GEOINT 2018 Registration and Housing Now Open

Herndon, Virginia (February 5, 2018)—The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) opened registration and housing for its GEOINT 2018 Symposium, taking place April 22-25 at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla.

The GEOINT Symposium, hosted annually by USGIF, gathers the defense, intelligence, and homeland security communities and other users and producers of geospatial information for an exciting agenda of keynote speakers, panel discussions, and breakout tracks offering the unique opportunity to learn from senior leaders and subject matter experts.

“It’s fantastic to be returning to Tampa in 2018,” said USGIF CEO Keith Masback. “We had such a rich, vibrant event there in 2014, including great participation from CENTOM, SOCOM, and myriad international representatives thanks to the proximity of MacDill Air Force Base. There was a phenomenal vibe in 2014 and USGIF is excited to go back.”

USGIF has confirmed two GEOINT 2018 keynote speakers. Robert Cardillo, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Joseph D. Kernan, under secretary of defense for intelligence, will address the audience during the Symposium general session. Additionally, Washington Post foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius will participate and lead the audience through discussions with some of the speakers.

The theme of GEOINT 2018 is “Driving Data to Decisions and Action.” With exponentially increasing data being collected and stored, and subsequent intelligence to be gained, it is imperative we use the information effectively and efficiently to a purposeful end. GEOINT 2018 will explore the major drivers, themes, and innovations helping decision-makers and warfighters at the tip of the spear gain actionable intelligence from disparate data.

“The theme is as pressing and compelling as it has ever been,” Masback said. “Despite the advent of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, we remain awash in data and the community must be relentless in its pursuit of turning those data into information and actionable knowledge, delivered at the right time and place to make decisions and take action.”

GEOINT 2018 will feature an expansive exhibit hall with more than 200 organizations showcasing their technologies, solutions, and services. Exhibit and sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Fifty-two hours of dedicated professional development, training, and education sessions will be offered. In these two-hour sessions, GEOINT subject matter experts teach participants about new concepts in topics such as deep learning, data science, big data analysis, LiDAR, synthetic aperture radar, and more. Attendees will receive 0.2 Continuing Education Units per qualified session.

The GEOINT 2018 Symposium will also offer a pre-symposium science and technology day April 22 called GEOINT Foreword. Based on this year’s theme, GEOINT Foreword will feature use cases of “analytics in action.” Hear from government, industry, and academia as they detail lessons learned and real-world challenges related to how data and analytics enabled insightful decisions. Please note GEOINT Foreword requires separate registration.

In addition to these many events and activities, GEOINT 2018 also features rich networking opportunities throughout the week to make new business contacts and reconnect with colleagues.

Visit geoint2018.com to register and book your room for the Symposium. For registration and housing questions, contact SPARGO, the official housing and registration company for GEOINT 2018, at [email protected] or call 866-849-9827.

About USGIF

USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and developing a stronger GEOINT Community with government, industry, academia, professional organizations, and individuals who develop and apply geospatial intelligence to address national security challenges. USGIF achieves its mission via its strategic pillars: Build the Community | Advance the Tradecraft | Accelerate Innovation.

For more information, please visit www.USGIF.org and follow USGIF on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.