FIG XXIII Congress and German Intergeo
The twenty-third FIG Congress and XXIX General Assembly to be held in Munich from 8th to 13th October 2006 will summarise activities over the past four years. Entitled ‘Shaping the Change’, the congress will be the biggest professional event in the survey business this year, and surely also in the history of DVW (the German Association for Surveying) and Germany. The organisers of the FIG International Congress have received almost seven hundred abstracts. The technical programme includes ninety sessions and several workshops and seminars, and technical sessions will be conducted jointly with the Intergeo. Speakers will include international partners such as the United Nations and its agencies; UN under-secretary General Klaus Töpfer will address our professional partner representatives of geospatial information societies during his keynote speech at the opening ceremony. We are also very happy with our increased co-operation with corporate members and their professional contributions to our scientific programme. Additional events linked to the congress include Geodetic Week, a Joint Symposium of the International Association for Geodesy, FIG and Intergeo on ‘Geodetic Reference Frames – GRF 2006’, a workshop on ‘History of Surveying’ etc.

With an expected 17,000 visitors and delegates from over eighty countries, the Intergeo and FIG World Congress 2006 in Munich represents the biggest meeting for geodesy, geo-information and land management industry sectors in Europe and beyond. And participants will benefit well beyond the event as members of an interactive community that registers all trends, innovations and standards within the industry. There will be an extensive social programme on offer, with a range of social events and sightseeing tours to renowned Bavarian tourist spots such as the royal castle of Neuschwanstein and the Alps. We are especially proud to present many technical tours, including one to the German aerospace agency (DLR).

General Assembly
FIG General Assemblies will take place on the first and last days of Congress: 8th and 13th October 2006. The General Assembly is open to both official delegates and observers. The main item on the agenda is election of new FIG president and vice-presidents and a decision on the venue for FIG Working Week 2011. Presentation of candidates will take place during the first session on 8th October and elections will take place during the second session on 13th October. Other major items on the agenda are commission end-of-term reports and the draft commission work plans for 2007–2010.

Trade Fair
The joint FIG/Intergeo Trade Fair is the perfect forum for geo-experts and the biggest trade fair for geodesy, geo-information and land management in the world. The exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of innovations, trends and state of the art. Information flow between provider and user is gaining in importance and the Trade Fair gives exhibitors an ideal platform to show their competency and know-how. Contacts between suppliers and clients form the basis for successful annual marketing strategies. The Trade Fair may be relied upon to provide a uniquely combined international and interdisciplinary structure.

Exchange
For many developing countries and countries in transition this congress provides the best, if not the only, opportunity to meet international colleagues. This in spite of the success that we have had with the introduction of regional conferences and developing FIG working weeks into ‘mini-congresses’. The FIG Congress is still a must for all surveyors. The Congress and the General Assembly offers the best platform for exchange of experience in geo-informatics, surveying and geodesy, land management and land administration. Everyone is recommended to attend and bring along as many colleagues from their association as possible.

Welcome to my home city of Munich!