Recap of the Map Industry Summit: Toronto
The IMIA Map Industry Summit in Toronto, held on August 22, 2024, brought together experts, professionals, and stakeholders to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and advancements in Canada’s map industry. The event, hosted by premier sponsor Avenza Systems at the Westin Harbour Castle, featured a full day of educational presentations and networking opportunities aimed at fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among industry leaders.
A key highlight of the summit was the Business Connect session which facilitated introductions among all attending companies, leading to engaging Q&A sessions during the afternoon presentations from Avenza Systems, Inc., Backroad Maps, Fleming College, ITMB Publishing Ltd., and World of Maps. Lunch was generously sponsored by Dennis Maps.
The afternoon’s educational demonstrations focused on the past, present, and future of the map industry in Canada. With discussions revolving around the impact of digital mapping technologies and the evolving role of maps in various industries, the event underscored the strength of maps not just as tools for navigation, but as powerful instruments for data visualization, decision-making, and storytelling in fields ranging from urban planning to environmental conservation to outdoor recreation.
The day concluded with a cocktail reception at C’est What, providing attendees with a relaxed atmosphere to continue networking and discussing ideas sparked during the summit. The IMIA Map Industry Summit in Toronto was a significant event for professionals in the field, offering a platform for collaboration and innovation within the rapidly changing landscape of the map industry.
Winners of the 2024 ICA-IMIA Recognition of Excellence in Cartography Award
Every year, two exemplary maps are chosen from the hundreds of entries in the Map Gallery at the Esri User Conference to receive the prestigious ICA-IMIA Recognition of Excellence in Cartography award. The International Cartographic Association and the International Map Industry Association jointly sponsor this award.
Presented annually since 2016, this award promotes and recognizes excellence in map design and advancement in cartography. Judges select from all registered submissions in the Map Gallery the two maps that they have determined best exhibit excellence in all aspects of cartographic design and production.
The 2024 award-winning maps are:
Redlining Makes Us Sick
Authored by Melissa Alexander, Gena Falzon
Blue Cottage of CannonDesign
Judge’s comments: “A very powerful and effective map that delivers analysis and cartographic information by illustrating the different aspects of redlining.”
Redlining Makes Us Sick
Authored by Christina Shintani
Woodwell Climate Research Center
Judge’s comments: “A great example of cartographic excellence: it’s a beautiful map that displays a complex environmental issue in an easy-to-interpret and well-thought-out design.”
A special thank you to our judges this year – for ICA, Dan Cole (Smithsonian) and Mohamad Yassin (City of San Diego), and for IMIA, Ariel Doumbouya (USGS) and Jason Sjolander (East View Companies).
To see all the winners of the ICA-IMIA award, visit our ICA-IMIA Awards page. If you’re interested in seeing the other award winners from this year’s Esri User Conference, visit their Virtual Map Gallery.
New Annual Sponsor: UniMaps
UniMaps, an IMIA member since June 2023, is the Map division of UP Printing Group in Latvia. For the last 20 years, they have become one of the leading map printers in Europe with an annual production of over 3 million maps, charts, atlases, harbor guides, etc.
Today, they deliver maps to map publishers in Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Finland, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Irland, Poland, Germany, and the UK, and are also working actively to gain new customers in Canada and USA.
See their member directory profile on our website by clicking this link.
Welcome New Members
Red Paw Technologies, Inc. is a full-service GIS consulting firm specializing in the highest quality maps for real estate, marketing and media, urban/environmental planning, higher education, and the entertainment industry.
Our maps appear on company websites, marketing brochures, investment prospectuses, television documentaries, books, and travel guides.
Topo Maps+ is an app that lets our users plan and go on backcountry adventures, helping outdoor enthusiasts go deeper into the backcountry with offline topographic maps.
Our app runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro. You can plan a trip on your iPad or Mac, visualize that trip by standing on a life-size map in Apple Vision Pro, and then go on that trip using Topo Maps+ on your iPhone or Apple Watch.
As a designer of Illustrative and Graphic design maps, The Rustic Cartographer depicts historical and cultural traditions of diverse land and seascapes, villages, towns, and cities.
These creations capture the essence of a place through the eyes of an artist by blending creativity, cartographic knowledge, and historical research — keeping traditions alive and communicating more than geographical information.
Member News
East View Map Link acquires Raven Maps
East View Map Link, leaders in the production of premium maps and cartographic products, are excited to announce the acquisition of Raven Maps, an iconic publisher renowned for its stunning wall maps and dedication to high-quality cartography.
This strategic acquisition reinforces East View’s commitment to preserving and enhancing the art of mapmaking while expanding its offerings to customers around the world.
Stanfords Map of the Month
Philip’s RGS Outdoor Britain: An Atlas for Adventure
Philip’s RGS Outdoor Britain highlights wild Britain’s remarkable activities: from cheese-rolling in Gloucestershire to wild swimming in the Thames, surfing off the Cornish coast to bog snorkeling in Wales.
Stanford’s Map of the Environs of Paris (1870) – A2 Wall Map, Paper
This map is from a fascinating series of reproductions from the Edward Stanford Cartographic Collection archive covering the centre of Paris and extends well outside the present-day Boulevard Périphérique.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Industry Events
BCS Conference 2024
September 4-5, 2024
London, United Kingdom
Eurocarto
September 9-11, 2024
Vienna, Austria
NACIS 2024
October 15-19, 2024
Tacoma, Washington USA
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IMIA Annual Sponsors
