Foss4gna

Got a great idea for FOSS4G NA, but not sure how to turn it into a proposal? Let's talk it through—live.

Next week, we're hosting an online session all about submitting your paper, poster, or workshop proposal for FOSS4G North America. Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned presenter, this is your chance to get clear on the process and put your best idea forward.

📅 When: Friday, July 26 (online)

Here's what we'll cover:
- How to choose the right format for your idea—paper, poster, or workshop
- What makes a proposal stand out to reviewers
- Tips for first-time submitters
- Live Q&A—bring your questions and get real answers

This is a community-driven conference, and the program is only as strong as the voices in it. Yours included.
Spots are filling up, and the deadline is just days away, so don't wait.

Can't make it? Drop your questions in the comments!

👉 Register here: https://ucdavis.zoom.us/meeting/register/vJ-Vaw3HTIelWxrnydxASw

🎉 We have our first sponsor! 🎉

A huge thank you to Fujitsu Australia Limited for stepping up as the very first sponsor of FOSS4G North America 2026. 🌍

🌐 FOSS4G NA brings together the people building the future of geospatial tech, open source tools, spatial data analysis, and real-world GIS applications.
🤝 Sponsors like Fujitsu Australia Limited make it possible to keep this community open, accessible, and growing.
📊 For data scientists and geospatial professionals, that means more knowledge sharing, stronger tools, and better connections.

Support like this fuels everything we do: the talks, the workshops, and the collaboration that pushes open geospatial innovation forward.

Learn more about Fujitsu Australia Limited's support for the open geospatial community.

Link below in comments ⤵️

🔥 Wildfires are becoming more frequent and more destructive. The question is: how do we get ahead of them?

Open tools are changing the game — giving emergency responders, analysts, and planners real-time spatial insights to prepare, respond, and save lives. Our latest blog highlights how FOSS4G tools can be used on the front lines of wildfire preparedness and response.

We are looking for talks that discuss:

📍 How open-source GIS tools enable real-time fire tracking and risk mapping
🛰️ The role of satellite data and spatial analytics in early warning systems
🤝 How cross-agency data sharing accelerates coordinated response efforts
📊 Practical examples of open geospatial workflows in action

For data scientists and geospatial professionals, this is a powerful forum to share your skills and tools that drive meaningful, real-world impact.

🎤 Submit your talk proposal for FOSS4G NA by June 30 and share your work with a community that's pushing geospatial innovation forward. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for organizations making an impact in the open geospatial space.

Let's build smarter, more resilient communities — together. 🌿

🌐 Read the full blog — link in the comments.

💧 Drought. Floods. Groundwater loss. Across the West, water decisions are getting harder—and the data behind them needs to keep up.

Here's the truth: better water management starts with better data access.

💡California saw this early. The Open and Transparent Water Data Act (2016) set minimum standards to make water datasets findable, accessible, interoperable, and reproducible. The California Open Water Data Initiative builds on that—integrating sources, setting shared standards, and opening platforms so agencies, researchers, and communities work from the same picture.

For those of us who build with data, this is where the work gets interesting:
- Open platforms that make complex water datasets publicly observable
- Shared standards that let teams collaborate across jurisdictions
- Tools and governance models that support reproducible analysis
- Real implementation case studies that show what actually works

Our latest blog, "The Future of Water Depends on Open Data," breaks down why open water infrastructure matters now—and how the open-source geospatial community can lead.
We're building the program for FOSS4G North America 2026, with a strong focus on public water data infrastructure.

📍 November 2–4, 2026 — Sacramento, CA
Got a project, platform, standard, or lesson learned to share? We want to hear it.
Submit your proposal for a presentation, workshop, or poster on open water data platforms, standards, tools, governance, or implementation. Read the full post and send us your idea today.

The Future of Water Depends on Open Data — FOSS4G North America Water is central to life.  Across the West, water management challenges are becoming existential concerns for communities.  From drought and groundwater management to flood risk and ecosystem health, decisions about water affect infrastructure and the environment across the region.

🌍 The FOSS4G North America 2026 program is taking shape — and it's looking strong.

We're seeing exciting submissions across open source geospatial topics, and the energy around this year's event in Sacramento (November 2–4) is real.

But here's what we want more of: the human side of open source geospatial.

The Community of Practice track is where that lives. It's for the people building regional mapping communities, mentoring new contributors, running university GIS labs, creating documentation, and forging partnerships across agencies, universities, and volunteer groups. 🤝

If you've learned something from working with people — not just with tools — this track is for you.

Podium talks, workshops, lightning talks, posters — all formats welcome. 🎤

Proposals we'd love to see:
- Onboarding contributors to open source projects
- Lessons from collaborative geospatial efforts (wins and failures)
- Building shared training resources or standards
- Sustaining local or regional user groups

⏳ There's still time to submit. Read the full blog post to see what's shaping up and how to get involved.

👉 Submit your proposal and be part of FOSS4G NA 2026.

Submit Your Community of Practice Proposal before June 30 — FOSS4G North America FOSS4G North America 2026, taking place November 2–4 in Sacramento, California, is shaping up to be an exciting program. We are already seeing strong interest across a wide range of open source geospatial topics, and the program is beginning to reflect the technical depth, creativity, and practica...

🌐 Posters don't get enough credit.
They're one of the most approachable, interactive formats at any conference — and at FOSS4G North America, they're an important part of what makes the event so valuable.

A poster session isn't just a display. It's a conversation starter. It's where early ideas get refined, where students connect with practitioners, and where community projects find their people.

