Program
The ICC25 program brings together everything you need to plan your week—from keynote sessions and technical breakouts to ICA meetings, poster presentations, social events, and technical tours. You’ll also find practical details like registration hours, speaker-ready room access, and exhibition times. Designed to reflect this year’s theme – Mapping the Future: Innovation, Inclusion, and Sustainability – the program offers a comprehensive view of the experiences, conversations, and connections that await. Please note: session times are subject to change, and additional details will be added as they become available.
DOWNLOAD Technical Session Overview PDF
Monday, 18 August 2025
08:00 – 17:00
Registration Hours
ROOM: Vancouver Convention Centre, East Lobby
08:00 – 16:00
Speaker Ready Room Hours
ROOM: MR 5
09:30 – 15:30
Exhibitor Move In > International Map, Children’s Map, and Technical Exhibition
ROOM: Exhibit Hall A
Authorized Personnel Only
08:45 – 09:30
ICC 2025 Opening
ROOM: Ballroom C
Welcoming Address
Emmanuel Stefanakis, ICC 2025 Conference Director
Opening Keynote | Digital Earth as a Digital Twin
SPEAKER: Mike Goodchild, Emeritus Professor of Geography, University of California
DESCRIPTION: The concept of a digital earth has a long history, culminating in the Gore speech of 1998 and the establishment of ISDE. The concept of a digital twin rose to prominence in manufacturing, and has been extended to systems in the environmental, social, and health sciences. Recently these two threads have converged, with the construction of digital twins of cities, regions, and the globe that have been built on GIS foundations. I review some of the major issues, including visualization, uncertainty, the modeling of dynamic processes, the Turing test, and the two-way interactions between digital twins and reality. There remain numerous open questions, including governance and ownership, ethics, the problems of reconciling multiple digital twins, and fitness for purpose.
09:30 – 10:30
110: Technical Sessions
| 111 | GeoAI | MR 8|15 |
| 112 | Map Design | MR 10 |
| 113 | Geovisualization & Mapping the Arctic | MR 13 |
| 114 | Cartographic Heritage into the Digital | MR 18 |
| 115 | Cartography and Sustainable Development | MR 19 |
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee Break
ROOM: Meeting Room Foyer
Recharge with coffee or tea.
Sponsored by: Qingdao Surveying and Mapping Institute
11:00 – 12:00
120: Technical Sessions
| 121 | Geospatial Analysis and Modeling | MR 8|15 |
| 122 | Map Projections | MR 10 |
| 123 | User Experience | MR 13 |
| 124 | Multi-Scale Mapping | MR 18 |
| 125 | Education and Training | MR 19 |
12:00 – 13:30
Lunch on Own > Nearby Food Options
Business Meetings
Don’t miss the commission business meetings at ICC 2025! These sessions are essential for anyone looking to engage deeply with specific areas of cartography and geospatial sciences. Each commission meeting provides a platform for focused discussions, collaborative projects, and the exchange of ideas among experts and enthusiasts. Whether you’re a long-time member or new to the community, these meetings offer valuable opportunities to contribute to ongoing initiatives and shape the future of our field. Visit our Business Meetings webpage for a full listing and additional details.
13:30 – 14:30
130: Technical Sessions
| 131 | GeoAI | MR 8|15 |
| 132 | Inclusive Cartography | MR 10 |
| 133 | Map Design | MR 13 |
| 134 | Cartography in Early Warning and Crisis Management | MR 18 |
| 135 | Art and Cartography Sponsored by: Qingdao Surveying and Mapping Institute | MR 19 |
14:30 – 15:30
1411: Rethinking the Role of Societies for Enhancing Diversity and Services Panel
ROOM: MR 8|15
ORGANIZER: Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS)
MODERATOR: Caglar Koylu, President, CaGIS
PANELISTS: Aileen Buckley, IMIA; Indy Hurt, CaGIS; Reginald Archer, Tennessee State University, Paul Heersink, Canadian Cartographic Association (CCA)
DESCRIPTION: This panel aims to inspire dialogue and ideas for building inclusive and impactful communities in cartography, GIScience, geography and beyond. Through discussions on who our members are and could be, what services best meet their needs, and how to deliver those services efficiently—especially through inter-society collaboration and leveraging innovative platforms—this session seeks to identify actionable insights for building inclusive, and impactful professional communities.
14:30 – 15:30
140: Technical Sessions
| 142 | Participatory Mapping | MR 10 | |
| 143 | Geovisualization | MR 13 | |
| 144 | Standards in Cartography | MR 18 | |
| 145 | History of Cartography | MR 19 |
15:30 – 16:00
Coffee Break
ROOM: Meeting Room Foyer
Recharge with coffee or tea while exploring the International Map Exhibition, Children’s Map Competition, and our sponsors and exhibitors in the Technical Exhibition.
16:00 – 18:00
ICC 2025 Opening Ceremony
ROOM: Ballroom C
The ICC 2025 Opening Ceremony will celebrate the convergence of global cartographic communities through cultural performance, inspiring keynote addresses, and messages of goodwill. Highlights include a traditional welcome by the Eagle Song Dancers, addresses from international leaders, and Indigenous perspectives on mapping in a changing world. The ceremony concludes with the official opening of the Map Exhibition, inviting attendees to explore the art and science of cartography.
| Indigenous Performance – Part I | Eagle Song Dancers |
| Welcome Address by Director of ICC 2025 | Emmanuel Stefanakis, ICC 2025 Director |
| Welcome Address by President of the CIG | Jonathan Li, ICC 2025 Chair & President of the CIG |
| Welcome Address by President of ICA | Georg Gartner, President of ICA |
| Welcome Address by CCA | Roger Wheate, University Of Northern British Columbia |
| Indigenous Performance – Part II | Eagle Song Dancers |
| Mapping in an era of Change: Perspectives from the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation | Eric Loubier, Director General, Canada Centre for Mapping & Earth Observation, Natural Resources Canada |
| Contemporary Cartography as Agency for Climate Change adaptation in the Canadian Arctic | Lynn Moorman, Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Mount Royal University Sandra Aqqaq, SmartICE Inuit Mapper from Taloyak |
| Announcing the Opening of the International Cartographic Exhibition | Julia Siemer, University of Regina |
| Procession to the International Cartographic Exhibition | Eagle Song Dancers |
| Ceremonial Ribbon Cutting | Georg Gartner, President ICA Emmanuel Stefanakis, ICC 2025 Director |
18:00 – 20:00
Welcome Reception: Explore, Connect, Celebrate
ROOM: Exhibit Hall A
DESCRIPTION: Join us in the Exhibit Hall for the ICC 2025 Welcome Reception—an evening designed to spark connections and curiosity. Sponsored by Esri, this vibrant kickoff event invites attendees to mingle with fellow delegates while enjoying their first look at the International Map Exhibition, the imaginative Children’s Map Exhibition, and the dynamic Technical Exhibition featuring sponsors and industry partners from around the world. With a drink in hand and maps all around, this is your chance to discover the heart of the conference in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.
At 19:00, Canadian Geographic cartographer Chris Brackley will give a guided tour of the Biinaagami Giant Floor Map.