March 17 - 20, 2002, Tampa, Florida, USA

From the standing ovation given to the keynote speaker to the crowded exhibition floor, GITA’s 25th Annual Conference provided attendees with an exciting educational experience. Nearly 2,600 attendees gathered at the Tampa Convention Center March 17–20, 2002, in Tampa, Fla., to share ideas, learn, and network at one of the oldest and most well-established geospatial events of the year.

The conference theme, Bringing IT Together: Charting the Course, reflected the geospatial IT industry’s journey as it evolved from a fledgling back-office technology to the enterprisewide industry it is today. The event began with the presentation of 20 in-depth seminars on topics ranging from data warehousing to scoping and tracking GIS projects to modern techniques for enterprise application integration. A total of 492 attendees participated in the seminars.

After opening remarks from GITA Executive Director Bob Samborski, GITA President Dave DiSera, EMA, Inc., welcomed an estimated 1,200 conference attendees at the Opening Session. Conference Chair Tim Finefield, CT&T, Inc., encouraged attendees “to take advantage of the opportunity that this conference gives, by networking with colleagues during the many events that have been scheduled.” Former Air Force Captain Scott F. O’Grady gave a captivating account of his miraculous survival in hostile enemy territory after his F-16 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Bosnia in 1995. When reflecting on what it means to be a hero, O’Grady complimented the audience for being everyday heroes by “providing the products and services so everyone around the world can live a healthier, happier, and more secure life.”


The 107,000-square-foot exhibit floor was buzzing with activity on the opening day. “GITA has been really exciting this year. We’ve had lots of traffic, and the booth has been busy with quality customers and lots of old friends,” commented exhibitor Joel Campbell, ESRI. The Mobile Pavilion, which housed 15 mobile and field solution vendors, proved to be a success two years in a row. “I’m noticing that there are more decision makers in attendance and also people who are more interested in learning about the products that we have to offer as well as the innovations of technology” said Jim Wilson, Intergraph Mapping and GIS Solutions. JoAnn Stanley, LineSoft Corporation, agreed, stating, “The quality of the traffic has been better.” Attendees found the variety of products and services and the wide array of vendor representatives to be informative. “We are in the initial stages of implementing a GIS for a gas pipeline network, and we’ve come to GITA to look at everything the vendors have to offer. Then we can make an informed decision about which technology and software to use.” said Ernest Esdelle, National Gas Company of T&T.

The 84 educational sessions, segmented into 14 track topics; the five panel discussions; and the five user-only forums rounded out the educational aspect of the event. Two new tracks, E-Biz—Leveraging the Web and Project Management, along with the return of the GeoSoluciones and Municipal Perspective tracks, offered specialized education tailored to specific audiences.

Response to the full slate of educational alternatives available at Annual Conference 25 was enthusiastic. Attendee Herman Abinette, Affiliated Computer Services, said, “I’ve been to a lot of conferences and one of the best talks that I’ve ever been to was Doug Laslo’s talk on GIS, Work Management, and ERP integration. The topic was perfectly presented.” Attendee Cindy Van Effen, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, said, “I find the networking at the GITA’s conferences really, really nice. I pick up good ideas from others at other companies, and even after the conference is long over, you’re able to make contact with those people to continue your relationship.” Kevin Alishouse, Montana Dakota Utilities Company, summed up his experience at the conference, stating, “I’m a knowledge sponge right now because I am new to the whole process, and there isn’t anyone here that I feel I can’t learn from, whether it’s seminars, an exhibitor on the show floor, or another attendee.”

GITA’s 26th Annual Conference is slated for March 2-5, 2003, at the San Antonio Convention Center in San Antonio, Tex.

Visit www.gita.org  for conference updates.

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