- The Advanced Imaging Society
- Website
- https://theadvancedimagingsociety.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Advanced Imaging Society is a U.S. non-profit trade association founded in 2009 that convenes major entertainment studios and technology vendors to advance immersive imaging technologies (3D, VR, AR, HDR) through the Lumiere Awards, conferences, and a global membership program spanning 20+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Advanced Imaging Society industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entertainment Technology Trade Association
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting) (MPAGAOAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual Events & Conferences Live Streaming Platforms (MPACACAL), Immersive/Interactive Animation (AR/VR/Real-Time) (MPAHACAN)
Keywords
Where Advanced Imaging Society is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Encino
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Advanced Imaging Society business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership dues from studio and technology companies to participate in the organization's programs, access resources, and network with industry peers.
- Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from technology companies and studios supporting conferences like On the Lot, Evolve Summit, and Remote Control events.
- Awards Submissions: Nomination and submission fees for companies seeking recognition through the Lumiere Awards program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Membership tiers for studios and technology companies |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Advanced Imaging Society product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Advanced Imaging Society is a non-profit industry association that advances the arts and technologies of 3D, 360-degree content, and immersive imaging (including VR, AR, HDR, stereoscopic 3D, and real-time rendering) for professionals in entertainment and marketing. It operates a membership program, annual industry conferences (On the Lot, AIS Evolve Summit, Remote Control), the Lumiere Awards recognition program, podcasts, and video content for its global member community.
Product overview
The Advanced Imaging Society is an industry association focused on advancing creative arts and sciences of advanced imaging technologies. The organization operates as a platform offering industry awards (Lumiere Awards), professional conferences (On the Lot, AIS Evolve Summit, Remote Control), video content programs (The Insiders Show podcast, The Closeup video series), and member networking/benefits services. It does not offer a unified software product but rather provides industry programs, events, and content that serve the entertainment technology community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lumiere Awards: Annual awards recognizing outstanding international achievement in the creation of immersive storytelling using advanced visual technologies like VR, AR, HDR, Stereo 3D, 360 Video, High Frame Rate, AI, and Real-Time Rendering.
- The Insiders Show
- The Closeup
Products and services
- Lumiere Awards
Companies that use Advanced Imaging Society
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Advanced Imaging Society technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Advanced Imaging Society partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.
- Japan Chapter (AIS Japan)coreRegional chapter of Advanced Imaging Society operating in Japan, hosted at advancedimagingsociety.jp
- EU Chapter (Stereopsia)coreRegional chapter serving European market, associated with stereopsia.com
- India Chapter (AIS India)coreRegional chapter of Advanced Imaging Society serving Indian market, hosted at theadvancedimagingsocietyindia.com
- DolbykeyAIS & Dolby Screening Series - collaborative screening program showcasing content using Dolby technologies. Dolby is a technology member of AIS providing advanced audio and video technologies for cinema and home entertainment.
- Paramount StudioskeyHost venue for On the Lot Conference 2018 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Paramount is a founding member and active participant in AIS initiatives.
- Google CloudkeyGoogle Cloud is a presenting sponsor of On the Lot Conference and technology member. Buzz Hays serves as Global Head of Entertainment Industry at Google Cloud and is founding Chairman of AIS.
- DellkeyTech Awards presenter and sponsor with Gary Radburn serving as VP of Commercial VR/AR and Vice Chair of VR/AR for AIS. Dell Innovation Studios involved in On the Lot Conference.
- Microsoft MetastagekeyHost venue for On the Lot Conference Day 2 at Metastage facility at Culver Studios, specializing in volumetric capture technology.
- DreamWorks AnimationkeyFounding member of AIS (formed in 2009). Bruce Tartaglia serves on AIS Board. DreamWorks won 2019 AIS Technology Award for OpenVDB Data Structure System.
- Sony Pictures EntertainmentkeyStudio member with Innovation Studios led by Glenn Gainor. Bill Baggelaar (former Sony CTO) serves on AIS programming. Sony Electronics is also a technology member.
- V-NovakeyLondon-based technology member with 1,000+ patents specializing in video compression. V-Nova PresenZ volumetric VR format featured on The Insiders Show podcast discussing 6DoF immersive experiences.
- CinionickeyWim Buyens serves as Immediate Past Chairman of AIS Board and CEO of Cinionic. Cinionic won multiple awards for laser projection technology. Cinema entertainment technology provider.
