The planning committee for the Upper Midwest Geospatial Conference (UMGEOCON) is exceptional pleased to announce the release of its 2018 program. Headlining the event will be community titan Dr. Carl Reed who will discuss his nearly 50 years at the forefront of some of the most important advancements in the industry, and what those developments say about the dangers ahead for anyone using geospatial technology. Other keynotes will be delivered by Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne, Director, Spatial Analysis Laboratory, University of Vermont, and National States Geographic Information Council President-Elect, Dan Ross. Additional conference highlights include:
Five featured talks including a lightning round of presentations and panel discussion by experts on big data, and another by Emmy winning director Dan Bertalan,
Four diverse pre-conference workshops, all available for free,
Multiple tracks of sessions delivered by subject matter experts during each event time block, thereby allowing attendees to focus on topics of specific personal interest, and
A price sensitive admission – at $195/$50 for attendees/students, the UMGEOCON ticket price is 80% less than what some other GIS conferences are charging this year.
The planning committee also notes UMGEOCON is the nation’s premier geospatial charity event which gives back to the community 100% of the profit earned. The seven regional host nonprofit geospatial organizations share equally in proceeds for the benefit of their scholarship and other charitable programs.
Given the facts above, the UMGEOCON planning committee representing the state GIS associations of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, along with ASPRS Western Great Lakes Region, GITA and SharedGeo believe they have again delivered a program which will allow GIS professionals to substantially broaden their GIS knowledge, expand cross-border connections, and explore emerging trends and technologies in a collaborative learning environment which supports the greater community.
Scheduled for May 23-24, 2018, at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin, the planning committee encourages anyone interested in attending UMGEOCON to purchase their ticket as soon as possible. The venue is capacity limited, and ticket sales to date have been accelerating.
UMGEOCON is a collaborative endeavor of seven geospatial nonprofits with a total active membership of over 2,500. They are:
ASPRS-WGLR: The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing – Western Great Lakes Region (ASPRS-WGLR) is comprised of public, private, and academic professionals dedicated to the advancement of the geospatial imaging sciences. ASPRS-WGLR is one of sixteen regions nationwide and consists of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Indiana, and northern Illinois. There are currently five universities with ASPRS student chapters in the Western Great Lakes Region: Indiana State University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Minnesota, and Michigan Technological University.
GITA: The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) is a member-led nonprofit professional education association and leading advocate for anyone using geospatial technology to help operate, maintain, and protect North America’s infrastructure. Through industry leading conferences, research initiatives, chapters, and outreach programs, GITA provides ongoing learning and engagement opportunities for its members.
IGIC: The Iowa Geographic Information Council (IGIC) is a member driven nonprofit organization that works to foster an efficient GIS environment through cooperation and coordination with public and private entities that access, collect, provide, and share data, metadata, applications and educational opportunities.
ILGISA: The Illinois GIS Association is the only statewide organization of GIS/geospatial professionals in Illinois. ILGISA advances the understanding, communication, and effectiveness of geospatial technology in Illinois. ILGISA connects over 500 members working in local, regional, state and federal government, higher educational institutions, and private industries. ILGISA strives to offer a wide-variety of high-quality, low-cost programs that educate and inform our members. ILGISA programs include an annual conference, regional meetings, training events, and webinars that address the ever-evolving geospatial technologies, applications and standards.
MN GIS/LIS: The Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium (MN GIS/LIS) is a collaborative, volunteer-based organization with a long standing and dedicated mission to develop and support the GIS professional in Minnesota for the benefit of its state and citizens.
SharedGeo: SharedGeo is a nonprofit dedicated to helping government, nonprofit, education, and corporate entities use mapping technologies and share geographic data for the public good. Past and current project partners include federal, state, tribal, county and municipal entities. http://www.sharedgeo.orgWLIA: Founded in 1987, the Wisconsin Land Information Association (WLIA) is a grassroots organization representing a collection of concerned professionals working to develop, maintain, and apply a network of statewide land information systems. Its members are united by an interest in land records modernization, GIS, and related technologies, and by the need for government policies and programs that support their efficient and effective application. WLIA is a registered 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, and is open to individual, non-profit and corporate members.
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