Geospatial Information & Technology Association

GITA 2008 Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference

The 2008 GITA Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference and 2008 GITA GIS in Oil, Gas & Mining Conference will be held at the Novotel Sydney Olympic Park, 25th to 27th August

Keynote Presenters

Lucio Di Bartolomeo

The conference Opening Keynote address will be delivered by Lucio Di Bartolomeo.

Mr Di Bartolomeo has a background of experiences which well qualifies him to address our conference delegates. Not only does he well understand spatial technologies, and their application infrastructure organisations, he sits at the board table of a number of large infrastructure asset owning organisations. He is Chairman of the Parklands Foundation and a non-executive director of ...

Arthur Berrill

Arthur Berrill is VP of Vice President of Advanced Concepts and Technology, Pitney Bowes MapInfo.

While the root node of MapInfo’s R&D is in Toronto Canada, the department is spatially distributed world-wide. They are charged with responsibility for the longer term architecture, technology and product directions of MapInfo world-wide.

Arthur spent 25 years managing the architecture, design and development of large spatial software systems for Wild Heerbrugg, Prime Computer, Computervision, Unisys and MapInfo then decided to get a life and started MapInfo’s Research Department. In that time, he has never left a job (forcibly or voluntarily), has had a grand total of 3 bosses and has worked in 7 different countries.

He led development of WildMap, SYSTEM 9, SpatialWare and many of MapInfo’s products.

Arthur is never happier than when confronted with an intractable spatial problem and never more despondent than when confronted with intractable people. He believes there can never be enough whiteboards.

Arthur’s interests include the effective use of databases in spatial systems, user interface innovation, complex spatial systems architecture, power tools and the use of violence as a management tool.

John Renard

John Renard, President UTG Infotech Enterprises Ltd (UK) and Managing Director of Infotech Enterprises Europe Limited.

John Renard has over 10 years commercial and management experience in GIS. As well as a formal consultancy background, he has worked at all levels with clients to deliver business applications. As well as studying Management at Cambridge, John undertook a two year vocational management training with Tiphook plc. This covered all aspects of company management, including accounting, marketing, sales and operations.

Prior to Infotech he ran his own consultancy practice working with companies such as Andersen Consulting and Total. His European experience has been gained from living and working in France for 6 years (1989-1995). John has considerable experience across Europe. He has been involved in a number of major GIS in telecoms projects including for Swiss Telecom.

Pedro Harris

Pedro Harris has had a dynamic IT career spanning 27 years in information, communications and technology disciplines as a CIO, CTO, IT Architect and specialist spanning careers in the public and private sectors.

Pedro is Chief Information Office and Chief Technology Office for the NSW Department of Lands. He has a key transformation role for developing enterprise spatial solutions for businesses in both the Department of Lands and across the NSW Government. Pedro is also a member of the NSW CIO Executive Council and is Government CIO Lead for various State-wide initiatives enunciated in the People First plan – most notably the Spatial Centre of Excellence. Pedro holds a Master of Public Management and is currently completing a doctoral research thesis on “Spatial Intelligence Quotient (SQ) and its effect on enterprise spatial architecture”.

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss has more than 20 years experience in the geospatial software industry and 15 years experience working with utilities, communications, and public works in enterprise-geospatial-IT around the world.

Geoff is Director of Technology at Autodesk, a position he has held since 2001. His focus is on geospatial solutions for large enterprises worldwide. His interests include ...
• geospatially-enabling infrastructure management workflows,
• the aging work force and the impact of Web 2.0, and
• the convergence of architecture, engineering, geospatial and 3D visualization technologies.

In 2004, Geoff received one of ten annual global technology awards from Oracle Corporation for his technical innovation and leadership in the use of Oracle.

Geoff is a frequent speaker at geospatial industry events around the world including GITA, MapIndia, GeoBrazil, Map Asia, URISA, GeoTec, and Autodesk University. In 2007 and 2008 Geoff received speaker awards at GITA for his presentations on geospatial infrastructure management.

Prior to joining Autodesk, Geoff was Director of Software Engineering at MCI VISION* Solutions, which was acquired in 1999 by Autodesk. VISION* Solutions was known for developing innovative solutions based on leading-edge technology and, among other innovations, is credited with introducing RDBMS-based spatial data management, long transactions, CAD/GIS integration, and UML-based object modelling into the enterprise geospatial market.

