Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/ink drop
The next iteration of Australasia’s premier event for the surveying and GIS sectors will be held from 24 to 26 May 2022 at the National Convention Centre Canberra (NCCC).
Locate22 will be hosted by Geoscience Australia (GA), with the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation supporting as a local co-host.
The three-day conference will comprise plenary and keynote addresses, dedicated theme sessions, panels, workshops, thought leadership sessions and co-located meetings.
At this stage it is expected that Locate22 will be a face-to-face event, but, if there are COVID restrictions in place at the time, consideration will be given to streaming certain sessions online. The organisers will use their experience from Locate21 and apply the lessons learned in case such virtual content delivery is needed.
The theme for Locate22 will be ‘Location in Action: Positioning the nation for a brighter future,’ reflecting the vital role spatial data and location services play in all aspects of modern society.
“Locate22 will provide the national spatial and surveying forum for government, industry, academia and stakeholders to learn, share and connect as part of a digital and knowledge ecosystem that supports a sustainable economy, society and environment for the benefits of all the Australian and New Zealand community,” said Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, Chair of Locate Conferences Australia.
“Recent national emergencies such as bushfires, drought, floods and COVID-19 all have long-term effects on our cities, towns, land, environment and people,” added Alison Rose, Geoscience Australia’s Chief of Place, Space and Communities Division and Convenor of Locate 22.
Alison Rose, Geoscience Australia’s Chief of Place, Space and Communities Division and Convenor of Locate 22; and Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, Chair of the Locate22 board.
“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 insights into the societal, environmental and economic challenges we face as a nation.”
“Locate22 will reach out to clients/users of spatial data and also bring in speakers from outside the spatial sector to share their problems in their respective domains. We will also aim to involve allied professional bodies and business associations, such as the Space Industry Association, Engineers Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia and many more,” said Mohamed-Ghouse.
The event will include a trade show on the first day, bringing opportunities for business networking and displays of the latest technologies. The trade show will also include targeted technical sessions, as well as career and capacity building interactions with universities to help them attract prospective students.
“Canberra has a lot to offer such as technical tours to see the progress of technology at GA, CSIRO and various space initiatives; the organising committee will be considering whether to value add along these lines for delegates,” said Rose.
The organising board for the Locate22 conference has been set, with the positions filled as follows:
- Chair — Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, Executive Director – Strategic Consulting, Spatial Vision (appointed by SSSI)
- Vice-chair — Maurits Van der Vlugt, Director, Location Solutions – Mercury Project Solutions (appointed by SIBA|GITA)
- Directors — Glenn Cockerton, Managing Director, Spatial Vision (appointed by SIBA|GITA); Paul Digney, Survey Technical Director, Jacobs Australia (appointed by SSSI); Mary-Ellen Feeney, Director Delivery – Projects & Services, Yokogawa Australia and New Zealand (appointed by SIBA|GITA); Melinda Borg, Senior Spatial Consultant, GHD Digital (appointed by SSSI)
- Company secretary — Tony Wheeler, CEO, SSSI
- Observer — Danika Bakalich, General Manager, SIBA|GITA
The core program should be available before the end of 2021, at which time there will be a call for abstracts and the opening of registrations. Abstract submissions will be invited on set topics that align with the themed sessions, which is a different approach to that of Locate21.
“We would welcome prospective delegates and presenters to consider how they can share their experiences and knowledge in three key areas: developments within their discipline, use of location services within specific industries (eg. natural disaster risk reduction, agriculture) and how they are leveraging advancements in technology,” said Rose.
“The Locate22 board and stakeholders also have a serious commitment in bringing diversity and gender balance to the conference and always strive constantly to improve it,” added Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse, who noted that Locate22’s speakers, panels, program leadership, governance team and professional conference organiser are from diverse backgrounds and provide diverse input.
Outreach will soon begin for sponsors and exhibitors, with a prospectus and strategy currently being finalised.
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