One of the most exciting events of NVISION was part of the professional track. The Emerging Companies Summit gathered together 350 people from 60 up-and-coming visual companies to collaborate and learn from one another.

These companies have produced some of the most exciting innovations in visual computing that have been seen in years, many of which were on display in the Exhibit Hall or demonstrated during various presentations during NVISION 08.

Two companies in particular were called out during the NVISION 08 closing ceremony as deserving of special notice.

The award for Best Application of Visual Computing went to Total Immersion for their concept of "augmented reality," which combines features of the real world with a virtual environment.

And the award for Most Promising Emerging Company went to Nurien Software, for their work in combining graphics, virtual worlds, and social networking.