Lucio Di Bartolomeo — Arthur Berrill — John Renard — Pedro Harris — Geoff Zeiss

top — keynotes — workshops — tuesday — wednesday — conference dinner — cocktail party - user group meetings — registrations

Morning Workshops

CAD/GIS Integration

The CAD/GIS Integration workshop will demonstrate how CAD and GIS can be used together to enhance the management and protection of critical assets and infrastructure.

Peter Kinne is one of a number of well credentialed and experienced people who will contribute to this workshop. Others include Graeme Stickler from 1Spatial in the UK, and Geoff Zeiss who is the Director of Technology for Autodesk.

Underground Assets 3D Visualisation

Seeing is Believing!

After last year’s successful workshop on underground assets, a number of utilities, local governments and government agencies have continued to work on developing improvements to the way we identify and manage buried assets. The work during the year has progressed to the point where some recommendations on standards have been prepared for ANZLIC.

At the same time, work has been progress in on the development of 3D visualisation of underground assets. Ron Lister has been playing a key role in this work and is bringing together the participants to show their achievements to date and to set out the further work being undertaken.

The term “Subsurface Utility Engineering” (or SUE) is being used in the US to describe similar work.

Return on Investment in GIS
Bruce Douglas ~ Corporate GIS Consultants
With so many organisations now requiring a business case for investing in GIS and spatial technologies generally, Bruce’s workshop provides an opportunity to learn how to understand what a “return on investment” means and how to prepare a “business investment case” for GIS.

We expect a need to learn the skills being taught by Bruce are becoming increasingly relevant. All organisations are under increasing pressure to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and to be accountable.

The ROI in GIS workshop gives you the skills to help you achieve those things.

Afternoon Workshops

Field Data Capture Practical Demonstration

A Practical Demonstration in the Field.

Jointly facilitated by GE and we-do-IT, this is a practical in the field exercise.

You will be sent out into the Sydney Olympic Park and armed with a variety portable devices. Your task will be to locate and then update the data relating to a several assets. You’ll then transmit your data from the field back to the “office” where the amendments reflected in the GIS system.

Whilst a number of vendors are involved (including Trimble, Panasonic, Erdas, GE and we-do-IT), this workshop is all about demonstrating the latest best practice in field data capture.

The Sydney Olympic Park Authority and Energy Australia are also assisting with this workshop through providing subsets of real geospatial data on the assets of the venue.

Web Based GIS

This year’s web-based GIS workshop will feature demonstrations of integrating spatial data from a number of sources to facilitate the analysis of quite disparate data sets.

David Clark of Brisbane-based Micro Gen X will show how his company developed “Map Wizard” for the Queensland government. Map Wizard uses multiple sources of Web based on data to assist government agencies issue and monitor various licences and a number of regulatory responsibilities. It is really quite enlightening. Brad Spencer has been developing the use of web-based GIS for a number of commercial and government agencies. These going to demonstrate his system of drawing together data sets to create various layers or “geospatial drapes” with which to analyse complex data. The web-based GIS workshop also has a session on explaining the need to establish data sharing arrangements.

Site Visits
Sydney Olympic Park: Water Recycling & GIS
Sydney Olympic Park: Control Rooms & Lighting

Sydney Olympic Park was designed and built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Formerly a disused brick manufacturing and quarry site, Sydney Olympic Park is now a thriving and vibrant community evolving around remediated wetlands, sustainable housing, sensational sporting arenas, and a growing “downtown” business community.

For anyone involved in asset management, there is much to learn and see at Sydney Olympic Park. The Sydney Olympic Park Authority, through its Parkland’s Foundation, has prepared to action packed site visits. The first one will show how the site was remediated, how the water recycling system works, and how other environmental issues are managed including the management of all leachate. As the GIS of the whole site was developed and implemented at the outset, you’ll be shown the role it has played.

The second site visit is a bit more detailed. You’ll get to see a lot more of the event assets and see how these are protected by the Event Operations and Security people.

