GITA Cancels 2008 GIS for Oil & Gas Conference

Heads-up from GITA, In the Aftermath of Hurricane Ike, GITA Cancels 2008 GIS for Oil & Gas Conference.

GITA is sensitive to the damage in Houston, Galveston, and the gulf coast region. Key GITA representatives have been engaged in recovery and service restoration, and safety is the association’s top priority. Conference registrants and exhibitors have been e-mailed and called, and can contact GITA at info@gita.org.

Plans for repackaging conference content are being made, and information on those plans will be posted on http://www.gita.org/oilgas. The 2009 GIS for Oil & Gas Conference is slated for Sept. 13-17, 2009, at the Marriott Westchase Hotel in Houston, Texas, and the 2008 GIS for Oil & Gas Calgary Conference is set for Nov. 6-7, 2008, at the Marriott Calgary Hotel.

GIS in the Rockies in NOCO - sweet!

Registration is now open for the 21st annual GIS in The Rockies Conference (see pics from last year) - September 10-12, 2008, The Ranch, Loveland, CO. Cool to see that this event is in NOCO this year, just up the road from yours truly - nice! Should be cool to meet up with people right here in my backyard here in Fort Collins... no doubt there will be a few Fat Tires and Easy Street Beers thrown back during the 3 days. Gimme a ring if you plan on making it here! See http://www.gisintherockies.org

Speaking of events, GITA, just south of here in Aurora, CO has announced a call for papers for the 2009 Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference, slated for April 19-22, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla. Tampa is a great place and loads of fun, maybe too much fun! I've found in the past that many people tend to piggy-back events in Tampa with a family vacation (I know I took the fam. to Busch Gardens one year) some speculating low numbers sitting in on sessions - hopefully that won't happen next year. Of note, one of the best GITA events I've even attended was back around 2000 (or was in 99?) here in Denver, CO, hopefully one of these years the conference will return. It's a great venue and I know that there's many GISers out there that enjoy LODO after the long days. See more at www.gita.org/gis

GITA 09 to head South

Heads up, here's one for your calendar - GITA's 2009 conference will take place next April 19-22, 2009 in Tampa, Florida so be sure to fill that one in on your calendar... looks like the corners of the country are a favorite for the event planners. See also GITA.org

The aging infrastructure - New York as an example

Consolidated Edison (Con Ed) New York's recent issues are a fine example of how managing our critical infrastructure is so crucial... and a testament to the state of the aging infrustructure and management of that resource in many cities around the country. From a news report about a recent NY Con Ed pipe burst, "The blast swallowed a truck, severely burned two people, blew out hundreds of windows and sprayed asbestos-tainted mud all over the street. Dozens of people were cut by falling debris, and one woman died of a heart attack while fleeing." And then there's also the topic of bridge construction and the safety of commuters around the country... Speaking of infrastructure, recall that GITA has renamed their annual event (was simply GITA conference) to the Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference - likely a good indication of the direction geospatial technology solution providers are headed. For more on GITA event see http://gita.org/events/annual/31/index.asp - info Con Ed news see here

Changes at GITA

This from GITA...Association leaders have changed the “Annual Conference” to the “Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference.” This repositioning and shift in how GITA will brand and market the event better reflect the broader interests and industry audiences that GITA’s conference has accommodated over the years. The next conference will take place March 9-12, 2008, in Seattle, Wash. See www.gita.org