Building a Geomatics Expo in Canada

GEOMATICS ● SURVEYING ● EARTH OBSERVATION ● REALITY CAPTURE & DIGITAL TWINS

REMOTE SENSING ● BIM & GIS ● REALITY CAPTURE & DIGITAL TWINS

EDUCATION ● LEADERSHIP ● GOVERNMENT

I’m excited to be part of the organizing committee for the upcoming GoGeomatics Expo in North America, which is less than two months away. Many of us in the geospatial sector, including myself, have long wished for more non-vendor-centric events in North America, similar to those held in Europe and Asia.

Canada has stepped up to fill this gap. GoGeomatics, the globally recognized geomatics community resource based in Canada, is spearheading this event. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers collaborating with us, along with support from professional associations and geomatics education institutions.

Origins

“The idea for the expo really came around the fact that we don’t have a marquee national event that showcases the best of geomatics and Canada to the world,” said Jonathan Murphy, founder and Managing Director of GoGeomatics. “A place for the world to come and engage with our country’s geo sector, on home turf. For companies looking for solutions, resellers, partners, clients, new staff, innovation, for ideas and for geo practitioners, students and academics to see and learn more about the latest and greatest of the technology and how it is being applied.”

While there are several great geo exhibitions in North America, most are hosted by individual vendors. The GoGeomatics Expo was developed to be comparable to the massive annual INTERGEO exhibition in Germany. The GoGeomatics Expo is open for everyone in the geo sector to showcase their rapidly evolving hardware, software, tools and solutions in geomatics.

The Expo was inspired by the annual INTERGEO events held in Germany. It was time for such an event in North America.

“The geo sector is a big tent, and the Expo is designed to serve that broad community,” said Murphy. “It’s not just for surveyors or GIS professionals; it’s for anyone leveraging geospatial technology, from those involved in monitoring and asset mapping to reality capture and more.”

Another crucial aspect of this Expo is addressing the growing challenge of sourcing highly qualified personnel in geomatics and related fields, such as artificial intelligence and BIM. The event serves as a call to action to showcase and promote exciting careers in the geo sector and highlight its contributions to the wider economy. We aim to elevate the profile of geomatics and advocate for its significance.

Why Calgary?

Calgary offers a unique blend of natural resource industries, urban development, environmental concerns, research institutions and government support, making it an ideal location for geomatics companies in Western Canada to thrive. Calgary is also home to some of the most respected university geomatics programs worldwide.

November in Calgary is surprisingly affordable for travelers, and it aligns well with preferences expressed by the geomatics sector for an event that falls outside peak busy seasons. An important consideration for GoGeomatics was that they wanted the Expo to be accessible from a financial standpoint.

“Our goal is to bring the sector together and provide a platform for the community as a whole. High fees can be a barrier to participation and we were cognizant of this from the start,” said Murphy. “Tickets for other major geo events can run into the thousands. Our Early Bird and Advantage pricing has allowed people to purchase tickets for a fraction of what those other events charge.”

Look Forward To Experiencing

Exhibits: Prominent players from the geomatics industry are showcasing their work. Attendees will encounter engineering firms, product and software developers, navigation specialists, satellite experts and many other professionals.

Programs: There will be something for everyone with seven distinct programs.

SLAM-Off: The “scan-off” will be a scan-to-scan comparison of LiDAR mapping platforms that utilize simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology against an established terrestrial LiDAR (TLiDAR) platform.

Workshops: Engage in hands-on learning experiences where companies will demo their tools, explain how they solved a problem leveraging geomatics, showcase their latest software or hardware or walkthrough their data or service.

Fast Pitches: Anyone can give a rapid-fire presentation of their innovative project or product. A panel of industry experts will select the top pitches to be featured on the GoGeomatics website.

Canadian Cartographic Map Awards: Every year the CCA announces awards, prizes and scholarships for Canadian post-secondary students efforts in cartography or map-making. The Expo will have a gallery showcasing the work of this year’s winners.

Career Fair

Accompanying the Expo is the GeoIgnite Career Fair, a co-located event where prominent Canadian organizations will scout talent from a diverse pool, including students and graduates from our Education Partners, SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) and the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary.

This portion of the Expo is free and open to the public. We are committed to cultivating interest in the geospatial sector and endorsing the excellent education programs and job opportunities within it. The career fair will be composed of an recruiting hall with booths, and a separate area for networking, interviews and presentations.

GoGeomatics Expo Venue - Big Four Roadhouse

The venue is the Big Four Roadhouse, an event centre on the grounds of the world-famous Calgary Stampede. It boasts plenty of room for exhibits, presentation theatres, the opening night dinner and the big geo party.

This endeavor was born out of a conversation with Jonathan Murphy at the INTERGEO geomatics expo in Germany in October 2022. We lamented the lack of INTERGEO-like options in North America that aren’t vendor-hosted. Jonathan shared the exciting news about this Expo in the making, and I eagerly joined the team of GoGeomatics staff and volunteers to make it a reality. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Furthermore, hosting the Expo in Canada offers the added appeal of hockey, poutine, donuts, relatively strong beer, and a global reputation for politeness and friendliness. We hope to see you there!

Jonathan Murphy, founder and Managing Director of GoGeomatics (centre) with folks from Eos Positioning Systems at INTERGEO 2022 in Essen, Germany. The event inspired the GoGeo Expo. Eos is participating in the GoGeomatics Expo.