Jaydon Farao, Thippaya Chintakovid, and Jordan Aiko Deja, CHI 2025 Global Plaza Chairs
In the conference’s recent editions, the CHI Conference organizers have introduced the Global Inclusion and Equity Initiative (also known as Global Plaza) to make the conference one step closer to being more welcoming to newcomers and inclusive to all. The organizers recognize that participants, especially those from the Global South, experience additional challenges and need extra support to join and participate with the broader CHI community. In this edition, Global Inclusion and Equity is even more emphasized, given the location of the conference.
In response to this, CHI 2025 Global Inclusion and Equity Chairs are partnering with the SIGCHI EC to create a space open to attendees that can host both the 2025 edition of Global Plaza and the SIGCHI Lounge.
We invite you to continue reading below to find out more about this initiative.
The success of the past Global Plazas
The CHI 2022 organizing committee aimed to make SIGCHI’s flagship conference more inclusive and equitable than ever before. To achieve this, they launched the Global Inclusion and Equity Initiative, led by Susan Dray, Annu Sible Prabhakar, Cuauhtemoc Rivera-Loaiza, Marisol Wong-Villacres, and Eiad Yafi, with the invaluable collaboration of Jones Yeboah. The initiative’s key outcome was the Global Plaza (GP) project, designed to create a space—both virtual and physical—for idea exchange and cross-collaboration among attendees.
We are now here to present the 2025 edition, themed “A Sanctuary of Connection and Purpose.” Reflecting the spirit of Yokohama, the Global Plaza serves as a welcoming space for collaboration and meaningful connections. It invites everyone to gather, explore, and share ideas in a warm, inclusive environment—a transformative portal to the conference experience. This year, it will happen alongside SIGCHI EC activities in a shared space with the SIGCHI Lounge.
What’s in store for this year
This year, we’re expanding the Global Inclusion and Equity Initiative with new features that enhance inclusivity across multiple aspects of the CHI conference—not just within the Global Plaza space. Our goal remains the same: to create a welcoming environment for those who need it most, particularly attendees from underrepresented backgrounds.
In addition, with the SIGCHI EC, we’re broadening our efforts to support people at all career stages and to recognize the diverse identities that shape our community. To foster meaningful connections and accessibility, we’ve curated a series of events for this edition, available both in-person and virtually.
Global Plaza Sessions
- Fireside chats with first-time authors.
- Behind the scenes of a paper from conception to publication.
- Conversations with SIGCHI executive members and researchers from other regions
- To ensure a very pleasant registration experience, we now have distinguished between Given Names and Preferred Names and giving registered participants the options of which to use especially on applicable documents (e.g. badge, invoices).
- An engaging experience that motivates participants to get to know as many people through the human bingo format. Watch out, we have a special guaranteed prize to the first two participants who will complete these.
SIGCHI Lounge Sessions
- Practitioners’ Corner to share insights, discuss challenges, and network with attendees, fostering collaboration between academia and practice in HCI.
- Peer Connect for meeting people from across the globe and knowing more about their projects and interests by connecting remote gatherings in various universities with in person attendees.
- Conferences AMA, where attendees can engage with the VP for Conferences, ask questions, and gain insights into conference planning and decision-making.
- Conferences Town Hall Follow-Up is a session where the VP and AC for Conferences address attendee questions, discuss key takeaways, and provide updates on conference-related topics.
The Shared Space as a Sanctuary
This year, the Global Plaza and the SIGCHI Lounge will be vibrant hubs of connection and engagement at the conference. This space will host multiple sessions, beginning after the exhibit openings on Monday and concluding before the Closing Keynote on Thursday.
When sessions are not in progress, the SIGCHI Lounge serves as a welcoming space for attendees to connect, reflect, and build meaningful relationships throughout the conference. Whether you seek structured discussions or informal conversations, these spaces offer a dynamic and inclusive environment for all.
Schedule of Sessions
Everyone at CHI is welcome to join these sessions. The sessions are hybrid, so even those who are not physically present can interact with in-person attendees during the sessions. Given that CHI 2025 is happening in Yokohama, Japan, we do our best to find the time zones that can best accommodate various groups across the globe.
More info on these sessions will be announced soon.
Call for collaboration in the Global Plaza
If you think you can help and have an interest in collaborating in the Global Plaza sanctuary, please reach out to us by signing up through this link for Global Plaza sessions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F7WR5WX or contact us at global@chi2025.acm.org.
For more details about SIGCHI Lounge sessions, feel free to contact the SIGCHI EC at sigchi-4all@acm.org.
We would also appreciate it if you could help us spread the word about this blog post and the survey link above.
Join Us in Creating a Sanctuary of Connection
The Global Plaza and the SIGCHI Lounge are more than just a space—they are a refuge for meaningful interactions, a place where bridges are built and connections flourish. To make this sanctuary even more inclusive, we invite volunteers who share our vision of a globally connected CHI Conference.
Whether you’d like to welcome virtual attendees, spread the word about Global Plaza Sanctuary and the SIGCHI Lounge, lead sessions in your native language, or bring fresh ideas to enrich the experience, we and the SIGCHI EC would love to have you.
