Post-Show Report: GEO Business Sees Attendance Rise 25 Percent

June 22, 2015 - By Tracy Cozzens

GEO Business 2015, which took place at the Business Design Centre in London May 27-28, report another successful show following its launch in 2014. Visitors were queuing to get in on the first day and the overall attendance was up 25 percent on the 2014 show. More than 2,000 people attended from 47 countries, positioning GEO Business as a truly international show, organizers said.

A highlight of GEO Business show was the international exhibition with a bigger and improved layout from the 2014 launch show, incorporating an additional lower floor area and exhibitors from 20 different countries. Running alongside the exhibition was a conference that hosted presentations about projects and more than 140 free commercial workshops and outside demonstration sessions for hands-on product testing, which proved a real benefit to visitors with some sessions so packed there was standing room only.

Caroline Hobden, Event Director for GEO Business, commented, “We have had so much positive feedback following the show and are thrilled to see such an increase in attendance in just a year since we launched the first show. We are keen to support the community through our annual show by offering an opportunity to share knowledge, promote cutting-edge commercial solutions and provide networking opportunities.”

Derry Long, Business Development Manager of MBS Survey Software Ltd., was one of many who provided personal feedback after the event. “GEO Business is now the established show for everyone involved or interested in geospatial activities. Once again GEO Business delivered a top quality exhibition and conference that showcases the best that the geospatial community has to offer. We will be back next year.”

The GEO Business conference featured an exceptional line-up of presentations with updates about high profile projects and technologies. The keynote address by Kate Hall, director of the Built Environment at HS2, the UK’s proposed new high speed rail line, attracted much interest with an enlightening talk about how high quality geospatial and GIS data will form the core of rail travel in the future. Other popular subjects included wearable GIS tools, future technologies, and BIM — with the second keynote address by Stephen Hamil, director of Design and Innovation at NBS National Building Specification, providing insight into BIM tools for digital planning and project management.

Conference Chairman Graham Mills (chairman of Technics Group and past president of The Survey Association) reported a conference that was bustling with delegates, explaining, ”The conference perfectly represented the energy of the geospatial industry at the moment, with inspiring presentations to reflect all the opportunities of a growing community. I’m delighted to have achieved this through our 50 papers.”

In addition to the exhibition, conference and workshops, GEO Business also hosted a lively social program with welcome drinks and a gala dinner which raised over £1700 for the charity MapAction. MapAction is on standby 365 days a year, ready to deploy skilled volunteers to the scene of a disaster within hours of an alert. The humanitarian mapping service they deliver can make the difference between life and death for survivors.

Caroline Hobden, summarized, “With so much achieved at our second GEO Business event, we’re already looking forward to our 2016 event where we hope to reach an even greater level of success for the industry. GEO Business 2016 will once again return to the Business Design Centre on May 24-25, 2016 and we look forward to welcoming the industry once again.”