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Held over two fine days in late May, the GEO Business Show welcomed a record-breaking 2,600 visitors to the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. The event also reinforced its international appeal by attracting attendees from 53 countries. The figures equate to a 9% rise in visitor numbers over last year’s event and a 61% increase since the show was launched in 2014. A highly creditable achievement, and one that reflects the boom enjoyed by the UK events sector over the past decade despite competition from roadshows, webinars, webcasts and social media.
Enticed by a new website; a new show guide app, a cutting-edge seminar programme, and a strategic conference (see page 56), those arriving found a much-enlarged exhibition, with 200 public and private sector organisations presenting goods and services from across the geospatial spectrum. Indeed, space was so tight that a number of exhibitors were elevated to the upper gallery, not that they were complaining, being able to take advantage of footfall from the main conference and commercial workshop sessions.
This year, two showfloor theatres were located towards the back of the exhibition hall, with headsets provided to keep noise to a minimum. With more than 60 free-to-attend presentations from which to choose, and with topics ranging from Smart Cities to survey equipment theft, from UAVs to railways and tunnelling, and from GIS and Big Data to BIM, VR and AI, there was something for everyone. And for those staying the course, the Ale Trail on the closing afternoon proved as popular as ever.
All credit to organisers, Diversified Communications UK, and collaborators, the AGI, TSA, ICES RICS and ICE for, once again, hosting what has become an unmissable event in the geospatial calendar. Commenting on the show, Event Director Caroline Hobden said, “We are absolutely delighted with this year’s event. This is the fifth year of growth for GEO Business and the greatest yet in attracting more visitors from a diverse range of industries, professional disciplines and specialists. While there was plenty for the tech geeks and those wanting to know from the researchers and academics what the next disruptive technologies will be, the event showcased very solid opportunities for end users of practical geospatial technologies where they could see for themselves the current ‘state of the art’.”
GEO Business 2019 will return to the Business Design Centre in London from 21-22 May 2019