Morning Workshops:  CAD/GIS Integration — Underground Assets 3D Visualisation — Return on Investment in GIS
Afternoon Workshops:   Field Data Capture Practical Demonstration — Web Based GIS
Site Visits:   Control Rooms & Lighting - Water Recycling & GIS

top — keynotes — workshops — tuesday — wednesday — conference dinner — cocktail party - user group meetings — registrations

Intelligent Grid/Smart Metering

A whole half-day session at this year’s conference is being allocated to Intelligent Grid and Smart Metering. There has been huge interest in this topic during the past 12 months ... driven perhaps by the initiatives of a number of state governments.

The session will start with an overview by Ross Fraser, chairman of Energy Response. He will outline the various government initiatives that will direct the path of the implementation of smart metering to the next few years.

GE will then give a practical demostration, to show how these technologies work.

ESRI will then follow GE with some presentations and demonstrations assisted in part by Paul Snook of Miner and Miner (USA) and Telvent.

Taken as a whole, this “super session” will give you a comprehensive understanding of “Creating Utilities of the Future”.

See Victoria’s Underground Mineral Wealth

Dr Tim Rawling of Geoscience Victoria will explain the 3-D visualisation of Victoria’s mineral resources and how this technology will aid mining companies and resource managers. This is amazing use of spatial data and visualisation technologies. It will certainly be valuable in future mining exploration activities and may uncover resources hitherto unknown.

He’ll explain the nuts and bolts behind the project from capturing the data, putting together the hardware and software, and crunching the numbers. It’s a fascinating project and a presentation you shouldn’t miss.

A Fast Track to Making a Fortune

Critical to the success of the Fortesque Metals was building the railway from the mine to the port. CR Kennedy played a key role in ensuring the construction of the railway met the gruelling schedule.

Brendan McCormack will explain the automation technology CR Kennedy deployed to guide the construction process so that the railway was laid on the correct course and at the pace demanded.

This construction of the railway is a very interesting story in itself and a crucial part of the outstanding success of the Fortescue.

GIS Contributes to the Bottom Line

These three quality presentations will highligh how GIS can be used to create smarter business outcomes. The three presenters are ...

• Tom Clemens, Vice President Roads and Bridges Solutions Bentley Systems (USA);
• Peter Frasch, Sales Manager Utility Solutions Mettenmeier GmbH (Germany);
• Brendan Soustal, GIS Manager Midcoast Water

Each of these presentations demonstrates, in three different examples, how GIS makes a valuable contribution to improving business outcomes.

Intelligent Grid/Smart Metering — Victoria’s Underground Mineral Wealth — Fast Track to Making a Fortune
GIS Contributes to the Bottom Line

top — keynotes — workshops — tuesday — wednesday — conference dinner — cocktail party - user group meetings — registrations

The Largest Pipeline of its Type in the World

The Wimmera-Mallee pipeline is an enormous project, with a budget exceeding $1 billion. When completed it will service farmers and small towns across a vast area of north-west Victoria. It is not an irrigation project, the pipeline project will replace the vast network of small open earthen channels that deliver “stock and domestic” water to the rural population of the Wimmera and Mallee regions of Victoria. These are channels whose losses can be as high as 95%, so the benefits from the project will be dramatic.
GIS has played a critical role in the design and construction of the pipeline. David Murphy is the GIS administrator of the project and he will explain the “objectives, methodologies and outcomes” of the role of GIS in the project.
David’s project will be very practical and up-to-the-minute because his day to day work is still very much focused on the ongoing pipeline construction work.

Whilst this is an untreated water pipeline project covering a huge area, the relevance of David’s experience will not be lost on those managing oil and gas pipelines of any magnitude.

Because it’s a water project, and because it has some very interesting environmental consequences, David’s presentation will also be of great interest to those seeking to remediate damaged environments.

Spatial Visionaries

What’s your vision about the future of spatial data and location-aware technologies? Where do you think the industry is headed? Is it necessary to still consider “spatial as special”?

The Spatial Visionaries session will involve a panel of industry leaders answering these and other questions about the current and future directions of the spatial industry.

Our annual conferences have for many years featured a “Spatial Visionaries” session. It’s become a very popular component of our conference program. This year will be no different. This year we again have an excellent panel of visionaries ...

