Mapping Festival...

London will be hosting the London Mapping Festival which is slated to start from June 2011 and will run through December, 2012. The purpose of this festival is to highlight and create a greater awareness of how maps and geographic data is being used within the city. Such a festival will help demonstrate the vast extent to which mapping underpins our daily lives and will encourage people from all backgrounds to find out more about mapping, engage with industry professionals, explore the latest technologies and develop new skills.

I personally think that such festivals should be organised in all cities and each city should celebrate maps! The spread of mapping knowledge is a must for several reasons.

Many graduating students do not know anything about GIS and mapping on the whole.
Students do not know of the career options available in mapping.
People do not understand the benefits of mapping.
People do not appreciate the worth of maps in various researches and surveys.
And so many more...

Such festivals and other such events will help people from all walks of life to appreciate the importance of maps and understand the gravity of GIS as a technology. I hope some day such a mapping festival happens in Pune, India - my home town.

Keeping my hopes high and signing off in positive attitude...Cheers....

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