Welcome to the community

While at SPIE Photonics West, join us in Moscone West, Level 2 – a place for everyone. You can attend networking and professional development events, learn how diversity drives success on global collaborations. Or, just relax and recharge between sessions.

Moscone West, Level 2 – Community Activities

Artful tree with many colors in the background, representing the diversity of our community

NEW this year

A Celebration of Women in Optics 2025

Join us for a full day of programing. Distinguished speakers share thoughts on superpowers, resilience, building the best teams, navigating the hidden curriculum and more. Stay until the end for an opportunity to network with your peers. Separate registration required.

Women gather at SPIE Photonics West for the Women in Optics Conference

Join events focused on inclusion in your community

All lunchtime events below will be held at Moscone West, Moscone Center, Community Stage (Level 2 West)

Evolution and technology: forces shaping women’s roles and opportunities	27 January	12:00 PM–1:00 PM
Celebrating optics and photonics in Africa	27 January	4:00 PM–5:00 PM
Neuro-inclusion in physics	28 January	12:00 PM–1:00 PM
Navigating your career through networking: insights from women in XR	29 January	12:00 PM–1:00 PM
Communication for self-advocacy and conflict resolution	30 January	12:00 PM–1:00 PM

Professional development at SPIE Photonics West

In addition to the lunchtime learning events above, discover professional development panel discussions, workshops, and presentations happening throughout the week.

Join your peers for this professional development event at SPIE Photonics West

Family care while attending the meeting

SPIE believes that individuals with significant caregiving responsibilities should have an equal opportunity to share their research and participate in conferences and symposia.

SPIE Family Care Grants are designed to supplement caregiving costs incurred by SPIE Early Career Members who are registered to attend an SPIE meeting. See hotel details in the reservation system to find hotels that offer onsite childcare.

Find information and apply for an SPIE Family Care Grant

Recent progress. Ongoing efforts. More room for improvement.

Women in Optics—our story is far from over

44% of the SPIE Board and 43% of Standing Committee roles are now filled by women
14.2% of SPIE Senior Members and 12.2% of SPIE Fellows are female
In 2024, 38% of our Society Award recipients were women
You can help! Nominate yourself or others for the Women in Optics notebook, SPIE Senior Members, SPIE Fellows, and SPIE Society Awards. Elevate women to leadership roles within the Society and feature them as event speakers.

A group gathers in the Moscone West Community Park at Photonics West

Advocacy and accommodations

All in-person SPIE meetings will now have:
o Quiet room (prayer, decompression, meditation)
o Privacy room for nursing mothers
o Gender neutral restrooms whenever possible
o Anti-harassment signage and policies co-sponsored with Optica

Learn about SPIE Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

SPIE believes in the development of collaborative environments that value participation from individuals with different ideas and perspectives, which ultimately have a positive impact on the science of light. Our programs reflect these core values. At our events, we aim to provide resources, guidance, and education to build a more inclusive optics and photonics experience for all our attendees. Find out more about what SPIE is doing.

In a crowd, a male with glasses tilts head and smiles, while listening to an EDI presenter at Photonics West

SPIE Community at Photonics West