MoreGeorge Washington helped survey Shenandoah lands for Thomas, Lord Fairfax, at age 16. He also helped to survey Old Town Alexandria in the Washington, D.C. area, so what better place to celebrate our country and the surveying profession than Washington, D.C.?
The XXII FIG Congress and ACSM/ASPRS Conference and Technology Exhibition in Washington, D.C., will be held from April 19-26 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The conference promises to be the largest and best geomatics event ever held in North America. The event’s programs offer a variety of strong learning and quality networking opportunities. The schedules include several Federation of Surveyors (FIG) meetings on April 19 and 20 and a variety of ACSM/ASPRS workshops and technical sessions throughout the week. Activities will include a Surveyors Olympics, at which attendees can test their skills. A large technology exhibit will be open from April 22-24 featuring vendors from around the world. The FIG opening and keynote session will be held on April 22, with an address given by Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, the executive director for the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, and Jack Dangermond, president of ESRI. A plenary session will be held on April 23, which will focus on the implementation of local, regional and national compatible spatial data infrastructure (SDI) and its contribution to a Global Spatial Data Infrastructure. A plenary session to be held on April 24 will focus on the development of housing and housing finance in developing countries. On April 25, a plenary session will be held to discuss committing surveyors to sustainable development.
FIG technical sessions and FIG technical tours are offered throughout the week. The tour of the Department of Geography at the University of Maryland on April 22 includes presentations that encompass findings from some of the many research activities associated with remote sensing such as the use of EOS-MODIS data, vegetation canopy LIDAR, and a rapid response system developed for reporting on the occurrence of fires in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore the nation’s Capitol. Eight different tours are available, allowing conference attendees to take in all the sights of Washington, D.C. There are many other technical and sightseeing tours offered from April 22 -26. To read more about them, visit the XXII FIG International Congress Countdown Box at www.pobonline.com.
The full advance registration congress fee for FIG International participants and U.S. members is $425, weekly advance fee is $350, and the student fee is $50. The Marriott Wardman Park Hotel is located on Woodley Road, just a few minutes from the National Zoo and the National Cathedral. A single/double standard room rate is $205 single/$225 double. Room rates are available until March 26, 2002. To reserve a room, call the Marriott Reservation Center at 800/228-9290. To make reservations online, visit www.marriotthotels.com/marriott/wasdt. Other nearby hotels include the Connecticut Ave. Days Inn, Embassy Suites Washington, D.C. Uptown at the Chevy Chase Pavilion, Omni Shoreham Hotel and the Savoy Suites Georgetown.
To read more about the preliminary program for the XXII FIG Congress and to find registration materials and details, visit www.fig2002.com.
