ASPRS is an international organisation of professionals active in photogrammetry, remote sensing, GIS and supporting technologies. Founded over seventy years ago, in 1934 to be precise, the organisation now has six thousand members and a foundation and home base in the US. For the first time in its history, females occupy all four elected positions: a giant statement for the whole geospatial community.

On Thursday of conference (4th May) Microsoft announced its purchase of Vexcel Corporation. Founded in 1985 by Austrian photogrammetrist Dr Franz Leberl, Vexcel focused initially on photogrammetric technologies. Since 1992, under the leadership of president and CEO Dr John Curlander, the company has expanded and broadened its products, services and solutions, ultimately offering Microsoft the opportunity to buy a multinational remote-sensing company headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, US. With this acquisition in which Vexel becomes a Microsoft subsidiary, and its previous acquisition of GeoTango, Microsoft is unmistakably heading into the geospatial world.

In her plenary session presidential address, new president Kari J. Craun observed that ASPRS needed to be flexible to ensure the eligibility of a variety of professionals with differing backgrounds for membership of the organisation. This was necessary to maintain diversity within the perspective of globalisation, both in technological and economic terms. In order to be a leader, ASPRS had to make certain that as an organisation it represented all sectors and all parts of the industry.

The nearly 1,400 conference attendees could choose from a wide array of papers. The topics covered by over three hundred technical papers included Accuracy Assessments, Lidar and 3D Studies, Geohazard Monitoring, Feature Extraction, Techniques for Studying Urban Growth, and Wetlands and Forests. Attendees could also participate in one of the thirteen workshops held during the two days preceding the conference. The subject matter of these appeared to be well selected: many workshops were filled to capacity. One was specially designed to provide in-depth insight into ASPRS certification. In addition, User-group meetings were held. Lidar was the subject of sixteen of the total of 130 technical papers presented orally. Apparently, Lidar is to many a relatively new technology and many geospatial professionals want to learn about its use and applications. Lidar products and serivices were also presented by many of the eighty exhibitors at the accompanying trade show. A promising aspect for geospatial professional organisations is that new technologies such as Lidar revitalise conferences by attracting a younger public.

Introduced at the 2006 conference was the creation of a Student Advisory Council (SAC) which will enable students to express their views and discuss how ASPRS can be of assistance in guiding them towards their coming lives as professionals. David S. Simonett received a Memorial Address; this in recognition of his prominence in the field as chairman of the Geography Department at the University of California Santa Barbara. Several social events facilitated informal networking, including the Exhibitors’ Reception on May 3rd and An Evening at the National Automobile Museum on May 4th.

The 2007 annual ASPRS conference will be held at the Marriot, in Tampa, Florida. The call for papers is already out; check the website.