The International Conference on Multimodality, ICOM, is a bi-annual event in the context of multimodality research, i.e. the study of how diverse expressive forms, or semiotic modes, work together in the meaning-making processes of our daily personal as well as professional communication. Multimodality research is primarily situated in the broad field of the humanities, often strongly affiliated with linguistics and communication studies and with connection points to information studies and artificial intelligence, psychology, sociology, and other disciplines. It is also currently seen as a stage of development that many fields and disciplines currently undergo, developing an interest in multimodal phenomena. 

The aim of the bi-annual conference is to provide space, time, and opportunities for scholars from these different fields and disciplines to exchange newest research results and interests, foster networking and collaboration, and build foundations for inter- and transdisciplinary triangulation. 

With the first events in the 2000s, a successful series of conferences started, initially strengthening multimodality as a new research endeavor in communication studies and linguistics, subsequently broadening the interest and exploring the full range of different ways in which multimodality had been taken up in its early phases. In the 2010s, the main aim was mainly to solidify multimodality further and to establish specific research lines and sub-disciplines. In the 2020s, multimodality is seen as a broad, interdisciplinary research context for which the conference provides regular exchange and networking for a vast diversity of scholars. Participants usually come from a broad number of countries including USA, Brasil, Argentina, Western, Southern and Northern Europe, Australia, South Africa, China. The conference is open for researchers on all levels and ECRs are usually particularly supported. For the 2023 edition in London, the Visual Communication Journal provided an Early Career Sponsorship, for example. 

The 2025 conference under the label “The Multimodal Multiverse” will offer a new space and opportunities to bring together the many, potentially diverse fields of multimodality research to further identify and strengthen connections, triangulation and future necessities.