People come to a reception for many reasons. They come to meet people, they come for the food, they come for the drinks, they come for the ambiance, they come to relax, and they might even come because they really have nowhere else in particular to be that night. All of the aforementioned are good reasons to come to a reception (with the exception of the last one). There are also many different types of receptions out there, such as wedding receptions, graduation receptions, reunion receptions, convention receptions, and the receptions that are held just for the sake of having a reception. In the list of good receptions to be at, the SIGGRAPH reception was no exception. The food was wonderful, featuring four different delectable types of fine feasts from Chinatown, Hollywood, Olvera Street, and the Santa Monica Pier. The location of the event, the Cathedral Plaza, was ideal and not all that difficult to find (it’s hard to miss the massive new Cathedral). And the atmosphere was most desirable, complete with beautiful lighting and a pleasant evening breeze. From what I could tell, everyone appeared to be having a good time and no fights broke out among rival company representatives. To top it all off, complimentary Starbuck’s coffee was being served, which is always a plus. To be honest, one could hardly ask for much more in the way of receptions. With all this taken into account, the SIGGRAPH 2005 reception was a definite success and a pleasure to attend.