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Meet Our Geo Week 2026 Speakers
Our experts are taking the stage at Geo Week to share real-world insights across lidar, GIS, infrastructure, and geospatial innovation. Explore the sessions below and plan time to hear from the people shaping what’s next.
MONDAY
February 16, 2026
Chad Evely
Software Architect
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Oblique Imagery Best Practices and Guidelines Workshop
📆 February 16, 2026 | 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 3
The increasing adoption of oblique imagery in geospatial applications—ranging from urban modeling to infrastructure asset management—demands rigorous standards to ensure positional accuracy, radiometric consistency, and data interoperability. This workshop introduces Addendum VI of the ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards, which establishes a formalized framework for the acquisition, processing, and integration of oblique imagery.
Colin Cooper
Analytics Practice Lead
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The Ugly Truths About Bathymetric Lidar
📆 February 16, 2026 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 1A
Behind every stunning bathymetric lidar dataset lies a series of challenges, missteps, and lessons learned. This session pulls back the curtain on the reality of bathy lidar acquisition and processing — where data doesn’t always look perfect at first pass. Industry experts will share examples of problematic datasets, discuss what went wrong, and explain how their teams diagnosed and resolved those issues. Attendees will gain an honest, behind-the-scenes understanding of what it takes to turn raw bathy lidar into reliable, high-quality data — and valuable insight for those considering or just starting out in this complex field.
Andrew Brenner
Vice-President Solutions Engineering
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The Next Decade of Geospatial Innovation
📆 February 16, 2026 | 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 1B
The past 10 years have brought seismic shifts to the geospatial industry, and the next 10 years promise even more technological disruption. To help put these changes into perspective, a panel of industry experts and thought leaders will offer a candid, insider look at how geospatial technology will continue to evolve and what the profession will need to do to stay ahead. AI-driven automation, new data standards, and rising demand for integrated spatial intelligence will transform how geospatial work is done, and will raise important questions about capacity, skills, and long-term sustainability. This discussion will go beyond the hype to explore realistic timelines for AI adoption, its impact on technical roles, and how organizations can build resilient teams amid rapid change. Panelists will examine new opportunities across surveying, infrastructure, and integrated digital workflows, while also addressing the skills geospatial professionals will need to remain competitive. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the forces that will reshape the industry and practical strategies to prepare their teams and businesses for the decade ahead. The conversation will help geospatial leaders cut through uncertainty and chart a path toward sustainable, future-ready operations.
TUESDAY
February 17, 2026
Andrew Kuder
Army Program Manager
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Looking Under the Surface: Geospatial Strategies for Collecting Underground Utility Data
📆 February 17, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 1C
Knowing where utilities are located and having them in an easily accessible and updatable geodatabase seems like a must-have for any organization looking to maintain, improve, and grow their physical footprint. However, existing documentation, such as construction drawings or As-Builts, do not always paint a comprehensive or accurate picture of existing utilities. This is where utility asset collection becomes invaluable. Our Utility Asset Collection team has been providing utility collections to DoD Entities for nearly a decade. With over 500 DoD installations collected, our team has developed a comprehensive and easily deployable workflow for creating a full, updateable GIS product that helps with both site awareness and safety. This presentation focuses on how to leverage document research as well as industry standard electromagnetic and ground-penetrating radar locating techniques with high accuracy GPS collection to identify new and existing subsurface utility features. It will also demonstrate how to turn that collected data into an updateable geodatabase that includes detailed attribution and photo documentation.
Dabney Langhorne
Utility GIS Leader
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Looking Under the Surface: Geospatial Strategies for Collecting Underground Utility Data
📆 February 17, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 1C
Knowing where utilities are located and having them in an easily accessible and updatable geodatabase seems like a must-have for any organization looking to maintain, improve, and grow their physical footprint. However, existing documentation, such as construction drawings or As-Builts, do not always paint a comprehensive or accurate picture of existing utilities. This is where utility asset collection becomes invaluable. Our Utility Asset Collection team has been providing utility collections to DoD Entities for nearly a decade. With over 500 DoD installations collected, our team has developed a comprehensive and easily deployable workflow for creating a full, updateable GIS product that helps with both site awareness and safety. This presentation focuses on how to leverage document research as well as industry standard electromagnetic and ground-penetrating radar locating techniques with high accuracy GPS collection to identify new and existing subsurface utility features. It will also demonstrate how to turn that collected data into an updateable geodatabase that includes detailed attribution and photo documentation.
