Diversified Communications, organizer of International LiDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) and the American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing (ASPRS) announced that their annual geospatial events will take place together in Denver in 2018. Lisa Murray, Director of ILMF, made the announcement with ASPRS President Charles Toth during her opening remarks at the 2017 International LiDAR Mapping Forum on Monday at the Hyatt Regency in Denver.

The combined event will feature a single exhibit hall and inclusive social activities, giving attendees access to more geospatial solutions and networking than would have been possible had the events continued separately. The events will maintain parallel technical programs, including ILMF product reviews and ASPRS workshops, awards, and committee meetings. Attendees will be able to purchase a conference pass that allows entry to programs of their choice, or they may choose a universal pass that allows entry to all programs.

Lisa Murray with ILMF expressed her excitement about the opportunity. “The geospatial community has long been asking event partners to work together. This is a giant step toward a shared vision of bringing industry members together with government and academia for a powerful combination of education, technology innovation and commercial exchange. Diversified Communications and ASPRS share the goal of creating more value for members, attendees and exhibitors by offering multiple learning tracks and a vibrant exhibit floor that pairs the latest technology with hands-on workshops and in-market solutions.”

Charles Toth, President of ASPRS, shared his thoughts: “For years, geospatial community members have asked if ILMF and ASPRS could come together. We are happy that the time has finally come to make that a reality. The current leadership of both organizations views colocation as a great benefit to the loyal attendees of both events. We envision the 2018 ILMF/ASPRS Annual Meeting as an opportunity for both organizations to focus on their core strengths to create an outstanding conference experience. A single exhibit hall will maximize exposure to vendors’ new products and services. Combined social activities will support the personal interactions and networking opportunities the community enjoys. ASPRS will bring pre-conference educational workshops and open committee meetings to encourage broader participation in the many important standards, certification, and outreach activities that are a hallmark of ASPRS. Parallel technical programs will create an opportunity for attendees to experience the content traditionally unique to each meeting. ASPRS features peer-reviewed presentations from academia, government, and the private sector across the spectrum of photogrammetry and remote sensing research and applications. Attendees at ILMF/ASPRS 2018 can look forward to a rich, exciting, and informative conference experience.”

Stakeholders in the geospatial community expressed their enthusiasm for the co-location.

•“I think it’s a wonderful idea. I’ve been an advocate of it for many years. There’s a lot of technology overlap between the two groups and I think we’ll get everyone in the world there!”
– Mike Kitaif, Software Development Manager, Cardinal Systems

•“I think it’s a great idea. It brings the academic environment and the commercial environment together. It’s going to be a terrific show next year.”
– Ron Roth, Product Manager, Geospatial Solutions Division, Leica Geosystems

•“Because of the similarities of the technology, clientele and similarities of ideas in the presentations, the folks on both sides will benefit. It’s a win-win.”
– Bobby Tuck, President, Tuck Mapping Solutions

•“I’m very happy to hear that ASPRS and ILMF are going to come together in a single event. This is something I was asking for several years ago. It makes a lot of sense for attendees and exhibitors who will now have more of a reason to attend a single event in the future.”
– David Snyder, Solutions Specialist, Trimble

•“I think joining the two conferences would make it much easier to stay current on the sciences and to pick up as much knowledge as possible.”
– David Nale, President & CEO, eMap International

ILMF and ASPRS will take place together at the Hyatt Regency Denver in Denver Colorado February 5-7, 2018. The 2017 ILMF will conclude in Denver this Wednesday, February 15. The 2017 ASPRS Annual Conference is taking place in Baltimore on March 12-16, 2017.

About International LiDAR Mapping Forum

International LiDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) is a technical conference & exhibition focused on airborne, terrestrial and underwater LiDAR as well as emerging remote-sensing and data collection tools and technology used for applications including Asset Management; Civil Infrastructure; Coastal Zone Mapping; Emergency Services & Disaster Response; Land and Natural Resource Management; and Urban Modeling.

The 2018 edition of the event, taking place with ASPRS, will be held February 5-7, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. It will take place with the Annual Conference of the American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing (ASPRS. For more information, visit http://www.lidarmap.org. ILMF is part of a network of events and media for the global geospatial market organized by Diversified Communications that includes Commercial UAV Expo Americas, Commercial UAV Expo Europe, Commercial UAV News, SPAR3D Expo & Conference and SPAR3D.com.

About American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing (ASPRS)

Founded in 1934, the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) is a scientific association serving professional members around the world. Our mission is to advance knowledge and improve understanding of mapping sciences to promote the responsible applications of photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and supporting technologies.