Like any large city, use common sense. Be aware of your surroundings. Remove your badge when not inside the convention center. Take advantage of the conference shuttle bus service or these walking options.

Safety Walks

You can request a courtesy walk throughout downtown Dallas seven days a week, 6 am–11 pm.

Call 214-741-1151 or use the See Say app.

For more information on safety initiatives Downtown Dallas Inc. has in place, including download links for the See Say app, see their website:

Downtown Dallas Inc.

Preferred Walking Route

The preferred walking route for attendees staying in the Adolphus, Residence Inn, Hampton Inn and the Magnolia hotels is to make your way down Commerce Street to the plaza at the AT&T Discovery District (the “park” between the AT&T buildings and The Exchange) and proceed through the plaza down Akard Street to the convention center’s Akard Street entrance. Review the map below for guidance.

Our conference begins in just a few days. Whether you’re joining us in Dallas, or virtually from elsewhere in the world, I’m delighted you will be attending SC22. Welcome.

To me, HPC is all about speed. That’s why our theme this year is “HPC Accelerates.” Throughout more than 200 sessions – lectures, panels, exhibits, award presentations and more – you’ll see that theme come to life. You’ll also see this theme in the exhibit hall, where you’ll find more than 350 exhibitors ready to welcome you.

“HPC Accelerates” also describes how supercomputing is rapidly changing the world, by “accelerating” the speed of finding solutions – for corporations, governments, and other organizations. That was certainly proven during the pandemic, when the HPC community answered the call and illustrated the importance of being able to ramp up scientific research in the blink of an eye.

The world is spinning faster than ever, and HPC plays a key role in helping us all keep up. Innovative hardware and software are emerging every day throughout the HPC community. HPC is “accelerating” our understanding of the world; from weather forecasting in a world challenged by climate change, to the critical importance of scientific computing combined with artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics, HPC is helping to make new discoveries happen. And with the advancements in exascale and the exciting new field of quantum computing, we are developing specialized hardware to solve particular problems with unprecedented speed.

Planning for SC22 began more than three years ago. You may not be aware that SC conferences are planned and executed by volunteers from the global HPC community. You can see the complete list of volunteers on the planning committee page on our website. This year, we have more than 1,000 people who donated their time and expertise to bring you this conference, including:

• 735 Volunteers who planned and organized the Technical Program;
• 15 Virtual Logistics Volunteers who devoted countless hours to developing a new digital platform, purpose-built for our conference;
• 1 Mobile App Volunteer who worked diligently to bring the Eventbase mobile app back to the conference so you can connect with other attendees, whether in Dallas or virtually, as well as find your way around the convention center;
• 175 SCinet Volunteers who designed and deployed the world’s fastest network for the conference, capable of 5.01 terabits per second of WAN capacity and WiFi 6E wireless capabilities in the convention center.

The Digital Experience is now live and the SC22 Mobile App is available for download, so you can start planning your schedule. In the mobile app, be sure to “opt in” to make yourself visible to your friends and colleagues, so you can easily message and stay in touch during the conference.

It’s going to be a great conference. There’s still time to register, so if you know of someone who’s not yet attending be sure to let them know it’s not too late.

I’ll see you in just a few days at SC22!

Candace Culhane, SC22 General Chair

The Beatles performing September 1964 (left) and SCinet staging October 2022 (right), both at what is now the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Arena in Dallas, Texas.

Photos: Hans C. Addleman, AP photo

Ground-breaking Technology and Revolutionary Musicians Distinguish the Same Dallas Venue

The Beatles and High Performance Networking may seem like entirely unrelated topics. But they’re connected this fall at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.

In 1964 the Beatles broke musical ground when they performed here, and now 58 years later another ground-breaking performance is underway.

Zekauskus, who is SCinet Chair this year, is directing an international team of more than 175 volunteer engineers, technicians and students. It’s all in preparation for SC22, the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis.
The SCinet team at SC includes 16 committees that range from plain English names like architecture, communications, contributor relations, experimental networks, help desk, logistics, power, network security and volunteer services to more jargon-heavy terms like dev-ops, edge, fiber, NRE and WAN transport.

It takes that team more than a year to plan, a month to build, a week to operate and a single day to dismantle the network. All of it involves extensive collaboration, or as Lennon and McCartney called it, HELP!

Starting October 19, equipment racks were initially staged in the convention center’s arena and then moved to its exhibit hall to deliver connectivity across half a million square feet. Those racks weighed about four tons.

When SC22 starts on November 13, thousands of attendees are expected to descend on Dallas from all over the world, but they won’t be isolated from global connections. SCinet will connect attendees, exhibitors, and network performance experiments to other high performance sites in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

The speed of that global network is expected to break the 3.02 Terabits per seconds (Tbps) delivered for last year’s conference in St. Louis, by delivering 5.01 Tbps of bandwidth to Dallas. That’s fast enough to download the movies “HELP!” and “A Hard Day’s Night” along with the entire movie collection in iTunes in about seven minutes.

