Annual industry showcase puts spotlight on innovation

A year of innovation in the geographic information (GI) industry will be centre stage at the AGI 2008 Geocommunity Conference this week in Stratford upon Avon.

The Association for Geographic Information’s (AGI) conference, the flagship industry event for over 10 years, is being held on the 24 and 25 September under the theme of “Shaping a Changing World”.

Ordnance Survey, as the national mapping agency and a platinum sponsor of the event, will be highlighting examples of how its location data has been harnessed across different sectors over the last 12 months.

A record breaking 700 delegates are expected to flock to the midlands this year. Among them are a whole range of GI practitioners, academics and policy makers, attracted thanks to a world‑class conference programme and showcase exhibition.

Ordnance Survey will be supporting the conference Solutions Centre with a hands‑on session, giving attendees the opportunity to play a roll in the planning and analysis stage of an imagined building development. The sessions will be a chance to demonstrate how Ordnance Survey and CAD data can be used together to enable planners to make informed decisions on improving current infrastructure.

In her keynote speech, Ordnance Survey’s Director General and Chief Executive Vanessa Lawrence CB will be addressing attendees on how GI is shaping the changing world. She will be discussing the key developments that are challenging the industry and suggesting what steps need to be taken to ensure GI continues to thrive.

Vanessa comments, “The last 12 months have seen the value of geographic information continue to rise, and this is certainly an exciting time for all geographic information professionals. People now understand that geography has a vital role to play in addressing some of the grand challenges that the world faces.

“Events like AGI 2008, and the forthcoming Terra future 2009, are putting the spotlight on the connecting power of location and its value across a huge range of applications.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to be involved in almost 70 seminars and workshops held across the two-day event. Topics to be covered are as diverse as the use of GI in gaming and virtual environments to the value of mapping underground assets and infrastructure.

Ordnance Survey Director James Brayshaw, who is also Chair of the Atlantis Initiative, will be looking at how the public-sector collaboration, which aims to support a more joined-up approach to flood prevention and planning, is reacting to the findings of Sir Michael Pitt’s review into the floods of 2007.

For more information on the conference, its speakers and workshops, visit: www.agi2008.com

Note to editors:

AGI is a registered trademark of the Association for Geographic Information.