The third edition of Southeast Asia’s flagship geospatial and location intelligence technology trade event, Geo Connect Asia (GCA), drew 2,494 visitors to its two-day March show at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.
GCA 2023, co-located with the first edition of Drones Asia and held in conjunction with Digital Construction Asia 2023, hosted in-person visitors from 53 countries, 24.5% of whom attended from outside Singapore.
“We were delighted to welcome geospatial and location intelligence industry experts from the region and beyond, assisting in the creation of a regional community for the industry, with a Singapore base. Securing the continued support of our sponsors, partners and exhibitors is testament to the exciting event format we are developing; the addition of Drones Asia for the UAV industry has been very well received,” said Rupert Owen, co-founder of GCA and Drones Asia.
“Geo Connect Asia is the meeting point for the Asian region, offering the opportunity to collaborate and build partnerships across the fast-expanding geospatial industry. We look forward to supporting future events,” said Nadine Alameh, CEO of Open Geospatial Consortium. Ms Alameh opened the conference, which comprised 81 speakers, moderators and delegates from across the world.
The event was graced by Guest of Honour Dr Amy Khor, senior minister of state for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Transport, who delivered the opening address and toured the exhibition and witnessed a drone soccer display led by Wong Fong Academy.
“Achieving sustainable development in an interconnected world requires us to strike a balance between economic growth, social development, and environmental protection. Geospatial technology has proven to be a key enabler in supporting these sustainability goals, and Geo Connect Asia provides us with an excellent platform to explore ideas and solutions,” said Dr Khor.
Khor witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the Container Depot and Logistics Association (Singapore) to use geospatial data to route heavy vehicles more efficiently and safely. An Intent of Collaboration was also signed between SLA and the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for both countries to exchange knowledge and experiences regarding the use of geospatial technology. In addition, SLA announced a pilot project with SG Enable and Gardens by the Bay to map barrier-free routes for wheelchair users.
Visitors also witnessed the official opening of the first Drones Asia, a dedicated drone-technology show jointly launched by Montgomery Asia, the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) (AAIS), and Gold Sponsor Inmarsat. This event was devoted to the region’s growing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) ecosystem, capturing the commercial demand for airborne, unmanned, and ground-based solutions.
GCA 2023 was supported by nearly 60 trade organisations and government agencies.
‘’We were pleased to be able to support Geo Connect Asia for the third consecutive year as Platinum Sponsor and welcome clients and new prospective customers in a vibrant meeting environment. With the opportunity to demonstrate our latest solutions on our stand and offer more personal exchanges in the Trimble Club, we were delighted with the response,’’ said John Whitehead, senior director of sales & distribution APAC of Trimble, who was one of 75 exhibitors from 25 countries.
Geo Connect Asia with Digital Construction Asia and Drones Asia will return 6-7 March 2024 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.
The combination of events is organised by Montgomery Asia
Photo: Consortium CEO Dr Nadine Alameh and GCA co-founder Rupert Owen.
