Invitation from Congress Director

The Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute of Australia and I would like to welcome participants to the XXII ISPRS Congress in Melbourne, 2012. Melbourne is my home town, and a place that I am proud to invite delegates and friends to experience.

The theme for the Congress is Imaging a Sustainable Future. Images, whether of the visible or non-visible spectrum, whether aerial or satellite, or whether of agriculture or cultural heritage, are a fundamental resource for sustaining the future of humankind. Information from imagery is what ISPRS is all about, and this is reflected in the program for the Congress.

The Congress will run for 8 days, from the 25^th August to 1^st September 2012. The programme has been designed to give visitors the maximum opportunity to enjoy all the attractions that Melbourne, the State of Victoria and Australia has to offer, as well as providing a rich and rewarding social and technical programme. The Congress will be well worth the journey.

In keeping with the times, and in an effort to have a Congress with minimal environmental impact (the Congress Centre has a 6 star environmental rating) much of the communication for the Congress will now be electronic. Please bookmark the URL for the Congress, and register for electronic updates. We will still provide hard copy for those who cannot receive email, but we hope to keep this to a minimum.

Invitation by the ISPRS President

I cordially invite you to attend the XXII ISPRS Congress in Melbourne, Australia from 25 August – 1 September 2012. The mission of ISPRS is devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of knowledge, research, development, education and training in the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences, their integration and applications, to contribute to the well-being of humanity and the sustainability of the environment. The Congress is the most important event in the ISPRS conference calendar. It will bring together more than 2500 people from the ISPRS Ordinary, Associate, Regional and Sustaining Members, representing more than 90 countries. The Congress will comprise; meetings of the General Assembly, the decision making body of the Society; technical plenary and parallel sessions, with oral and interactive presentations of papers on new developments in a broad range of topics in the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences; a large commercial exhibition displaying the latest equipment and services that are related to the topics covered by ISPRS; and a scientific exhibition displaying the many achievements of ISPRS members. It is the culmination of four years’ work of many researchers, scientists, practitioners and administrators working in the fields covered by ISPRS. The Congress will therefore be an important opportunity to view the latest developments in areas covered by ISPRS.
Melbourne will be an exciting location for the Congress. The unique culture of Australia is an exotic mixture of different cultures and the past. A visit to Melbourne and other parts of Victoria will reveal many architectural and cultural gems, as well as pleasant landscapes. I am sure that all who attend the Congress will be fascinated by their visit to Australia.
I encourage all who have an interest in the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences to participate in this ISPRS quadrennial Congress. For those people undertaking work on these topics, I also encourage you to prepare and present a paper describing your work. This is an opportunity for you to learn about developments in the methods and procedures covered by ISPRS, as well as share your experiences with others.
I am sure that this Congress will prove to be very successful and rewarding for all participants.

Invitation from the State of Victoria

Congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) 2012

It gives me great pleasure to invite you to Melbourne to attend the Congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) 2012.

Melbourne has an excellent track record for staging international sporting, cultural and business events. It is Australia's events capital and is internationally recognised as one of the world's leading convention cities. The reason for Melbourne's success becomes clear when you take into account the excellent facilities the city has to offer. Billions of dollars of infrastructure developments have provided Melbourne with state-of-the-art venues, accommodation and transport systems.

As a tourism destination, Melbourne and Victoria generally are known for their diversity. The city is noted for its food, shopping, sports, arts, culture and year-round festivities. Within a two to three hour drive of the city visitors can enjoy spectacular coastlines, Australian wildlife reserves, wineries, temperate rainforests, surf beaches, ski fields and historic townships.

I particularly welcome this event as a prime opportunity for you to explore Victoria's range of opportunities for professional exchanges and collaboration in photogrammetry and remote sensing.

Melbourne looks forward to welcoming you to our city in 2012.

Yours sincerely,

Invitation from the Lord Mayor of Melbourne

On behalf of the City of Melbourne, I welcome you to attend the Congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) 2012 in Melbourne.

With an international reputation for major art, sporting and cultural events, sophisticated dining and entertainment establishments and unique river and harbour experiences, Melbourne is one of the world's great cultural capitals.

Home to people of more than 200 different nationalities speaking more than 200 different languages and dialects and practising more than 120 different faiths, Melbourne is also recognised as one of the world's great multicultural cities. It's an advantage out visitors appreciate: in Melbourne you will always feel welcome.

The City of Melbourne's significant investment in international tourism also ensures that our visitor centres and multicultural guides will be at your service on arrival.

I can guarantee you a most cordial reception.

Yours sincerely,