GEOINT 2013 Symposium postponed after U.S. House vote
Despite best efforts to keep a national geospatial conference on the calendar next week amid the government shutdown, a recent U.S. House vote to let most defense department personnel return to work also forbids government speakers and customers from attending such events.
The U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) said the 10th Annual GEOINT Symposium, previously scheduled for next week in Tampa, Fla., has been postponed until the spring.
“As you well know, we are operating under the significant constraints of a government shutdown,” USGIF said in a letter to the nearly 4,000 conference registrants and 265 defense industry exhibitors.
When the government shut down Oct. 1, USGIF sent out an email to announce the event, slated for Oct. 13-16, would go on regardless of the shutdown.
“We are fully aware the shutdown will negatively impact attendance,” USGIF CEO Keith Masback wrote. “We are not a community that shrinks in the face of adversity. Our adversaries won’t take a pause in plotting threats to our nation, nor are our young men and women in harm’s way around the globe able to call a ‘timeout,’ while our government fails to pass appropriations. So, we must endeavor to drive on and do our best for the security of the nation and our allies.”
On Wednesday, the organization said postponing the event until the spring is a necessity given slim availability at the Tampa Convention Center and surrounding hotels.
“We regretfully understand this may put our event closer to or overlapping with some other events,” the group said. “Unfortunately, this is the only time in the first half of the year open for the It is also the only financially tenable option for USGIF.”
