Rep.Franks is in his first term in Congress.He sits on three important committees, Armed Services, Budget and Small Business.Rep.Franks was part of a Congressional delegation that recently returned from a trip to Iraq and India.

MAPPS is a national association of more than 170 mapping, surveying, aerial photo, satellite imagery and related GIS and geospatial service and data firms.

MAPPS will also host former Vice President of the United States Dan Quayle as its featured speaker at a banquet during the conference, on February 2.

Other sessions on the program agenda are --

* How Firms Can Be Part of the FEMA Flood Map Modernization Program.MAPPS member firm Michael Baker, Jr., Inc., has been selected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to negotiate a contract to serve as the Program Manager to develop, plan, manage, implement, and monitor the Multi-Hazard Flood Map Modernization (MHFMM) Program for flood hazard mitigation across the United States and its territories.The maximum contract value is $750 million over five years.Dick McDonald of Baker is conducting a special session at the MAPPS meeting on how other firms can participate in the program as FEMA contractors and Baker subcontractors.

* A new Federal study on licensed geospatial data that may lead to new policies affecting your firm's ability to sell licensed, copyrighted imagery and vector data to Federal civil agencies, featuring Kass Green (The Alta Vista Company) and Terry Keating (ZI Imaging), members of the National Academy of Sciences panel on "Licensing Geographic Data And Services";

* A preview on the 2004 contracts in the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) by Geoffrey Gabbott of the USDA's Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO);

* A panel discussion, "Is Film Dead?" where firm principals will learn how to manage investment decisions on transitioning from film-based to digital aerial imagery, and related value-added services, including John Brandes, AGFA; Jack Shevlin, Kodak; Terry Keating, Z/I Imaging; George Southard, Leica; Kevin Perkins, Applanix; Joe Thurgood, Vexcel; Geoff Gabbott, USDA; and Larry Deibert, Horizons, Inc.;

* A Federal Geospatial Market Overview by Tina Cary, Cary & Associates, outlining a recently updated and published report on some $5 billion in Federal contracts per year;

* SBA Federal Contracting, with Ron Harbour and Tracey Brown, Small Business Administration, Phoenix, Arizona regional office, teaching firms how to qualify for and participate in the many programs SBA has to offer to a variety of classes of small businesses;

* GIS in the States by Gene Trobia, Arizona GIS Coordinator and NSGIC Immediate Past President, discussing what state agencies are doing in GIS and geospatial activities that offer contracting opportunities for private geospatial firm;

* Geospatial Globalization: Bane or Boom?, with Clark Nelson, Spot Image, Inc.and John Palatiello, MAPPS Executive Director discussing issues affecting exporting, offshoring and other threats and opportunities affecting private geospatial firms.

There are also numerous social events and networking opportunities.MAPPS meetings are a great place to meet colleagues and clients.In addition to being the best gathering of the principals, owners and partners of the leading geospatial firms in the community, we already have confirmation that key officials of USGS, NOAA and NGA (formerly NIMA) will also be attending, thus providing the added benefit of being able to meet with these important agencies in the relaxed atmosphere of a MAPPS meeting.

Several firms are sponsors of events at the conference.They include Kodak, sponsoring the opening reception on Friday afternoon; DigitalGlobe, sponsoring a special Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 1; and Perot Systems Government Services, sponsoring the pre-banquet reception on Tuesday evening.The banquet, featuring Vice President Quayle, is sponsored by BAE Systems ADR and Michael Baker, Jr., Inc.and breakfast sessions are sponsored by Intermap Technologies, Inc.

A golf scramble features a "Hole in One" contest sponsored by Leica Geosystems in which MAPPS members will shoot for a $1 million ADS 40 digital aerial camera system.

Go to http://www.mapps.org/wigwam.asp for details, including, program information, and on-line membership enrollment.

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