FIG Working Week is Coming Up Fast!
By Tim Burch, NSPS Executive Director
Tim Burch, NSPS Executive Director
I’m teaming up with Berntsen to share why we’re so excited about this year’s FIG Working Week, May 28-June 1, 2023.
It’s the first time the event has been held in the United States since 2002.
It will be in-person, so it’s a rare chance to meet colleagues from around the world face-to-face.
I’m on the conference steering committee, and I can guarantee that this event will be a valuable experience – More than 1,000 surveyors and geospatial professionals from around the world will gather to share ideas and experiences and get technical training on new technologies and approaches in a wide range of disciplines.
A chance for young surveyors (and potential surveyors) to cultivate mentor/mentee relationships.
Before I get into why this meeting is so important, I’ll provide a brief history of FIG.
Brief History of FIG
FIG is the acronym for the International Federation of Surveyors using its original French name, the Fédération Internationale des Géomètres. Originally an exclusively European organization, FIG now includes more than 120 countries. Since 1995, its official language has been English.
FIG includes the whole range of professional fields within the global surveying community, including surveying, cadastre, valuation, mapping, geodesy, hydrography, geospatial, and quantity surveyors. Additionally, it provides an international forum for discussion and development aiming to promote professional practice and standards.
FIG has established relationships with many international agencies, including the United Nations and its UN-GGIM (Global Geospatial Information Management) collective, The World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and many other professional, regional, and cultural partners. Each of these relationships help to promote not only the geospatial profession into every corner of the world but also provide FIG members with exposure to humanitarian and philanthropic opportunities around the globe. Together, our members can utilize their professional skills to help make a difference in locations everywhere.
FIG will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2028 in Paris, France with an extended Working Week event. Planning for the Sesquicentennial gala has begun and it will be an event to be sure not to miss.
Why I Support FIG
As a former private industry surveyor and continuing in my role now as NSPS Executive Director, providing opportunities for continuing education as well as promoting new technologies and markets is my main focus for my fellow surveying practitioners. A big part of establishing these opportunities is working with like-minded associations to provide these outlets for learning and exploring. However, the landscape of conferences and educational events for surveyors has changed greatly in the past decade, as we have moved further away from annual “national” surveying conventions. State, regional, and vendor-specific seminars were becoming the norm and accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as everyone huddled in their homes.
NSPS, through its longstanding relationship with FIG, made a commitment to host a Working Week event in 2023 to expand exposure to surveyors in North, Central, and South America not seen in over 20 years. Our theme, “Protecting Our World, Conquering New Frontiers,” is not just a simple slogan; it is solidifying the role that surveyors and its practitioners fill in doing our part to defend our environment from further harm.
By hosting an in-person event similar to national conferences of a by-gone era, NSPS is encouraging surveyors from around the world to participate in an event with fellow practitioners, learn from educators from a variety of colleges and universities, and visit with vendors showcasing all the latest technologies used in the profession. Additionally, we are hosting the FIG Young Surveyors Network and their annual meeting of bright-minded geospatialists from around the world. We are looking forward to mixing students, Young Surveyors, educators, and everyone in between for an action-packed week of surveying excellence. NSPS is proud to be hosting this event and it is my pleasure to invite you to what will be a memorable experience for anyone in the surveying profession.
Mike Klonsinski, Berntsen president:
Berntsen has been a proud supporter of surveyor education through FIG and the NSPS for many years. FIG Working Week is a rare opportunity to meet surveyors from around the world while encouraging young people to explore surveying as a career. The technical program that Tim helped to create is exceptional and includes top instructors with deep real-world experience as well as leading experts in geospatial practices. Plus, there’s plenty of time to get to know each other on the golf course or during the two full days of tours – and of course, in the exhibit hall.
Available May 22 - June 16, 2023.
Berntsen is working with the FIG Young Surveyors Network to offer a unique medallion honoring FIG Working Week. A portion of the sale proceeds will go towards supporting the Young Surveyors Network. A limited number of these unique medallions will be for sale at Berntsen Booth 407 during FIG Working Week in Orlando.
Otherwise, just contact a representative of the Young Surveyors Network, NSPS, or email fig.youngsurveyors@gmail.com.
The medallion will also be available for purchase for a limited time [May 22 through June 16] at Berntsen.com.
With all these activities and functions under one roof, being in Orlando for this event will be the highlight of any surveyor’s year. It’s not too late to sign up and take part in this year’s Working Week on May 28-June 1 in Orlando, Florida, and we are looking forward to seeing you there.