ACM Celebrations
ACM Celebrations of Women in Computing connect technical women working or studying in a particular geographical location, whether that’s a single city, a state or group of states, a country, or several countries. These conferences build community and break down feelings of isolation. Our intention is to reach the broadest possible populations through an international network of self-sustaining small conferences, dovetailing when possible with ACM-W chapters.
Examples of ACM-W Celebrations
Below are examples of ACM-W Celebrations held across different regions.
General Requirements for Celebrations
- Propose a formal name for your Celebration (e.g., “Ohio Celebration of Women in Computing: An ACM Celebration”) and a branding name or abbreviation (e.g., “OCWIC”).
- All official branding on your website, printed materials, signage, and promotional content must include the phrase “ACM Celebration of Women in Computing” or “An ACM Celebration.” This may appear as the main title or as a subtitle.
- The event must be at least one full day in length (preferably longer) and must explicitly focus on women in computing, including issues of participation, representation, education, research, industry pathways, and leadership.
- Participants from more than one institution, school, or geographic area are strongly encouraged.
- Include attendees from a diverse population, that is, from more than one institution, school, or geographic area.
- Although all events are different, your event should ideally include speakers, panels, workshops, a career fair, and opportunities for student presentations.
Sponsorship
ACM-W provides financial sponsorship for each celebration and collects, tracks, and disburses corporate sponsorship. Each celebration organizing committee is responsible for additional fundraising within their conference area. The goal is to keep registration fees as low as possible for student attendees.
If your Celebration would like to use an ACM in-house account for expenses, your organizing committee must mention that on application form. ACM-W Global Celebration Chair will assist you with that. To initiate payment, the organizer must first send the pro forma invoice(s) or invoice(s) for the relevant expenses to the Global Celebration Chair, who will coordinate the payment process with ACM.
How to Plan and Apply
We recommend beginning the planning process at least six months before the event, to allow sufficient time to define clear goals, coordinate the many elements involved, and build meaningful engagement with your community. Set a timeline with milestones for securing a venue, arranging speakers, and promoting the event.
Organizing committees planning a Celebration are required to submit the updated application form at least four months before the event, regardless of whether they are requesting ACM sponsorship: New Application Link
Please review the full Celebration Guideline before applying, as it details eligibility requirements, recommended program components, and the documentation expected at each stage of the process: ACM Celebration of WIC Guideline_2026.pdf
For questions regarding the updated process, the ACM-W Celebrations team can be reached at: acmw-celebration@acm.org
ACM-W Celebration Application Process Summary
The diagram above summarizes the full Celebration application journey: from form submission and review by the Global Celebration Chair, Regional Celebration Chair, and Community Programs or Global Expansion Chair, through the approval decision, to post-event follow-up on budget, newsletter, and photos.
Not convinced yet? Check out…
Recent Celebrations Reports and Announcements
- Scholar Cohort 2026
Celebrating Talent, Community, and Women in Computing This month, we are pleased to repost an earlier article from ACM-W Asia-Pacific site (originally available at https://acmweurope.acm.org/newsletter-september-2025/), to celebrate the region. Congratulations to the Communications team in Asia-Pacific for this excellent account of such an inspirational event. Scholar Cohort 2026 was successfully held on February 11–12, 2026, bringing… Read more: Scholar Cohort 2026
- Celebrating the ACM-W Asia-Pacific and India Regions
By Arati Dixit, Chair, Regional Activities Committee, ACM-W Global Leadership Team Since the start of the year, I’ve been meeting committed local leaders across the ACM-W Asia-Pacific and India regions and celebrating their work. Here are the highlights of three important events that ran in the past few months in our regions. ACM-W Asia Pacific… Read more: Celebrating the ACM-W Asia-Pacific and India Regions
- Updates to the ACM Celebration Guidelines and Approval Process
To support consistent, inclusive, and well-coordinated celebrations across the ACM community, we have updated the ACM Celebration Guidelines and Approval Process. These updates clarify regional responsibilities and streamline the tracking and approval of celebrations worldwide, enabling volunteers to deliver meaningful, impactful celebrations across the ACM community. ACM Celebration Approval Process According to the updated process,… Read more: Updates to the ACM Celebration Guidelines and Approval Process
- Welcome to Our New ACM-W Celebration Chair!
We are delighted to welcome Tejaswini Apte as the new ACM-W Celebration Chair! Tejaswini is an experienced cybersecurity and database professional with nearly two decades of expertise in operating systems and network security, cloud administration, database administration, and performance tuning. Over the course of her career, she has worked with leading organisations such as IBM,… Read more: Welcome to Our New ACM-W Celebration Chair!
- ACM-W Celebration at Air University, Multan Campus
Two Exciting Days of Innovation, Competition, and Mentorship By the AUMC team Excitement filled the air as students and professionals gathered at Air University Multan Campus for the much-anticipated ACM-W Celebration 2025. Banners fluttered, and students hurried across the campus, setting up booths and preparing for what was promised to be an electrifying two-day event.… Read more
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who can serve as a Celebration Chair?
Anyone who supports the mission of the ACM Celebrations programme. Celebration Chairs may be faculty, students, industry professionals, or community leaders with a demonstrated commitment to supporting women in computing. They may be of any gender.
Can multiple institutions collaborate to host a Celebration?
Yes, absolutely. Jointly organised events often strengthen regional participation and resource sharing.
Can men participate in ACM Celebrations?
Yes! ACM Celebrations are open to participants of any gender.
How large should a Celebration be?
Events vary widely in size, from small regional gatherings to multi‑day conferences. Chairs should design an event that fits their community’s needs and resources.
Can we charge registration fees?
Yes. Modest registration fees are permitted and often help ensure financial sustainability.
Does my ACM Celebration need to follow the same format as womENcourageTM?
No. The ACM Celebration of Women in Computing: womENcourageTM is a flagship event of ACM-W Europe, gathering community members from all around our ACM-W region. It differs from other Celebrations, as it is an event directly organised by ACM-W Europe working group, and it is sponsored by ACM-W Europe as a sub-unit of the ACM.
Are the ACM’s PAF and TMRF forms required for my ACM Celebration of Women in Computing?
No. The ACM Celebration of Women in Computing: womENcourageTM is a large event and follows the ACM standard procedure of submitting a PAF and TMRF for each iteration in the series. Other events organised as part of the ACM Celebrations programme are not required to do so.
I have already hosted one ACM Celebration this year. Can I apply to host another one this year?
No. To ensure broad global reach, ACM supports only one Celebration annually within a given geographic area; however, you are encouraged to apply next year.
What if my question is not answered here?
If you have a question that is not addressed in this FAQ, please do not hesitate to contact the ACM-W Europe Celebrations Committee at: acm-w-europe-celebrations@acm.org.