Virtual Production Gathering 2026:Impact, connections and growth at BUas

A growing international stage

The numbers tell their own story of momentum: from a 30-person online pilot in 2021, to 360 participants in 2025, to 440 this year, roughly a six-fold increase in just a few years. Every sponsorship tier and every VP Marketplace exhibitor slot for 2026 was filled well in advance, with leading names such as ROE, Sony, Canon, Chaos, Zeiss, Lenovo and Film akademie Baden-Württemberg among those showcasing their hardware, software and services to attendees.

New doors opening for research and collaboration

VPGathering 2026 proved to be fertile ground for new partnerships. Chaos expressed interest in joining the training academy currently being explored by the Academy for AI, Games, Media (AGM), while Epic Games flagged further collaboration possibilities across BUas more broadly. Nottingham Trent University has already followed up to discuss co-working opportunities, and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre invited the BUas VP R&D team to speak at an upcoming event in Croatia, with funded project opportunities on the table. Further promising conversations took place with visiting partners including VilniusTech, Lusófona, Aalborg University, Filmakademie and TAW.

Existing BUas-led projects also received a significant boost:

• PANEURAMA used the conference as a platform to open conversations withEuropean peers, including a professor at Aalborg University exploring joint proposal opportunities, and the organiser of a conference in Umeå, Sweden, opening a potential new dissemination node in the Nordic region.
• VPSN2, launching in May at BUas, used VPGathering as a springboard to connect with the European educators who will take part in its week-long training programme in the XR Stage.
• AVENUE, an active sponsor of the conference, funded free tickets and masterclasses for BUas students, presented its Year 1 research findings publicly for the first time, and welcomed five new Associated Partner sign-ups via its Marketplace booth.

Looking ahead, VPGathering's reputation is already being written into future funding bids: the recently submitted CRAIN proposal (Horizon Europe Widening, coordinated by METU with BUas as a partner) names the conference as the international industry showcase for its research outputs, with presentations planned for the 2027 and 2029 editions.
 

Students at the heart of the action

VPGathering also delivered real opportunities for BUas students. Year 2 student Cas Jansen presented his research on the Education Day and, alongside his student group, showcased alive demo of their short film on the Industry Day. At the evening mixer, Cas connected with industry professionals and was offered internship opportunities, including the chance to help showcase Chaos Area at the LED volume stage in Lippstadt. "The event was a huge boost to my network and could really benefit my future career," he said.

Fellow Creative Business students also made valuable connections: Ymke spoke with representatives from Warner Bros., Epic Games and Creative Crowd, Sweden,  the latter resulting in a potential internship offer, while Kristiāna met professionals from Sony and Chaos, as well as an independent director of photography.
 

A conference the industry now relies on

Taken together, this year's attendance figures, sponsor roster, media footprint and speaker line-up confirm that VPGathering is recognised by the very field it serves, and that BUas is firmly established as the institution the European virtual production community associates with it.