- AdobekeyTechnology member whose apps (Premiere Pro, After Effects, Frame.io) are used to create award-winning films. Adobe won Century Award at Lumiere Awards.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Advanced Imaging Society competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Visual Effects Society (VES): VES is a professional honorary society for VFX practitioners worldwide, running the annual VES Awards. It is a direct peer because both organizations exist to recognize and advance advanced imaging technologies used in entertainment and share overlapping member rosters in studios and technology vendors.
- National Association of Broadcasters (NAB): The National Association of Broadcasters is a U.S. trade association representing broadcasters and the broader digital media ecosystem, hosting the flagship NAB Show. It is a direct peer because it serves the same entertainment-technology constituency as AIS, is already an AIS technology member, and operates conferences and awards that directly overlap AIS's mandate.
- Producers Guild of America (PGA): PGA is a professional trade organization representing producers across film, television, and new media. It is a direct peer because it shares the same Hollywood creator-and-studio constituency as AIS and runs recognition events and conferences in the same entertainment production space.
- Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE): SMPTE is the global standards body for motion picture, television, and digital media engineering. It is a direct peer because AIS's mission of advancing imaging technologies (HDR, 8K, HFR) closely parallels SMPTE's standards-setting work and serves overlapping technical and studio membership.
- Stereopsia: Stereopsia is the European partner organization serving as AIS's E.U. chapter, hosting the Stereopsia conference focused on immersive and 3D technologies. It is a direct peer because it operates as both a regional chapter and an independent immersive-tech event series that competes for the same European AR/VR community.
- XR Association: The XR Association is the trade association for the spatial computing ecosystem (AR/VR/MR), with members including Meta, Microsoft, Google, and others that overlap with AIS's technology member roster. It is a direct peer because AIS's VR/AR/volumetric capture mandate closely mirrors XRA's immersive technology focus.
Broad incumbents
- Television Academy (Emmys): The Television Academy produces the Primetime Emmy Awards and operates as the dominant television industry honors body. It is a broad incumbent because AIS explicitly benchmarks Lumiere Awards against the Emmys and operates in the same entertainment-recognition category.
- Motion Picture Association (MPA): The MPA is the trade association representing the major U.S. film studios (including several AIS members such as Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Netflix, Paramount, and Sony). It is a broad incumbent because it serves the same studio members on advocacy and standards work that AIS serves on technology adoption and recognition.
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS): AMPAS operates the Academy Awards (Oscars), the most recognized film awards body globally. It is a broad incumbent because AIS positions the Lumiere Awards "on par with Emmys and Oscars," making AMPAS both an aspirational benchmark and the dominant awards authority in the same entertainment technology space.
Regional players
- ASIFA-Hollywood (International Animated Film Association): ASIFA-Hollywood administers the Annie Awards for animation and represents the U.S. chapter of the international animation trade body. It is a regional peer because animation studios (Pixar, DreamWorks) are AIS members, putting ASIFA in overlapping territory on advanced imaging recognition for animated productions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Advanced Imaging Society social profiles
Digital presenceAdvanced Imaging Society financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Advanced Imaging Society leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Advanced Imaging Society funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Advanced Imaging Society M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Advanced Imaging Society
What does Advanced Imaging Society do?
The Advanced Imaging Society is a non-profit industry association that advances the arts and technologies of 3D, 360-degree content, and immersive imaging (including VR, AR, HDR, stereoscopic 3D, and real-time rendering) for professionals in entertainment and marketing. It operates a membership program, annual industry conferences (On the Lot, AIS Evolve Summit, Remote Control), the Lumiere Awards recognition program, podcasts, and video content for its global member community.
Is Advanced Imaging Society a public or private company?
Advanced Imaging Society is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Advanced Imaging Society founded?
Advanced Imaging Society was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Advanced Imaging Society based?
Advanced Imaging Society is headquartered in Encino, United States, in the North America region.
How does Advanced Imaging Society make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Sponsorships and awards Submissions.
Who are Advanced Imaging Society's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Visual Effects Society (VES), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), Stereopsia and XR Association. Broad incumbents are Television Academy (Emmys), Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). ASIFA-Hollywood (International Animated Film Association) is listed as a regional player.
Does Advanced Imaging Society have an API?
No public API is recorded for Advanced Imaging Society.
What industry is Advanced Imaging Society in?
Advanced Imaging Society's product category is Entertainment Technology Trade Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAOAN, Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting), with a secondary code of MPACACAL, Virtual Events & Conferences Live Streaming Platforms. Its NAICS code is 516 and its SIC code is 7829.