During GEO Week 2021, the Group on Earth Observations will present the multidisciplinary activities of the GEO Work Programme that address policy agendas involved in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP26, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.

The online event will include the GEO-17 plenary, plus anchor and side events. Time will be scheduled each day for virtual networking. On Monday, November 22, the 56th Executive Committee will be held as a closed meeting.

Of particular importance will be the anchor events: These are the main events designed by GEO week 2021 organisers to explain the multidisciplinary nature of GEO through the concept of nexus thinking. Working on multiple topics simultaneously is essential in today’s rapidly changing environmental and social conditions. For example, work in one area will have a knock-on effect or impact in another area, such as the water, energy and food nexus. These events are linked to the global policy agendas that underpin most of GEO’s work.

Image credit: NASA

The Australian Association for Unmanned Systems’ ‘RPAS in Australian Skies 2022’ conference aims to continue discussion on the safe integration of RPAS into Australian airspace. It is supported by key government and industry participants and has established itself as a landmark event in the Australian RPAS calendar.

The 2022 themes will cover:

• Policy and Regulatory updates from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, CASA, AirServices Australia and the Australian Defence Force relating to the use of emerging aviation technology in Australia.
• UAS Traffic Management (UTM), low level airspace, integrated airspace systems challenges and opportunities.
• Industry challenges and perspectives
• Continuing development of a professional and safe industry.
• ATSB RPAS data and trends
• Emerging technology and innovative solutions enabling integration or RPAS into Australian airspace.
• Future infrastructure requirements to enable drone delivery and advanced air mobility (AAM).
• Emerging RPAS and AAM applications – benefits, viability and social acceptance.

The conference will be a hybrid event incorporating face to face (live) and online (virtual) choices for participants. It will also include the AAUS Gala Dinner featuring the AAUS Industry Awards.

On behalf of the Locate Australia Conferences it is our pleasure to invite you to join us at Locate22, 24 – 26 May in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

Locate22 returns to the Nation’s Capital in the traditional format of a live event at the National Convention Centre Canberra (NCCC). With the ability to be COVID safe, within a socially distanced environment, the NCCC is the perfect venue for Australia’s premier spatial and surveying conference. Canberra brings an incomparable setting with iconic national attractions surrounding Lake Burley Griffin and the Parliamentary Triangle.

This year Locate22 will incorporate dedicated streams into the format of the conference. This will enable focused discussion from across industry sectors on how location technologies and practices are being used, highlighting the fundamental role they play in shaping Australia’s future.

Industry, government, non-profit and academics are demanding new opportunities for innovation, efficiency and improved responsiveness, particularly in location-based information. In the past year alone, we’ve seen how location information can provide societal, environmental and economic benefits to our communities.  Recent national emergencies such as bushfires, drought, floods and COVID-19 all have long-term effects on our cities, towns, land, environment and people. These national, place-based challenges require collaborative solutions that must be data-driven, provide insightful analysis, and be easy for anyone, anywhere to use.

Location in Action is about how we learn, share and connect as a community and with end users to drive deeper insights and aid better decision-making  powered through location data, science and technologies.

Come and join us in Canberra where you will have an opportunity to network with national and international colleagues, have direct access to industry and subject matter experts, see the newest technology, and be introduced to the newest ideas in the spatial and surveying sector.

ALISON ROSE

CONVENOR
LOCATE 22

The ROTORTECH 2022 Helicopter and Unmanned Flight Exposition is the premier industry event for the Helicopter/Rotary Wing and RPAS/UAV/eVTOL community in Australia, New Zealand and the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

The event provides a vital interface between industry, regulators and government, including:

• Operations and safety presentations
• Industry conferences
• Industry exposition showcasing the products and services of helicopter and unmanned flight related companies

ROTORTECH 2022 will host conferences by the Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA) and Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems (AAUS) and feature presentations by key rotary and unmanned systems industry experts from Australia and the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Commercial UAV Expo, September 6-8 in Las Vegas is the premier event for the commercial drone industry focusing on the integration/operation of commercial UAS.

The event will feature exhibits and demonstrations by UAS solutions providers; keynotes, panel discussions, and presentations with interactive Q&A and chat; AI-powered networking; and more.

Industries covered include Construction; Drone Delivery; Energy & Utilities; Forestry & Agriculture; Infrastructure & Transportation; Mining & Aggregates; Public Safety & Emergency Services; Security; and Surveying & Mapping. It is presented by Commercial UAV News and organised by Diversified Communications.

Use code SAVE100 for a US$100 discount and/or FREE expo admission.

The Ocean Optics Conference attracts a diverse audience of active practitioners in the field, including oceanographers, marine ecologists, limnologists, optical engineers, marine resource managers and policy professionals from around the world.

Conference presentations will include the science of optics across all aquatic environments, research, and applications, including (but not limited to) biogeochemistry, environmental management and applications, instruments, techniques and observational systems, remote sensing, phytoplankton ecology, radiative transfer and optical theory, global change, and benthic processes.

Attendees will attend plenary presentations during the day and interact with colleagues during scientific poster session receptions held in the exhibit/poster hall in the early evening. In addition to invited and contributed oral and poster presentations, the conference will provide the opportunity for community-wide discussions.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The World of Drones and Robotics Congress 2022 is scheduled to be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Similar to 2021, it will be held in a hybrid format — in-person and online.

The International Cartographic Association (ICA) invites you to share your research, practice and experiences in cartography and GIScience at the 31^st International Cartographic Conference (ICC 2023), to be held from 13 to 18 August 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa.

The conference theme will be ‘Smart Cartography for Sustainable Development’.

Important dates:

• 5 December 2022 – Submission of full papers closes
• 12 December 2022 – Submission of abstracts closes
• February 2023 – Conference registration opens
• 28 February 2023 – Notification of acceptance
• 8 May 2023 – Submission of revised abstracts and papers
• 15 May 2023 – Early Bird registration closes
• 15 May 2023 – Registration deadline for presenters of abstracts, papers and posters