AVSS is the premier annual international conference in the field of video and signal-based surveillance that brings together experts from academia, industry, and government to advance theories, methods, systems, and applications related to surveillance. AVSS is sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest professional association for the advancement of technology, and in particular by its two societies: the IEEE Signal Processing Society (IVMSP TC) and the IEEE Computer Society (PAMI TC).

AVSS will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Kraków in 2013. It has been steadily growing in both stature and attendance, from about 70 attendees in 1998 (Genova, Italy) to 125 in 2010 (Boston, USA) and 140 in 2011 (Klagenfurt, Austria). Even more attendees are expected in 2012 in Beijing, China. The AVSS community spreads over 4 continents and two dozen different countries.

AVSS focuses on underlying theory, methods, systems, and applications of surveillance and invites submissions in areas listed below, especially cross-disciplinary and game-changing ones.