Posters are a great fit if you're working on:
- An early-stage project or proof of concept
- Research that's still in progress
- Student or academic work
- Community mapping or participatory GIS initiatives
- Experimental ideas that benefit from visual storytelling

This year, FOSS4G North America is particularly interested in work that reflects the themes of resilience and innovation — think open geospatial tools applied to climate, infrastructure, public health, environmental challenges, and more.

If you've been on the fence about contributing to the conference, a poster is one of the best ways to get involved for the first time. You bring the idea. The format takes care of the rest.

We just published a blog on why poster submissions matter and what topics we're looking for!

Share Your Work: Submit a Poster for FOSS4G North America — FOSS4G North America Posters are an important part of the FOSS4G North America experience. They provide an opportunity to share ideas, showcase projects, and start conversations in a format that is approachable, visual, and interactive. Posters are especially well-suited for early-stage projects, research in progress, s

📣 Open geospatial technology thrives on community collaboration and real-world solutions.

FOSS4G North America 2026 is coming to Sacramento, California, from November 2–4, 2026. We are building a practical, community-driven program centered on the ways open geospatial tools support public infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and collaborative problem solving.

This year, our core themes are Resilience and Innovation. We welcome a broad range of participants to share their workflows, including developers, analysts, researchers, educators, government staff, students, nonprofits, and community organizations.

🌐 The conference will cover critical areas shaping our ecosystem:
- Water, Agriculture, and Natural Resources
- Community Mapping and Environmental Justice
- Disaster Mapping and Wildfire Response
- Open Source Development and Interoperability
- The Business of Open Source

We want to hear about your applied workflows and open-source innovations.

Submit your talks or hands-on workshop proposals related to open data, water policy and implementation, wildfire and hazard applications, and environmental resilience today.

🔵 Read the full blog post to learn more about the topic areas and submit your proposal.

What to expect at FOSS4G North America 2026 — FOSS4G North America FOSS4G North America 2026, taking place in Sacramento, California, from November 2–4, 2026, will continue the conference’s tradition of practical, community-driven learning and collaboration around open geospatial technology. The program is being developed to support a wide range of attendees ac...

📍 Geospatial technology is moving fast. Are you getting your brand in front of the people driving the change?

🌐 FOSS4G North America heads to Sacramento, California, from November 2–5, 2026. If you want to grow your footprint in the open geospatial community, this is exactly where you need to be.

Sponsoring gives you direct access to the brightest minds in the industry. Here is what your brand gains:
- Face time with ~500 geospatial practitioners, with 25-30% in leadership roles.
- Maximum visibility in a high-traffic exhibit hall where all breaks and receptions take place.
- Prime recruiting opportunities for top talent in GIS, GeoAI, spatial databases, 3D, AR/VR, IoT, cloud native geo, and open data.
- Unmatched B2B networking to build lasting partnerships.

✅ Do not let your competitors take the spotlight. Reach out to our team today to explore the prospectus and find the perfect sponsorship package for your goals.

Why Sponsoring FOSS4G North America 2026 is Your Best Move in Geospatial Tech — FOSS4G North America Geospatial technology moves fast, and getting your brand in front of the right people matters. FOSS4G North America is the leading conference for open geospatial technology, business, and innovation. Taking place November 2–4, 2026, in Sacramento, California, this event offers a powerful platform ...

🌎 Are you an expert in open-source geospatial solutions? We want you to lead a workshop at FOSS4G North America 2026!

We're seeking proposals for three-hour, hands-on workshops to be held at our upcoming conference in Sacramento, California.

This year, our themes are Resilience and Innovation. We are looking for engaging and interactive sessions that cover key topics, including:

- Open-source GIS tools and libraries
- Data visualization and cartography
- Geospatial data management
- Cloud-native geospatial solutions
- Remote sensing and imagery
- Web mapping and application development
- Spatial databases and analytics
- Community building and collaboration
- Open geospatial standards and interoperability
- Real-world use cases and case studies
- Business of open source

At FOSS4G, we believe that diverse perspectives drive the most innovative solutions. We strongly encourage facilitators from all backgrounds and experience levels to apply and share their unique knowledge with our community.

✅ Help us shape the future of geospatial technology. Submit your workshop proposal today:

Workshops — FOSS4G North America Workshops are a core part of the FOSS4G North America experience. They provide a space for hands-on learning, skill-building, and meaningful interaction with open geospatial tools and communities. For the 2026 conference in Sacramento, California, we’re inviting proposals for workshops that focus ...

📣 The Call for Presentations for FOSS4G NA 2026 is officially open!

We want to hear how you use free and open-source geographic software to solve problems and build communities. You can share your work and ideas in three ways:

💠 30-minute podium presentations
💠 3-hour pre-conference workshops
💠 5-minute lightning talks
💠 Posters

We are looking for submissions across a wide range of topics, including:

• Cloud-Native Geo & Spatial Databases
• GeoAI & Geospatial Data Science
• Environment, Climate & Disaster Response
• Open Geospatial Tools, Web Mapping & STAC
• Commercialization, Funding Models & Cybersecurity

🌐 Submit your proposal today and join us on stage: FOSS4GNA Proposal

Call for Proposals — FOSS4G North America Call for Proposals ABOUT THE CONFERENCE FOSS4G NA 2026 brings together the people shaping the future of free and open source geospatial software, from developers and researchers to decision-makers, educators, and community advocates. This year's conference themes are Resilience and Innovation, explo...