Destination Lab "Integrating
Geospatial Technologies into 21st Century Management" Interactive,
Hands-On Training To Be Launched in Celebration, Florida
HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--Jan. 31, 2001--Today,
Geospatial technology is essential in finding solutions to real-life
problems in our businesses, our communities and our lives. GIS
(geographic information system) has become the "management tool for
the new millennium", as it allows professionals to collect real-time
data and attach it to images and information needed to solve problems.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center(R) and Stanford Research Institute,
International (SRI) the world's largest independent, nonprofit R&D
organization, have joined together to develop Destination Lab(TM), an
interactive training experience for those who plan and manage our
resources, cities, states, and counties.
Destination Lab is not your typical GIS seminar, workshop or
conference. It is a field-based, hands-on, interactive training
retreat that actively involves each participant. Destination Lab
engages participants in a non-stop, three-and-a-half day experience
that immerses them in the "community of practice". In addition to
interacting with some of the country's leading geospatial
technologists and practitioners, the participants will be challenged
to utilize GIS, GPS and remote sensing technology in a project based
environment to solve real-world problems.
Each Destination Lab is limited to 30 participants and
custom-designed to meet the specific needs of the audience. The first
Destination Lab, "Integrating Geospatial Technologies into 21st
Century Management", to be held February 25-28, 2001, targets
city/state planners, municipal staff and managers, emergency managers,
metropolitan master planners, developers, city officials, and those
wanting to increase productivity and efficiency. This Lab will be held
in Celebration, Florida. Celebration, one of the country's newest,
most innovative cities, is an ideal "classroom" and case study for
this educational experience. It is located just 4 miles from Epcot(R)
where participants will enjoy entertainment during the closing
ceremony of the training "retreat". The venue for this location, and
all Destination Lab locations, was selected because it is a perfect
fit for the topic. In fact, the location itself becomes part of the
curriculum in the interactive, hands-on experience.
Lyna Wiggins, president of URISA, will address the group and offer
case studies, share new concepts for spatial technologies and have
one-on-one interaction with the participants. Also, as a part of the
Destination Lab experience, teams of participants are assigned a
professional who acts as a mentor-- a leader who guides, directs and
inspires the team. Each team will gather data from the field
experiences then enter it into project computers and process the
information in exercises that will demonstrate practical applications.
Unlike other educational programs, Destination Lab is totally
interactive, enabling participants to take home valuable knowledge of
applications that can be used to benefit their community, company or
organization.
"The Destination Lab experience is the culmination of many years
of research, study, and development," states Dr. Tommie Blackwell,
Senior Vice President of Spatial Technologies for the U.S. Space &
Rocket Center, located in Huntsville, Alabama. "The collaboration
between our organization and SRI has been a great experience. For over
50 years, SRI has excelled at researching, creating, applying, and
bringing new discoveries to the marketplace worldwide. The U.S. Space
& Rocket Center has over 20 of years experience in designing,
developing and implementing innovative interactive educational
programs around the world. Together we are taking spatial technology
training to the next level with the Destination Lab concept."
In addition to "Integrating Geospatial Technologies into 21st
Century Management," other Destination Labs will be offered starting
in March. Destination Lab for Water Resource Management will explore
issues concerning water resource management, EPA, farm topics,
government mandates, water rights and the Clean Water Act. The lab
will be located in one of Orlando's premier locations and is ideal for
government and the private sector. The oldest city in Florida, St.
Augustine, is the venue selected for a special Destination Lab where
historic redevelopment and preservation professionals will explore the
latest GIS applications as they apply to advancing infrastructure,
growth management, historical preservation, and archeology. For more
information and registration, visit the Destination Lab Web site at
http://www.destinationlab.com or call Chris Johnson, Director of
Destination Lab, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center at 256-721-7104 or
email: chrisj@destinationlab.com