AGI - AGI News

AGI publishes a lot of announcements about events and activities on the AGI website, but not about everything. Following regular reports to the AGI Council, the AGI Director has been asked by Council to publish a list of some of AGI's recent behind-the-scenes activities - that form part of these reports - as information for members.

These are listed below:

The AGI 'Business Planning Weekend' was held on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October and developed a draft AGI business plan and budget for 2010. It was attended by a cross section of Executive Group and invited AGI members. The session was chaired by Andy Coote (SVC). The work of this group was presented to AGI Council on 8 December.
The AGI Director attended two UK Location Council (UKLC) Communications Group meetings held at Defra in London. One significant activity undertaken by the group has been the shaping of a UKLC Annual Report to be published in the New Year. This group has an ongoing work stream.
The AGI Director attended the UKLC meeting in Reading on 4 December.
AGI has event managed a UK Location Programme briefing session for commercial vendors on behalf of Defra. Over 30 different companies attended.
Four joint AGI / British Cartographic Society Better Mapping"" joint events were run in October in Bristol" Glasgow Birmingham and London.
Peter Capell (JVC) presented at a 'Westminster Briefing' on AGI's behalf on 20th October.
Rob Walker (Exec Member) represented AGI and presented at the IRLOGI conference in October.
The Director wrote an article on the 'Importance of Place' in Government Technology Magazine.
The Director met the Managing Director of the Japanese National SDI and his entourage on 24 November to discuss the UK NSDI experience and the work of the private sector. This followed his visit to present on UK NSDI at Tokyo University earlier in the year.
Les Rackham (Chair IST36) and Rob Walker (Exec Member) have attended and participated on AGI's behalf in UKLP Interoperability Group and meta-data working group meetings. It is expected that the UK Location Council will approve the AGI developed GEMINI2 metadata standard for the UK Location Programme. GEMINI2 is based on ISO standards and is INSPIRE compliant.
AGI met IRLOGI on 25 November in London for discussions on future cooperation.
The Director met with the UKLP Team in Defra on 25 November to discuss the ongoing cooperation between AGI and the UKLP Team in 2010.
Alan Wilks AGI Chief Operating Officer as chair of UKGEOforum (a body of 15 geographically orientated membership bodies) has been working on their Annual Lecture scheduled for 28 January 2010.
EuroGeographics the umbrella membership organisation for European Mapping agencies" used the AGI facilities for a 2 day pan-European meeting in December.

NOTE: This is an illustrative exercise and not an exhaustive list. Exclusion of any activities is not necessarily a reflection on an items importance or degree of contribution to the AGI.