Why Canada's Geomatics Community Built a National Home
Where It Begins
Every Profession Needs a Place to Come Together
Medicine has its congresses. Engineering has its symposia. Architecture has its institutes. Every mature profession builds, over time, a place where the community gathers — not to be sold to, but to think, connect, challenge one another, and move the discipline forward.
For Canada's geomatics and geospatial community, that kind of gathering didn't exist at a national scale. There were excellent vendor conferences, and regional events that served their communities well. But an independent, vendor-neutral national gathering — a place where the whole profession could come together on equal terms, across every discipline, every region, and every sector — that was missing.
That is why the GoGeomatics Expo was created.
"The GoGeo Expo is going to provide Canada and North America with a much needed resource: a non-vendor-centric showcase of geomatics hardware, software, and solutions. Nothing like the huge annual INTERGEO exhibition in Germany existed here — now it does."
Gavin Schrock — Consulting Editor, GoGeomatics
2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026
Canada and beyond
represented
tracks
Calgary
Where Canada's Geomatics Sector Has Deep Roots
Calgary's strength in surveying, engineering, energy, resource management, and construction has created one of the most concentrated geomatics communities in the country. Major national and international geomatics companies are headquartered here. Federal and provincial agencies with significant geospatial mandates operate here.
The city is also home to two dedicated post-secondary geomatics programs, producing graduates who go on to shape the profession across Canada. The University of Calgary and SAIT both bring rigorous, practice-oriented geomatics education that keeps the pipeline of talent strong.
When the GoGeomatics Expo found its permanent home at the Big Four Roadhouse in BMO Centre at Stampede Park, it planted roots in exactly the right city.
"Calgary is a geomatics center with two post-secondary institutions that offer geomatics, so having an expo in Calgary brings the excitement to our students and shows that it is an industry center."
Carina Butterworth, P.Eng. PhD — Geomatics Educator & ConsultantWhat the Expo Is
More Than a Conference
The GoGeomatics Expo was designed from the beginning to be more than a series of presentations. It is a national gathering — a community ecosystem compressed into three days.
National Conference
Two full days of curated programming across seven dedicated tracks, led by an expert advisory committee drawn from across Canada's geomatics profession.
Canada's Geomatics Trade Show
The country's premier geomatics trade show floor — where technology companies, service providers, and government organizations showcase what they are working on.
Canadian Geomatics Forum
Canada's only vendor-neutral national open forum. No stage, no hierarchy — just honest, moderated dialogue about the issues that matter to Canada's geospatial sector. Free and open to all on Monday.
Student Programming
A dedicated Student Education Track and hands-on opportunities designed to immerse Canada's geomatics students directly in the profession they are preparing to enter.
Professional Networking
Evening socials, the Calgary GoGeomatics Meetup, and a VIP Dinner create the conditions for the kind of conversation that changes careers and sparks collaborations.
Business Development
Three days of concentrated access to Canada's geomatics decision-makers — for organizations looking to grow relationships, find partners, or bring their solutions to a national audience.
Built by the Community
Shaped by Leaders from Across the Profession
The GoGeomatics Expo does not happen because one organization decides what Canadian geomatics needs. It happens because leaders from across the community — government, industry, academia, and professional organizations — come together to shape it.
The Advisory Committee brings together subject-matter experts who volunteer their time and expertise to ensure the Expo's programming is relevant, rigorous, and forward-looking. Each program track is led by a chair with deep expertise in that field. The result is a conference program that reflects the actual state and needs of Canada's geospatial profession — not a generic industry event.
This community-driven model is what sets the Expo apart, and it is what makes participants return year after year.
"As Canada's geospatial expo scene is usually focused on specific areas, the GoGeomatics Expo in Calgary brings together the larger Canadian Geospatial/Geomatics community into a single event."
Ken Ang — Geospatial Professional & Expo Advisory Committee Member
Monday, October 26 — Free
Canadian Geomatics & Geospatial Advisory Forum
Canada's only vendor-neutral national open forum for the geomatics and geospatial community. No stage, no podium, no hierarchy — circle seating, moderated dialogue, every voice equal. The Forum was created to give the profession a space to speak honestly about the issues that matter most to Canada's geospatial future.
No registration required. Open to anyone with a stake in Canada's geospatial community.
Circle seating. No stage. No podium. Government, industry, academia, and students sit together.
A written summary of key takeaways is produced and shared publicly after the event.
The Next Generation
Where Canada's Future Geomatics Leaders Get Their Start
The Student Education Track and hands-on programming at the Expo were built on a simple conviction: Canada's geomatics students should not wait until after graduation to experience their profession at its best. The Expo brings them into the room while the conversations are still happening — alongside the researchers, practitioners, and business leaders who are shaping where the profession is going.
Students who attend the Expo leave with a network, a sense of professional identity, and a clearer picture of where their career can go. Academic institutions have recognized this, and student participation has grown with every edition.
"The most interesting advancements in your field come from a group of diverse people getting together just by chance and throwing their opinions into the mix. This Expo will give many of us that chance to meet face to face with old and new friends, mentors, colleagues, and students to discuss and expand on ideas that we may not have thought of before."
Peter Srajer — Geospatial Technology Professional & Expo Advisory Member
Be Part of the Community
October 26–28, 2026 · The Big Four Roadhouse, BMO Centre · Calgary, Alberta
Join Canada's national geomatics community for three days of learning, connection, and collaboration.
