ASPRS 2010 Annual Conference

The ASPRS Annual Conference took place in San Diego, California between 26th and 30th April, with the theme ‘Opportunities for Emerging Geospatial Technologies'. The conference programme began two full days before its technical counterpart, to accommodate fourteen workshops, ten user- group meetings, 29 ASPRS Committee and business meetings, and several student activities.

Global Change
The first keynote address by Jonathan Overpack, director of the Institute of the Environment, University of Arizona, focused on global change dynamics and the importance of geospatial data in detecting, monitoring and adapting to climate change. Following Dr. Overpack's presentation, three panelists commented on the role of remote sensing and that of the geospatial community in meeting information needs.

New Technologies
Carolyn Merry gave the second keynote, addressing her audience as incoming ASPRS president. The next presentation, by Mike Renslow, focused on the impact of significant new technologies that are fundamentally changing several geospatial applications, as well as product development. ISPRS president Orhan Altan then took the stage to present the activities of his organisation in its 2010 Centenary Celebration year, and the role of ISPRS in the international geospatial community. The keynote addresses are available at the ASPRS website (1) . Several ASPRS awards were presented during the keynote sessions.

Technical Programme
The three-day technical programme included 81 sessions with over 300 oral presentations and 51 poster sessions. Technical areas covered were Accuracy and Error Assessment, Automated Feature Extraction, Resource Management, Lidar Systems and Applications, and Airborne Imaging Systems. Other special sessions included ‘Hot Topics', Interactive Networking focusing on new technologies, and a guided tour of the exhibition hall for students. The 2010 ASPRS Conference attracted 76 exhibitors, showcasing the latest in photogrammetric applications, remote sensing, imaging systems, Lidar and radar technologies, as well as applications and training.

Social Events
ASPRS has a rich tradition of meaningful and interesting social events taking place throughout conference. This year there were several such events sponsored by the Student Advisory Council, with the emphasis on meeting potential employers and networking. The 2010 Memorial Address featured the life and achievements of Uuno (Uki) Vilho Helava, a pioneer in the development of innovative photogrammetric instruments. The conference dinner was held aboard the USS Midway Aircraft Museum in the harbour of San Diego.

Future Meetings
The Fall ASPRS Conference will take place in Orlando, Florida from 15th to 18th November 2010, in conjunction with the ISPRS Technical Commission IV Symposium and AutoCarto 2010. The 2011 Annual Conference will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1st to 5th May 2011.