• Bruce Thompson is considered by many to be at the forefront of spatial thinking in government for the State of Victoria. He’s the most senior spatial bureaucrat in Victoria. Bruce has led a number of spatial initiatives which have given Victoria some outstanding spatial infrastructure;
• John Renard is based in London but travels the world in his role as leader of the spatial group of the Infotech Enterprises. John has for many years been involved in spatial projects throughout Europe and the UK, with particular expertise in telecoms;
• Arthur Berrill is vice president of advanced development, Pitney Bowes MapInfo. His role is to specifically travel the world in search of the latest ideas, technologies, innovations and applications of spatial data and location-aware technologies;
• Pedro Harris is one of NSW’s most senior IT people. Pedro is Chief Information Officer of the NSW Department of Lands and has a broad and deep understanding of the role GIS plays throughout NSW and across the nation;
• Andrew Coates is a “developer evangelist” with Microsoft. Andrew knows Microsoft and spatial at a deep and “hands on” level. His role is to support GIS developers by keeping them abreast of the latest tools, tricks, tips and work-arounds.

Share Your Data?

One of the big issues we face is sharing spatial data across the Web. Not only do we need to do this in times of emergency, but there are many cases now where bringing together disparate sets of spatial data can result in new insights of significant commercial value.

The Victorian Spatial Council has prepared some guidelines and protocols for custodians of spatial data. The VSC is seeking to engage with the broader spatial community in Victoria and across the nation with a view to implementing custodian ship in the very near future. Danny Broadbent and Jose Diacono have been at the forefront of the development of the VSC custodianship proposal and will explain it at the conference.

In Queensland, Director of Information Queensland Gary Shaw has implemented what he calls “Map Wizard” ... whereby data from various Queensland government agencies can be brought together to provide richer information to those responsible for delivery of government services.

Largest Pipeline — Spatial Visionaries — Share Your Data

top — keynotes — workshops — tuesday — wednesday — conference dinner — cocktail party - user group meetings — registrations

top — keynotes — workshops — tuesday — wednesday — conference dinner — cocktail party - user group meetings — registrations

Panasonic Toughbooks

At this year's conference, GITA will give away two Panasonic Toughbook computers.

Delegate Prize
The first Panasonic Toughbook computer will be drawn at the conference close. One delegate who attends the conference will be selected at random as the winner and recieve a Panasonic Toughbook computer.

Presenter Prize
The second Toughbook will be won by the best presenter.

As an extra special incentive to all our GITA 2008 presenters, we will be offering a prize of a Panasonic Toughbook Computer. The speaker who, in the opinion of the judges (the GITA board), delivers the best presentation will be award a Panasonic Toughbook Computer.

top — keynotes — workshops — tuesday — wednesday — conference dinner — cocktail party - user group meetings — registrations

Conference Pricing

Full Conference
Includes:
Tuesday and Wednesday Sessions, Cocktail Party and Annual Dinner.	$ 1,940.00

Workshops:
CAD/GIS Integration	$ 495.00
Underground Assets 3D Visualisation	$ 495.00
Return on Investment in GIS	$ 495.00
Field Data Capture Practical Demonstration	$ 495.00
Web Based GIS	$ 495.00

Site Visits: Sydney Olympic Park: Water Recycling & GIS Sydney Olympic Park: Control Rooms & Lighting	$ 70.00 $ 70.00
Conference Day Pass Tuesday or Wednesday	$ 970.00
GITA 2008 Annual Dinner with special guest speaker Dr Karl Kruszelnicki	$ 185.00
Exhibition Opening & Cocktail Party	$ 95.00

All prices are in Australian Dollars and include GST.

Discounts

Group Discount:
Register four (4) or more delegates and recieve a discount of 15%

Member Discounts:
GITA Primary members recive a 20% discount (for up to 10 delegates).
GITA Corporate members recive a 15% discount (for up to 3 delegates).
GITA Individual members recive a 15% discount (for 1 delegate).

Registrations will now only be accepted in person at the conference.

Conference Program

Current Conference Program (pdf)

Accomodation

We have arranged discount accommodation within the conference venue for 23 to 29 August.

To book, please contact the Novotel and Hotel Ibis Reservations Department on 02 8762 1111.

Please quote GITA 230 808 when booking.