Concept3D reveals 2019 innovative map award winners

Concept3D named the winners of its “Most Innovative Map” awards, which recognize higher education institutions for unique applications of the Concept3D platform.

The five award categories included Best Data Feed Integration, Best Campus Safety Initiative, Best Admissions Integration, Most Digitally Accessible Campus Map and Best Interior Mapping. In addition, honorable mentions were given for the Best Virtual Tour, Best Green Initiative, Most Prepared Initiative and Best Use of Webcams.

Here are the award winners:

• Penn State University won the Best Data Feed Integration Award for its interactive campus maps for the main University Park campus and 21 of the Commonwealth Campuses.

• Boise State University won the Best Campus Safety Initiative Award for its commitment to safety and security with the integration of a new toggle-on Night Map feature, a 3D map overlay that makes it easy for students, staff and visitors to find preferred, well-lit night routes, as well as resources including emergency phones.

• Occidental College won the Best Admissions Implementation Award for integrating a new feature — the “Locate Your Admissions Counselor” option — to the platform to help students around the country find the right point of contact for the Los Angeles-based campus.

• Texas A&M University won the Most Digitally Accessible Campus Map award for integrating a new wheelchair accessible wayfinding feature into its interactive campus map, which helps identify the most efficient and easiest routes for those using a wheelchair.

• Finally, the University of Colorado, Boulder won the Best Interior Mapping Award for adding a new feature that gives map users the ability to view the building interiors, floor by floor.

In addition, the University of Texas, Arlington received a Best Virtual Tour honorable mention; Skidmore University received a Best Green Initiative honorable mention; the University of Denver received a Most Prepared Initiative honorable mention and Michigan Tech University received a Best Use of Webcams honorable mention.

“It was quite a challenge to pare it down to the final award winners because there are so many unique applications happening in the higher education space, where interactive campus maps can be used for a wide variety of uses and by different departments,” said Gordon Boyes, CEO of Concept3D. “It’s really exciting to see how the higher education professionals are able to use the technology to serve their communities and to note how the awards reflect higher education trends that we’re seeing across the board, from greater digital accessibility to IoT.”