This year Our Gold Level sponsors were given the opportunity to assist planning and scheduling the conference agenda for Friday, May 24 2013. OpenGeo and RadiantBlue have done an impressive job putting together a day of programming. The schedule was jut released and we hope you find it as interesting as we do.

In addition to technology showcases by OpenGeo and RadiantBlue there will be a panel on open source technologies in state and local government. Be sure to stick around for the panel, lunch and then drop by the code sprint to see the newest foss4g developments.

We thank OpenGeo, RadiantBlue and all of our sponsors for helping make FOSS4G North America possible.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Sponsor Day programming on but we need an accurate count for food and venue purposes. If you plan on attending please make sure to register for the “Free Sponsor Day / Code Sprint Day” on registration page.

Sponsor Day Schedule

I hope that nobody has forgotten to register for the conference Gala event sponsored by Urban Mapping on May 23rd! It’s not too late, you can go to the registration page and add to your registration or better yet, register for both the Gala and the Conference if you haven’t yet!

Please join us for the FOSS4G-NA Gala Event held at the historic Mill City Museum. Built into the ruins of what was once the world’s largest flour mill, Mill City Museum is located on the historic Mississippi Riverfront. The museum will be open throughout the even so you can peruse the interesting exhibits and even a short movie of the history of Minneapolis the Mill City.

The menu is fabulous with something for everyone. Please come and join in the fun and networking.

BUFFET HORS D’OEUVRES

• Regional Hard and Soft Cheese Platter garnished with fresh fruit and berries topped with candied nuts and flatbreads
• Italian Meat Tasting with Prosciutto, Mortadella, Cappicola, Soprasetta, Genoa Salami and assorted olives, flatbreads and baguette slices
• Fire Roasted Vegetable Platter with red pepper aioli
• Smoked Gouda Gratin with fresh vegetables and crostini

ASIAN STATION

• Served with vegetable rice in Chinese to-go containers with chopsticks
• Sauteed Dumplings with Pork, Shrimp and Leek
• Cashew Chicken, Pea Pods, Carrots, Cilantro and Bean Sprouts
• Chef Carved Large Vegetarian Torte with roasted red peppers, artichokes, and fontina cheese with tomato basil sauce on the side.

2- drink tickets per person to include beer, wine and soda.

Preliminary Program Announced!

The Program Committee has announced the preliminary program.  We received a lot of great abstracts and are excited about the quality and diversity of the program.

Early Bird Deadline

Just a reminder, the Early Bird deadline for registration is sneaking up on us very soon. Please make sure to register by April 1st to get the discount rate!

Sponsors

We’ve got a great list of sponsors lined up for the conference, but are certainly looking for more. Don’t be left out in the cold on this opportunity! Many thanks to all those who have committed to sponsoring to date, this conference would not be possible without your support.

Student/Mentor Opportunities

If you are a student or a seasoned professional willing to act as a mentor, please check out our Student Opportunities page.

Workshops

The Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium in collaboration with the FOSS4G North American Conference is pleased to present a diverse list of workshop offerings on Tuesday, May 21st, at the University of Minnesota Minneapolis  (the day before the FOSS4G NA conference!). These workshops will encompass both open source and proprietary solutions. Registration for this event is handled by the Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium.

Visualizing Neighborhoods Hackathon

The University of Minnesota Center for Urban and Regional Affairs and Open Twin Cities is scheduling a hackathon to coincide with FOSS4G NA and the Neighborhoods, USA conference that will also be in Minneapolis.

Visualizing Neighborhoods is a day-long event to bring together neighborhood leaders, technologists, data visualizers, designers, artists, scientists, civil servants, and anyone else interested to explore how data can be used for research, analyzing, mapping, outreach, engagement, and communication in our neighborhoods.  The goals are to start conversations, build community, experiment, and prototype projects for neighborhoods.