Reston, VA, June 19, 2009 - MAPPS ( www.mapps.org), the association of private geospatial firms, will hold its annual summer conference at the Ocean Edge Resort and Club in Brewster, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, June 25-29, 2009, featuring sessions on best business practices, surviving natural disasters, ownership transition, staying a successful small business, emerging technologies, new vertical markets and an analysis of the current economic environment.
The conference will begin with a keynote address by Ken Spratlin, General Manager of Timble's Geospatial Division, on best practices that worked before and after the economic downturn. Spratlin continues a series of keynote speakers that include Jack Dangermond (ESRI), Alexander Wiechert (Microsoft Vexcel Imaging) and Michael Jones (Google Earth) focusing on the current and future state of the geospatial profession.
"The program committee has once again provided session topics that are not only relevant, but focus on the wide array of sizes and technical specialties that our member firms represent," said Marvin Miller, CP, PLS, PPS, MAPPS President (Aero-Metric, Inc., Maple Grove, MN).
MAPPS will hold its annual business meeting and elections during the conference.
Included on the program is a presentation on the second economic survey of 2009, conducted by Dr. Steven Cox, professor at the McColl School of Business, Queens University of Charlotte, NC. Dr. Cox will present the results of an economic survey of MAPPS member firms conducted by MAPPS earlier this month and compare the data to the results of a similar study done for its Winter Conference in early January 2009.
Recently added to the agenda is a status report on funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), commonly known as the Stimulus Bill, by Karen Siderelis, acting chair of the Federal Geographic Data Committee, U.S. Department of the Interior. Siderelis will give an update on the Federal government's progress, including implementation, agency allocations, and grants and contracts from the economic recovery legislation.
"The economy and stimulus funding are two important topics to our members and we are pleased to provide a program that addresses these issues along with new markets and technologies that can expand business opportunities," said John Palatiello, MAPPS Executive Director. "MAPPS strives to provide informative and timely sessions in a unique conference environment to promote business to business networking. This program will accomplish that goal."
The MAPPS conference will attract principals, owners, partners and senior executive professionals from the geospatial community's leading firms. Representatives of more than 80 firms, including an international contingent from five different nations, will be in attendance.
To view the full conference program, http://mapps.org/events/summerconf2009.cfm" target="_NewWindow1">click here.
About MAPPS
Formed in 1982, MAPPS is the only national association exclusively comprised of private firms in the remote sensing, spatial data and geographic information systems field in the United States. Current MAPPS memberships span the entire spectrum of the geospatial community, including Member Firms engaged in satellite and airborne remote sensing, surveying, photogrammetry, aerial photography, LIDAR, hydrography, bathymetry, charting, aerial and satellite image processing, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services. MAPPS also includes Associate Member Firms, which are companies that provide hardware, software, products and services to the geospatial profession in the United States and other firms from around the world. MAPPS provides its 150+ member firms opportunities for networking and developing business-to-business relationships, information sharing, education, public policy advocacy, market growth, and professional development and image enhancement.
For more information on MAPPS, please visit www.mapps.org.
