History of Nvidia GTC in Timeline

Nvidia GTC is a global AI conference that unites developers, engineers, researchers, inventors, and IT professionals. The conference emphasizes AI, computer graphics, data science, machine learning, and autonomous machines. A keynote by Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang traditionally kicks off the event, with subsequent sessions featuring global experts.

October 2, 2009: First GTC Concludes

On October 2, 2009, the first GTC concluded at the Fairmont San Jose hotel, attracting roughly 1,500 attendees, exceeding expectations and leading to registration closure two weeks prior. The New York Times described the atmosphere as similar to a science fair, with academics presenting their work on posters.

2009: GTC Focus on GPUs

In 2009, the focus of the first GTC was on the potential for solving computing challenges through GPUs.

2009: GTC Moves to San Jose Convention Center

Starting in 2009, after the initial GTC, Nvidia moved the conference to the larger San Jose Convention Center as its primary venue. The size and prominence of GTC increased significantly during the AI boom.

2018: GTC 2018 Attendance

In 2018, GTC attracted over 8,400 attendees.

2020: GTC 2020 Goes Digital

In 2020, GTC was converted to a digital event due to the COVID pandemic, drawing approximately 59,000 registrants.

2021: CGI Integration in GTC 2021 Keynote

The 2021 GTC keynote, streamed on YouTube on April 12, included a CGI portion made using the Nvidia Omniverse real-time rendering platform, featuring a photorealistic model of CEO Jensen Huang. The CGI was revealed in a blog post on August 11.

2025: GTC 2025 and the "Super Bowl of A.I."

In 2025, GTC drew about 25,000 attendees to San Jose. Due to high demand, Jensen Huang's keynote address was held at the SAP Center. Huang referred to GTC as the "Super Bowl of A.I.". Nvidia themed Downtown San Jose in its colors, and hotel prices surged. A joint promotion occurred with Denny's Mobile Diner outside the SAP Center, giving out free food samples, and Nvidia held a Taiwanese-inspired night market on March 18. Hard-core attendees had to survive a grueling 12-hour schedule of events.