Ya’ll. We are getting so close State of the Map US 2019. Early September in Minneapolis is a beautiful time of year…….to sit indoors and listen to some awesome talks from the OpenStreetmap community. As part of the organizing committee, I’ve been granted special access to bring you a sneak peek of some of the great presentations happening this year. If you’ve already bought your ticket, see you there! - If you’re on the fence, hopefully you’ll be buying tickets after reading this post.
Featured Speakers
This year’s conference includes some fantastic featured speakers! You’ll hear from the Mapping Prejudice project from the University of Minnesota, who will be talking about how geographic data and housing laws created the “Jim Crow of the North”, leaving a legacy of discrimination that is still felt today. You’ll hear from Ingrid Burrington, an author interested in maps and infrastructure. Kathleen Lu will be talking about OpenStreetMap’s Open Database License and what to look for when determining license compatibility.
Lightning Talks
Lightning Talks are back again this year and will challenge community members to present their topics in 5 minutes or less. Over 20 speakers will deliver short, focused talks on imports, SEO editors, trails, community mapathons, and many others.
Workshops
Workshops at State of the Map US will feature instructional-style tutorials where you are encouraged to bring your laptop or device and follow along. This year’s workshops will feature a wide variety of subjects, including field mapping, visualization, and something to do with the infinity gauntlet.
20-Minute Sessions
With over 60+ sessions, there’ll be lots to discover this year. We’re pleased to have diverse set of presenters ready to show you what they’ve been working on this year. The selection team worked hard to categorize topics that were reflective of the overall submissions, and we’re pleased to present the final schedule for your perusal over on the SOTMUS website.
In addition, we’re inviting attendees to organize group events, outings, and the always popular Birds of a Feather sessions. Local happenings during SOTMUS include The Minnesota Twins on Friday and Saturday, The Minnesota Vikings have a home game at their newly-built stadium on Sunday, and The Who is in concert Friday night. There are many lovely parks and trails in the area for a group run or bike, along with all the cultural amenities Minneapolis has to offer. Birds of a Feather session will have designated space at the conference facilities. If you’d like to organize an event, contact us at sotmus@openstreetmap.us and we can help facilitate and publicize up to and during the conference.
Image by skeeze from Pixabay