About SC22

SC22 is the premier international conference showcasing the many ways high performance computing, networking, storage, and analysis lead to advances in scientific discovery, research, education, and commerce. The annual event, created and sponsored by the IEEE Computer Society and ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), attracts thousands of HPC professionals and educators from around the globe to participate in its complete technical education program, workshops, tutorials, a world-class exhibit area, demonstrations, and the world’s fastest temporary computer network.

Vaccination No Longer Required for Attendance

Planning a conference in a world of COVID-19 is challenging as we never know what the virus will do next. The SC22 Planning Committee has followed the science along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization recommendations, and integrated that information with the views and input of the HPC community. As vaccinations for this virus have significantly reduced serious illness, hospitalization, and death, the SC22 attendance policy was for all in-person attendees to be vaccinated.

Because Texas prohibits such requirements, going forward, all SC22 in-person attendees are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, follow the CDC guidance, and to properly wear (covering nose, mouth and chin) a high-quality KN-95 or N-95 face mask while at SC22. SC22 will have a supply of KN-95 masks available to attendees during the conference.

Registration Changes

Anyone who would like to modify or update their registration may do so by using the change/modify screens on the registration site.

SC22 Registration Site

Digital Experience & Mobile App Available

The custom-built Digital Experience option is available for those who are not attending the conference in person. The interface is easy-to-use and will include live-streaming as well as recording for on-demand viewing of nearly all conference events.

Based on feedback from the last two years, we have created a new platform that has been made more intuitive, enabling participants to easily access the preponderance of lectures, panels, exhibitor sessions, tutorials, and showcases taking place throughout the conference. For Digital Experience attendees to benefit from automatic closed captioning, the content will be live-streamed with a 12- to 15-second delay.

The SC22 mobile app is returning to the conference this year and will, among other things, allow you to virtually connect and network with other attendees.

You’ll be able to download the app from links on the Mobile App page closer to the conference.

SC22 Is the Place to Be No Matter How You Attend

We are confident SC22 will be terrific. All of the things that make SC a special experience will be happening. The technical program is nearly finalized, with the depth and breadth you’ve come to expect from an SC conference. For in-person attendees, more than 290 exhibitors have committed to be on the show floor in the exhibit hall, ready to share their latest offerings with you. And, as always, old and new friends are ready to share their experiences and help you solve your challenges or advance your career regardless of how you connect.

We look forward to seeing you in November,  in person or through the Digital Experience!

Register for SC22

Is the annual SC conference relevant for HPC professionals from outside the U.S.? Is the time commitment, plus the expense of traveling from Europe, Asia or elsewhere, worth it?

“Absolutely yes, to both questions,” says Dr. Bernd Mohr. And he should know, as the Germany-based scientist has attended SC on an almost annual basis since 1993’s event in Portland; he served as the first European on the SC Steering Committee in 2010 in New Orleans; and was the first person from outside the U.S. to be the conference’s General Chair, for SC17 in Denver.

“It’s THE conference on everything HPC,” says Bernd, who is a senior scientist at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre in Germany. “Everyone in the industry is there. When I go to SC22 in Dallas this year, I will meet more Europeans there than at any other HPC event, even those in Europe. It’s the best way to stay up to date on what’s happening in our industry.”

Clearly, plenty of other attendees based outside the U.S. agree. According to statistics from the most recent SC conferences, about 25% of attendees make the journey to the event from international locations.

Meeting Other HPC Professionals Is Invaluable

While acknowledging that international travel is expensive, Bernd believes the costs associated with attending SC are more investment than expense. “My organization has the most powerful supercomputer in Europe and we have been [exhibiting] at SC for more than 20 years. We have to be there to keep up to date and to share what we’re doing with the world.”

Beyond the panels, research presentations, exhibits, keynote speeches and tutorials, Bernd believes one of the most important benefits of attending SC for individuals is the opportunity to meet – face-to-face – with longtime colleagues as well as new acquaintances who may share common challenges and opportunities despite working on opposite sides of the globe.

“Yes, you learn about the latest science and discoveries at SC,” notes Bernd. “But having the chance to talk to people on the exhibit floor who you don’t know or typically don’t reach is an enormous opportunity. My feeling is that a lot of young people underestimate the importance of networking. We’ve missed that [since the pandemic] because it’s impossible to make those connections in a virtual world.”

While Bernd, who typically attends SC alongside 10 or 15 of his Jülich Supercomputing Centre colleagues, always looks forward to learning about the latest HPE advancements, this year’s event holds special meaning after enduring two pandemic-affected years.

“The big thing this year is to reunite with people I haven’t seen in two or three years. I hope to revive old connections and make new ones.” — Bernd Mohr

Advice for International Travelers

Based on his years of experience as both attendee and leader of the SC conference, Bernd has some advice for international travelers: Arrive a few days early and do some sightseeing (his favorite activity is hiking in national parks). “It’s fun and, if you do it before the conference, the fresh air and sunshine will help you with jet lag. Then, you’re ready to focus all of your attention on the conference.”

