Introducing FOSS4G SotM Oceania
FOSS4G SotM Oceania is a regional event forging an Oceania-focussed link in a global community, supported by the OSGeo Foundation (OSGeo) and the OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF).
FOSS4G stands for 'Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial' - and has been used since 2006 as a label for OSGeo's international and regional conferences. OSGeo supports development and adoption of open source geospatial technology. FOSS4G is part of the broader open source software philosophy.
SotM is an acronym for 'State of the Map'. This is the conference of OSMF, which supports development of the community-based OpenStreetMap project. OpenStreetMap is a long-running effort to build a free and open editable map of the world.
What happens at this event?
FOSS4G SotM Oceania is all about the community. It's a chance for creators and users, community mappers, academics, business, and government to gather and share their knowledge and stories in a fun and welcoming environment. We'll cover a fascinating range of topics over four days, including a full day of workshops, a 2 day conference, a community day, and social events.
With a strong emphasis on hands-on learning and collaboration, we'll start off with a day of technical workshops, where leading practitioners deliver hands-on training. These are generally extraordinary value, and a chance to meet/connect with like minded developers and users.
At the 2 day conference, you'll hear from leaders in our community, core developers from your favourite projects, and success stories from users in the field. The program is split between FOSS4G and SotM topics - although you'll find a lot of overlap. See this list of presentations from FOSS4G 2017 and the program from SotM 2017 for some examples. Maybe you have a story you want to share?
After the formal conference is over, it's 'Community Day' - a participatory event including a code sprint and a mapathon. This is a chance for developers to pool resources and work on a project of interest, and for people in the extended community to find ways to contribute and participate.
Who will attend?
This is a conference for developers, users, contributors, community mappers, academics, business, government and all other members of the community interested in open source geospatial software and the OpenStreetMap project.
It is a fantastic opportunity to engage with developers at the cutting edge of geospatial technology, literally building the foundations for interpreting our world in space and time. Internationally, FOSS4G and SotM events attract a diverse audience.
Why should I attend?
You'll find out what your peers are doing, as well as what's brand new, and what's in the pipeline. You'll meet the experts and talk to them, learn new skills to benefit your career, meet old friends and make new ones, and share your experiences.
Why should my manager send me?
In today's open world, your manager needs you to stay abreast of the latest developments in open source and open data. As you do so, you become an innovation agent for your enterprise. If you're working with open source geospatial software and open data, this is the ideal information and learning event!
Why should I sponsor?
You'll have the chance to connect directly to the people in this community, both during the conference and informally at the social events.
Sponsorship of this event not only gives you a marketing presence, but shows your willingness to give back to this fundamentally important global community. You will be supporting ongoing development of free, open, democratised geospatial tools which have now become part of critical geospatial infrastructure.
Funding from sponsorships also helps us to set a fair ticket price and support attendees who may come from far away, or have other needs which require support. The FOSS4G SotM community is diverse and inclusive - sponsorship funding goes around the circle very quickly, and helps us to help others.
Who runs FOSS4G SotM Oceania?
In the spirit of the FOSS4G and SotM communities, the conference is organised by a volunteer team of experienced geospatial practitioners and community mappers committed to the goals of both the OSGeo and OpenStreetMap foundations.