Andrew Brenner
Vice-President Solutions Engineering
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Executing Wide-Area Airborne Mapping Projects: A Practical Guide
📆 February 17, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
📍 Exhibit Hall Theater
Wide-Area airborne surveying and mapping projects are vital for modern infrastructure and urban planning. The primary goal is to update base maps that serve as essential tools in both public and private sectors to enable a variety of applications including infrastructure, construction, urban planning, agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, and mining. As a result, large airborne surveying and mapping projects are conducted regularly around the world. These initiatives aim to acquire high-resolution aerial imagery that can encompass entire countries, states, provinces, counties, or cities. By leveraging advanced technology and navigating the complexities of lidar, photogrammetric, and geodetic systems, these projects can significantly contribute to the development and maintenance of accurate base maps, ultimately enhancing decision-making processes across sectors. As a result, large airborne surveying and mapping projects are conducted regularly across the United States and globally. These initiatives aim to acquire high-resolution aerial imagery that can encompass entire countries, states, provinces, counties, or cities. The primary goal is to update base maps that serve as essential tools in both public and private sectors to enable a variety of applications including infrastructure, construction, urban planning, agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, and mining.
Typically, these projects are outsourced by government entities to a qualified service provider. Once chosen, the service provider takes on full responsibility for the project, encompassing several key phases:
Project Planning and Management
Data Acquisition
Data Processing
Map Production
Product Delivery and Installation on government servers and GIS/CAD systems.
These surveys are often conducted using crewed aircraft equipped with LiDAR systems & large-format multi-camera systems. In countries with well-defined geodetic datums and geoids, such as the USA, Canada, Australia, Western Europe, and Japan, mapping projects can proceed more smoothly. However, in many developing nations, the lack of investment in reliable geodetic systems presents significant challenges. This gap can complicate large mapping projects, leading to discrepancies and inefficiencies.
To delve deeper into the intricacies of executing large aerial survey projects, a panel discussion will be held featuring experienced executives from various mapping companies. This session aims to explore both the scientific and artistic aspects of aerial surveying, highlighting best practices, technological advancements, and the challenges faced in different regions. Designed to be informative, educational, and interactive, industry experts have been invited to participate in this session as speakers and panelists, followed by an audience discussion.
Evon Silvia
Technical Program Manager
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Road Map to ASPRS Standards, Best Practices, and Guidelines
📆 February 17, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 3E
Presenters on this panel will summarize recently published ASPRS Standards, Guidelines, and Best Practices. They will also provide updates from ASPRS Working Groups currently involved in drafting new works.
Mischa Hey
Analytics Practice Lead
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Impact of Lidar Flight Line Overlap for Forestry Applications
📆 February 17, 2026 | 1:00 PM - 1:15 PM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 1B
Modern tier-one lidar sensors are capable of achieving high point densities with a single pass, prompting the question: is there still value in overlapping flight lines? The answer depends on both the intended application and the characteristics of the landscape being surveyed. This presentation summarizes methods and findings from an analysis conducted for the U.S. Forest Service to quantify and isolate the effects of flight line overlap in forestry applications. The study evaluated impacts on canopy surface models, ground return density, vertical point distribution metrics, and lidar intensity across varying forest types. Findings are intended to inform acquisition strategies across different geographies and help end users understand how single versus overlapping line coverage can influence downstream analyses relevant to forestry operations.
Andres Vargas
Technical Expert, Airborne Lidar Systems
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Between the Banks: Advancing Riverine Bathymetric Mapping with the Helicopter-Based BLAST System
📆 February 17, 2026 | 2:15 PM - 2:30 PM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 3C
Mapping riverine environments using airborne lidar presents persistent challenges due to rugged terrain, variable water clarity, and the difficulty of maintaining low-altitude, channel-following flight paths with fixed-wing platforms. To address these limitations, we developed BLAST (Bathymetric Lidar And Sensor Technology) System V2, a modular, helicopter-based system designed specifically for complex inland waterway mapping. This second-generation system integrates the RIEGL VQ-860-G bathymetric lidar and VUX-240 near-infrared sensor into a single nose-mounted pod compatible with the Bell Long Ranger airframe.
