About W3C TPAC
About W3C TPAC
The W3C annual conference aims to coordinate solutions to technical issues by gathering in a single event several meetings between the W3C Members and Boards, W3C Working and Interest Groups, as well as a series of breakout sessions determined by the attendees.
W3C meetings operate under the W3C Code of Conduct.
This 2:24 video explains how TPAC (W3C's annual conference) is the place to create momentum, engage, learn and coordinate work on Web Standards.
TPAC in more details
During the exciting TPAC week, W3C Working and Interest Groups gather and network to resolve challenging technical and social issues that the Web faces. This well-attended and popular event is an important means for W3C to coordinate solutions to technical issues that transcend group borders.
TPAC brings together W3C technical groups, the Board of Directors, the Advisory Board, the Technical Architecture Group and the Advisory Committee.
Breakout sessions and most meetings records are public.
What does TPAC stand for?
TPAC historically stands for Technical Plenary and Advisory Committee, since it gathered in a single event a meeting of the W3C Advisory Committee (where each W3C Member has a representative) and a broad set of technical group meetings, culminating in a plenary day – the technical plenary.
In recent years, the plenary format had mostly been replaced by an unconference format organized as a series of one-hour sessions on topics brought by the attendees.
The name TPAC is familiar enough in the W3C community that we are still using it, but we are trying to reference it more broadly as ‘Annual W3C Conference’ to make it easier to understand.
Connectivity at meetings
W3C provides wireless Internet access.
Language
Meetings are held in English.
Inclusion Fund
66% of the world is now online. We want and need to reflect the diversity of the whole world as more people continue to access, use and create the web. We believe that more diversity means better representation, which leads to better and more inclusive design, and brings higher quality results.
The Inclusion Fund is sponsored by W3C, its Members or individuals, and aims to help remove barriers for people from a group that is under-represented in the web community, who are unable to attend TPAC without financial help, and who want to attend or contribute to TPAC in a meaningful way.
The modest fund can cover expenses like travel, accommodation, child care (or care for a relative) to free up remote attendees time. Applications usually open a few months before TPAC.
Registration, modification, cancellation
All meeting participants are expected to register for each meeting they plan to attend as either a group participant or an observer (some groups may not permit observers), subject to each group's policy.
Depending on the location, there may be limited seating. Early registration is strongly recommended. Registration is processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
We allow people to switch their registration from on-site to remote, and vice versa, while retaining the same class of registration. (i.e., early bird on-site will convert to early bird remote, and vice versa).
If you need to cancel your registration to the event, refunds will be subject to a cancellation fee (which will vary depending on the registration fee and type of credit/debit cards).
To modify and adjust the fees or cancel your registration, or for any TPAC questions, contact w3t-tpregister@w3.org.
Past meetings
TPAC 2024
Anaheim, CA, USA (hybrid event)
TPAC 2023
Seville, Spain (hybrid event)
TPAC 2022
Vancouver, Canada (hybrid event)
TPAC 2021
‘Virtual’ event
TPAC 2020
‘Virtual’ event
TPAC 2019
Fukuoka, Japan
TPAC 2018
Lyon, France
TPAC 2017
Burlingame, CA, USA
Hosted by W3C-MIT
TPAC 2016
Lisbon, Portugal
TPAC 2015
Sapporo, Japan
TPAC 2014
Santa Clara, California
TPAC 2013
Shenzhen, China
Hosted exclusively by Tencent
TPAC 2012
Lyon, France
TPAC 2011
Santa Clara, California
TPAC 2010
Lyon, France
TPAC 2009
Santa Clara, CA, USA
TPAC 2008
Mandelieu, France
TPAC 2007
Cambridge, MA, USA
TPAC 2006
Mandelieu, France
TPAC 2005
Boston, MA, USA
TPAC 2004
Mandelieu, France
TPAC 2003
Cambridge, MA, USA
TPAC 2002
Mandelieu, France
TPAC 2001
Cambridge, MA, USA