If you work anywhere near geospatial tech, 3D data, or the built world – which I’m assuming you do if you’re reading this article – you’ve probably also had Geo Week circled on your calendar for a while. The 2027 conference program preview just dropped, and it’s packed with sessions that reflect just how fast this industry is moving, so let’s chat about what you can expect.
Here’s the big picture: the program is built around the idea that no two professionals in this space do exactly the same job. Whether you’re flying airborne sensors, managing a DOT project, running lidar workflows, or overseeing reality capture for a construction site, there’s a track designed with your day-to-day in mind.
What’s on the Agenda?
The standout sessions cover a lot of ground. There’s a practical, no-nonsense panel on land mobile mapping systems that walks through what it actually takes to integrate lidar, cameras, GNSS, and IMU into one seamless workflow from data capture to final map production.
If workforce challenges keep you up at night, there’s an interactive roundtable called A Roadmap for the Geospatial Workforce that promises to move past hand-wringing and get into actionable solutions, backed by fresh data from a new industry report.
One session that caught my eye is Are Gaussian Splats Ready for Real Work? Gaussian splatting has gone from research curiosity to buzzword fast, and this session cuts through the hype with real case studies that compare splats against photogrammetry and point clouds to see if they’re actually ready for production.
There’s also a deep dive into river and coastal mapping that tackles the messy reality of mapping across the land-water interface where turbidity, clarity, and channel morphology all throw sensors off. Four speakers walk through different approaches, so you leave knowing which method to reach for when conditions are rough.
For anyone who’s ever dealt with unreliable utility records, Bringing the Underground Into View covers the technologies and workflows that are finally making subsurface data trustworthy, folding it into GIS alongside everything captured above ground.
Other sessions range from BIM for infrastructure and Scan to BIM pitfalls, to NSRS modernization, drones in the workflow, geospatial tech in modern airports, and even a session on defensible geospatial data in the age of AI, written for general counsel, not just engineers.
The Bigger Picture
The program spans the full spectrum of the industry: aerial lidar, AI and machine learning, digital twins, photogrammetry, SLAM and mobile mapping, disaster recovery, bathymetry, Gaussian splatting, workforce development, and more. Industries served range from AEC and infrastructure to disaster response, energy, historical preservation, surveying, and urban planning.
Professionals maintaining certifications can also request attendance certificates to submit to associations like GISCI for professional development credit.
What’s Next?
More panels, roundtables and a second keynote will be added in the next few weeks. If what is already confirmed is any indication, Geo Week 2027 is shaping up to be the kind of event where you walk away with practical workflows, new connections, and a real sense of where the industry is heading next.
If you’re thinking about attending, exhibiting, or just want to stay in the loop, keep an eye out! Because in this industry, standing still isn’t really an option.