This platform enables stable, low-altitude data acquisition along sinuous and topographically constrained river corridors, expanding the spatial reach of airborne bathymetric surveys into areas traditionally underserved by fixed-wing systems. We will present system design considerations, data collection protocols, and sensor integration strategies, along with results from recent deployments across varied hydrological environments with our first-generation system.
Case studies include support for flood modeling, aquatic habitat assessments, and post-disaster terrain analysis, with discussion of data quality metrics, spatial resolution, water penetration performance, and operational efficiency. We will also describe lessons learned in optimizing flight planning, data extraction, sensor alignment, and calibration under dynamic terrain conditions.
BLAST V2 demonstrates how targeted platform and sensor integration can improve access to high-resolution bathymetric data in complex fluvial systems, offering a practical alternative to both traditional airborne and in-situ methods.
WEDNESDAY
February 18, 2026
Michael Shillenn
Senior Account Manager
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MAPPS and USGS 3DEP: Celebrating Progress and Exploring Future Collaboration for NextGen 3DEP
📆 February 18, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
📍 Exhibit Hall Theater
Join MAPPS as we celebrate the significant progress of the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) in delivering nationwide high-resolution elevation data. This session will highlight the critical role of private-sector geospatial firms in advancing this initiative, explore the benefits realized by MAPPS members, and discuss how NextGen 3DEP will shape future opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and business growth. Learn how MAPPS continues to advocate for industry engagement and partnership in advancing the next generation of 3D elevation data for the nation.
Andrew Brenner
Vice-President Solutions Engineering
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Detroit Tree Census – A New Perspective on the Urban Forest
📆 February 18, 2026 | 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 3E
Urban trees are essential for the functioning of a modern city. Understanding and managing the tree canopy can be both expensive and time consuming. In most cases only street tree and trees on the local government land are measured but this only makes up part of the overall tree resource. To get both an understanding of the extent, diversity, health and distribution of the City of Detroit’s tree resource, The Nature Conservatory (TNC) funded a project to map all the trees within the City’s boundaries to support planting and management of the urban tree canopy by The Greening of Detroit (TGD) and the General Services Department (GSD) of the City of Detroit.
Currently the City of Detroit has a tree canopy cover of around 26% and has a goal of increasing this Citywide to around 40%. To achieve these goals planting will be required on both public and private lands, so understanding the tree resource and opportunities for tree planting across all ownerships is important for both the management and the development of tree planting programs for public and private lands within the City boundaries, and across the region.
The project leverages existing high resolution lidar dataset that was flown in 2021, tree inventory data, and 2025 summer imagery to create a wall-to-wall tree census of the City. This will result in information about every dominant tree within the boundaries of the City. These data will be integrated into enterprise systems for tree management and utilized for tree management and community engagement.
The presentation will review the approach and results of the projects, and how tree census data will change the way we understand the urban forest and manage it.
Evon Silvia
Technical Program Manager
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Shift Happens – Rethinking Geospatial in the Fourth Dimension
📆 February 18, 2026 | 2:15 PM - 2:30 PM
📍 Bluebird Ballroom 3E
We live in a four-dimensional world. For centuries, surveying and mapping professionals have simplified our planet into 3D, 2.5D, or even 2D representations to mitigate shortcomings in technology, education, and scientific understanding. While some progress has been made on the third dimension in recent decades, the fourth dimension (time) has continued to elude significant consideration… until now. Widespread demand for systematic change detection analysis and growth of national geospatial data programs have forced the evolution of geospatial data into the fourth dimension in the USA and abroad. New developments such as ASPRS’s release of LAS 1.5, NGS’s imminent completion of NATRF2022 and NAPGD2022, and OGC’s development of WKT version 2 are just the beginning. This presentation will build on a myriad of practical case studies, culminating in a proven and repeatable approach to temporal geospatial data management and production. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how to prepare their organizations for the next generation of geospatial data: dynamic, reusable, and future-ready.