October 17, 2013 -- Statement from MAPPS Executive Director John Palatiello on the Gesopatial and Engineering International Conference:
Dear Speakers, Sponsors, Attendees, Media Partners and Community Professionals:
I regret to inform you that due to the extended government shutdown, we have postponed the Geospatial & Engineering International Conference until 2014. Even with the government opening this week, the shutdown has had an adverse affect on our ability to properly plan and prepare for the conference, as well as impose significant constraints on our speakers and attendees.
We are working to reschedule the conference in 2014. In so doing, we will endeavor to avoid conflicts with other conferences in the geospatial and engineering communities that are already scheduled for the coming year.
We want to thank our speakers, sponsors, media partners, participating organizations and members of all our associations for support, understanding, and cooperation throughout the planning of the conference. Thanks as well to our hosts, The Westin Alexandria, for their teamwork during this process. We have confirmed that the venue for the conference in 2014 will go unchanged, subject to the selection of new dates.
Special recognition goes to our program chair, Brian Raber (Merrick & Company), who has dedicated much time and effort to assemble a superb program, while working under significant challenges due to the government shutdown.
Like many others, we have had to make tough financial decisions to come to this conclusion. In light of the government shutdown, we are even more confident of the importance of a conference to inform and educate the professional geospatial and engineering community of the assistance programs, services, and business opportunities available to export professional products, data and services outside the United States. We intend to provide these topics, tools, and resources through this conference in 2014.
An announcement will be made as soon as possible on the confirmed dates of the conference in 2014. In the meantime, we will continue to communicate and work with you on the transition to the new date.
Sincerely,
John Palatiello Executive Director
MAPPS
MAPPS