See What’s New in Dallas

You May Need a Visa

SC22 attendees from most countries outside the United States are required to have a visa in order to enter the country. For guidance on how to apply for a visa, as well as other information and tips pertinent to international travelers:

Visa Applications

If you haven’t been to Dallas in a while, the host city for SC22 has really grown and evolved – and continues to live up to its nickname, “Big D.”

There are numerous reasons why Dallas is ranked among the top five cities in the nation for meetings and conventions. Restaurants and boutiques, lively entertainment, world-renowned art – Dallas has it all. This friendly, diverse city is sure to be an exciting destination for SC22 attendees to explore after each day’s exhibits, workshops and networking events at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

The most dramatic addition to the downtown landscape is the AT&T Discovery District, where technology, culture, and entertainment combine to create a unique experience. It’s rapidly become the city’s cultural hub, featuring trendy retail shops, restaurants and bars, art installations and even an outdoor concert venue featuring entertainment almost every night.

In addition, the AT&T Discovery District is a technophile’s dream come true. The 6.5-acre area features free ultra-fast 5G and WiFi (so you can plug back into SC22 at any time).

Even cooler is a nightly multimedia light show called Digital Double, which is projected from a 104-foot-tall, 9,000-square-foot, 6K outdoor media wall. Its colorful, high-definition displays are intended to interpret communication in the natural world.

Nearby is The Globe, a 30-foot-tall, 3D representation of AT&T’s iconic logo that is decorated with 30,000 LEDs. Visitors can walk inside the installation to experience various arrangements of light and sound that fuse art and technology.

As noted on the AT&T Discovery District website, the district’s “ultimate goal is to bring delight, cultivate imagination, and spark discoveries that foster communication and reinforce the links between all of us.” Sounds just like what we’re trying to do at SC22!

Dallas: Diverse and Dynamic

The AT&T Discovery District is one of many stops on a downtown Dallas electronic bike tour. This two-hour scenic ride has you pedaling to and from numerous fascinating sites, such as the JFK Memorial, Dealey Plaza, Winspear Opera House and Klyde Warren Park. You’ll also be able to glide through the Dallas Arts District, Deep Ellum and other neighborhoods while your guide shares tidbits about Dallas’ history and heritage.

Fortunately, Dallas is also blessed with an extraordinary mass transit system: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). With a light rail station right at the convention center, and a free D-Link shuttle bus to area shopping and entertainment, you’ll be able to easily explore a bit farther away from downtown if you’d like.

The options for dining, art, entertainment and more are endless in Dallas – a primary reason the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex led the U.S. in metropolitan population growth from 2020–2021. Here are just a few of the many neighborhoods and attractions to consider adding to your “Big D” experience.

Dallas Arts District

Encompassing twenty square blocks of downtown, the Dallas Arts District is designated as a creative hub, featuring award-winning museums and performing arts venues including the Crow Collection of Asian Art, which is dedicated solely to the arts and cultures of Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia; the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, which is home to the Dallas Opera and Texas Ballet Theater; and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.

Nifty Neighborhoods

Dallas has a number of interesting – and easily walkable – neighborhoods that showcase the diverse nature of the city and its residents. For instance, the Design District features antique shops, upscale art galleries and high-end interior design showrooms just two miles northwest of downtown. Also, Deep Elum – a former warehouse district – has been transformed into a nightlife hotspot with live music, cool bars and casual eateries.

Delectable Dining

In a diverse city with 7.2 million residents, the food choices are endless. D Magazine recently ranked the Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas, a cornucopia of eateries featuring Tex-Mex favorites and taco joints, as well as elegant restaurants offering the finest in Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern and other enticing cuisines. One of the swankiest new openings downtown is Brasserie Toussaint, a modern French brasserie that blends French classics with Vietnamese and New Orleans flavors.

Oak Lawn

Dallas has a reputation for being welcoming to the LGBQ community. Just two miles from downtown, Oak Lawn has been voted the top “gayborhood” in the U.S. and is the heart of LGBTQ culture in Dallas, with gay bars, nightclubs and popular restaurants.

Catch a Game

Home to several professional sports franchises, Dallas offers SC22 attendees opportunities to see a home game of pro teams who will be in season during November: Dallas Cowboys (NFL football), Dallas Mavericks (NBA basketball) and Dallas Stars (NHL hockey). Check their websites for schedules and tickets closer to the event, or peruse the sports schedules for the city’s 16 colleges and universities.

Safe and Clean

Dallas also has a well-earned reputation for safety and cleanliness. These values are upheld by the Downtown Security and Clean Team, with community participation via the See Say Now smartphone app. It allows individuals to instantly and anonymously report safety or cleanliness concerns.

See You in Dallas!

For more information about what makes Dallas such a vibrant and popular city, go to the Visit Dallas website or visit our SC22 page about the convention center and other Dallas highlights.