The 18th INTERGEO in Hanover saw increased numbers of international visitors and exhibitors and the successful inclusion of the first National INSPIRE Conference, the CLGE (Council of European Geodetic Surveyors) conference and the second Navigation Conference. Some 16,000 visitors from over 80 countries used the three-day event to find out about the latest products and services from almost 530 companies from 31 countries spread across all continents, thus beating last year’s figures for Nuremberg.
The proportion of international visitors grew five percent and satisfaction levels among exhibitors and visitors were overwhelmingly high overall, as shown in representative surveys by Gelszus Messe-Marktforschung GmbH in Dortmund. Close to 90 percent of participating companies, institutions and associations said they had achieved their trade fair targets. Over three-quarters reached their key target groups and more than 90 percent indicated they would be returning to INTERGEO. Exhibitors were united in their praise for the high quality of contacts they made. “We have been meeting our target groups and sales partners from all over the world at INTERGEO for over ten years. This is the highlight of the year for the industry, and they use it to see what is new with us and to exchange ideas,” said Johannes Riegl Jr., member of the Board of Riegl Laser Measurement Systems Austria, echoing many other exhibitors.
And visitors were certainly glad they came to the event, with almost 95 percent expressing their satisfaction. The main reasons given for attending INTERGEO were to find out about innovations, gain a general overview of industry offerings and develop and maintain contacts. INTERGEO – the leading international conference and trade fair for geodesy, geoinformation and land management – is a showcase for cutting-edge technology, as demonstrated by the more than 80 product innovations and world premieres presented by companies in Hanover. Nearly 55 percent of visitors said they had travelled 300 kilometres or more. Nearly 93 percent said they intended to return for INTERGEO 2013 in Essen. The survey also revealed that 70 percent of visitors are involved in procurement decisions by the companies they represent.
Intensive interdisciplinary dialogue
Current industry issues were discussed in various round tables that attracted leading experts. Almost 1,400 conference participants were involved in intensive interdisciplinary dialogue in 40 subject areas. The annual industry gathering featured more than 140 presentations and focused on the processing, application and economic value of geodata. Leading political and international figures gave presentations to kick off each day of the conference – CheeHai Teo, President of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), Steven W. Berglund, President and CEO of Trimble, and Cornelia Rogall-Grothe, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and the government’s representative for information technology.
With over 350 participants, the first National INSPIRE Conference was a great success. The patrons – the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Steering Committee for Spatial Information Germany, the German Association of Cities, the German Rural District Association and DVW e. V. – German Society for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management – encouraged participants to share ideas. This is necessary for implementing the EU directive INSPIRE, which is providing impetus for geoinformation activities. Users and providers and representatives from administration, business and science explored major implications of implementation. Rogall-Grothe, for example, said there was no doubt about a “demand-driven geoinformation offering”, arguing that binding standards and coordinated quality management are essential since poor data quality is estimated to cost around EUR 186 million a year in Germany.
“Politicians need information on new trends”
The second Navigation Conference – sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development – also proved a great success. As in 2011, it showed that a networked world of navigation, geoinformation and communication technology offers enormous potential for innovation.
The conference centred on the question of how information flows can help engineer mobility and what guidance is offered by the “intelligent city”. “The Navigation Conference at INTERGEO is an excellent framework for the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development to discuss ideas and experiences with experts from science and business. Politicians need information on new trends and the various disruptive factors that exist in developing innovations,” said Dr. Andreas Scheuer, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development.
At the invitation of the DVW, around 300 students from ten countries used the second European Students Meeting (ESM) to focus on the trends and innovations at INTERGEO. “Even with the excellent conditions the industry offers, more attention needs to be paid to attracting talented young individuals to the profession,” stressed Prof. Karl-Friedrich Thöne, President of DVW e.V., which hosted INTERGEO. An estimated 30,000 new vacancies will need to be filled in the next five years.
Advisory Board with Esri, Hexagon and Trimble
From 2013, the newly created Advisory Board with its partners Esri, Hexagon and Trimble will be adding a key dimension to INTERGEO by focusing on strategic questions and new trends and exploring the socio-political role. “The networks within the geo community and with our political, business and local authority partners are becoming more closely knit all the time. Cooperation between key GIS associations plus the new Advisory Board are clear signs of this development,” said Thöne. “INTERGEO 2012 not only reaffirmed its reputation as a leading international trade fair but expanded it further. With the newly formed Advisory Board, INTERGEO will continue to extend its role as a meeting place and driving force for the industry,” said Olaf Freier, CEO of Hinte GmbH in Karlsruhe, which organises the event.
DVW e.V. – the German Society for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management – is the patron of INTERGEO, which will next be held from 8 to 10 October 2013 in Essen.
Visitor, exhibitor and exhibition area statistics for this event are calculated and certified in line with the standardised definitions of the FKM (Society for the Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics).
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