Other BCS Events
During the year the Society run a range of events in addition to the Annual Conference and Teatime Talks
AGM 2026
This year's BCS Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Wednesday 10th June 2026 at 6pm and was be followed by the AGM Talk, both online.
The AGM talk is at 7pm 10th June 2026.
Who Makes the Map? Diversity, Power, and the Future of Geospatial
Speaker: Dr. Julia Wagemann, Co-Founder and Director Women+ in Geospatial, Co-Founder thriveGEO
Who makes the map (and decisions) matters more than we think. The geospatial industry is full of brilliant people shaping how we understand our world. But to truly reflect the communities we serve and unlock the full potential of our field, we need every voice at the table. The opportunity ahead of us is enormous - if we choose to seize it together.
This talk tells the story of Women+ in Geospatial - which started as a grassroots community and turned into a multi-award winning global organisation driving systemic change across the sector. It explores the principles and activities that underpin that work: why surface-level fixes fall short, and what meaningful, structural change actually looks like in practice.
It closes with a challenge and an invitation. As geospatial intersects with AI, climate, and the future of our society, the question of who shapes that work has never mattered more. Building a more inclusive industry is not just a job for those who have been excluded from it - we all have the responsibility to act.
Dr. Julia Wagemann is an Earth Observation data and technology specialist, educator, and community-builder with over twelve years of experience in the European Earth Observation sector. In 2023, she co-founded thriveGEO, a geospatial training company that helps organisations to build future-ready skills tailored to individual roles. Prior to that, she has worked as an independent consultant and held positions at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the European Space Agency.
She is also the founder of Women+ in Geospatial, a global network of over 5,500 women and non-binary professionals in the geospatial field. As Director and Board Member, she has grown the community from a grassroots initiative into a multi award-winning organisation.
Her work has earned recognition including the inaugural GEO100 Innovation Award (2025), the WGIC DEI Trailblazer Award (2024), Geovation’s Contribution to Diversity Award (2024), and a place on the Geospatial World 50 Rising Stars list (2023).
Fellows' Events
Most years, our Fellows are invited to an event where they can chat with others who share an interest in mapping and data visualisation.
Our most recent event was a visit to the Imperial War Museum (IWM) Duxford, on 13th October 2025, where Fellows were shown fascinating items from their map and photograph archive, followed by a guided tour that highlighted some of the amazing conservation work that takes place.
Previous events have included:
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Talk on Thirty years of Antarctic mapping by Adrian Fox
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Discussion entitled My Pathway to BCS fellowship with Sarah Widdowfield, Warren Vick and Josie Wilson
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Visit to the Bodleian Map library in Oxford
Go to the Fellowship page for more about Fellowship status.
Partner Events
The BCS has collaboration agreements with several similar organisations across the GeospatialIndustry, including the Association of Geographic Information (AGI), Charles Close Society (CCS), Geographical Association (GA) and the Internationa Map Industry Association (IMIA).
We often run join events or participate as contributors to their events.
BCS members participated in the Map Industry Summit run by IMIA on 6th March 2026 in London.
Map Curators' Group Events
The Map Curators Group (MCG) often run specialist events in the form of short conferences or workshops on issues of particular interest to those involved in Map Curatorship.
Go to the Map Curators Group page to see what they are currently involved in.
Historical Military Mapping Group Events
The Historical Military Mapping Group (HMMG) will often run specilaist events in the form of visits or workshops on issues of particular interest to those involved in those interested in or engaged in research into any aspect of the history of military survey and mapping.
Go to the Historical Military Mapping Group page to see what they are currently involved in.