Sponsor Us

Character Spotlight ‘CEC’

Introducing our latest brand sponsor as seen in the Surveying in Space poster, it’s Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC). Let’s learn some more about them:

1.   Company Name – Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (CEC)

2.   Location – Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA with 34 offices across the U.S.

3.   Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey? – The Surveying and Geospatial Profession is an exciting career for kids to consider, because it combines what so many of them love to do.  If a kid finds himself not being able to decide between playing video games and playing outside, Surveying gives them the opportunity for “hands-on” technology and exploring the physical world around them!  We want to inspire Kids to consider a life as a Professional Land Surveyor or a Geospatial Professional.

4.   What do you do? I am the Corporate Survey / Geospatial Practice Lead, which means I am the company “cheerleader” for about 40 Professional Land Surveyors and 195+ Survey Staff members located in 22 of our offices.  What CEC “does” ranges from topographic surveys where we map the surface of property on-the-ground and using UAV “drones” for design and development, to ALTA Surveys used for the sale of commercial or industrial properties, to Solar development where we survey for design and layout the solar panels and other improvements, we measure for roadways, pipelines, buildings, utilities.  We use mobile LiDAR, terrestrial LiDAR, we have 40+ UAV pilots and craft, we also use hydrographic equipment to measure the bottoms of rivers, creeks, and lakes and geophysical / utility locating equipment to measure underground utilities and structures.  You name it, we measure it! 

5.   How long have you been in the survey industry? – I have been surveying since the Chicago Bears won the Superbowl … about 39 years (I’m originally from the Chicagoland area and move to Pittsburgh to join CEC almost 10 years ago).  CEC has been providing surveying services for about 25 years.

6.   How did you end up getting into the geospatial industry? I took a sabbatical from college, wanted to get a job and saw an advertisement in a newspaper that said, “Land Surveying crew member, no experience necessary”.  I didn’t know what “Land Surveying” was, I thought I would go door-to-door asking people questions about their land!  My first day on the job I spent walking through the woods measuring trees on a beautiful fall day … I thought “I can’t believe they are actually going to pay me to do this”!  I have been surveying ever since.  CEC originally got into surveying to provide existing conditions surveys for civil engineering design and landfills.  It has since grown to be an independent practice, the second largest in the company!

7.   State a funny fact about you… I have 12 kids, a very patient and loving wife, and 3 of my kids are in the surveying profession (so far)!  I am also in two bands that are made up of instrument-playing land surveyors that only exist to play at two survey conferences.  The Illinois (IPLSA) conference band is “Monuments Men”, the Pennsylvania (PSLS) conference band is “Plumb Bob and the Chaining Pins”.

8.   Favourite piece of kit and why? I still miss my old orange Geodimeter 600 series robotic total station I used back in my field days!  Not the easiest equipment to use, but rock solid, accurate, and very reliable!  Also, I still have my original plumb-bob that my first boss gave to me … most people in surveying don’t even know what a plumb-bob is!

9.   Favourite Survey technique and why? I am most excited by our LiDAR equipped UAV systems, because they are a “game changer” in mapping, but you still need the basics of good ground control to make sure the map matches “reality”.  I don’t personally fly UAV’s … my kids have seen me playing video games and can attest I am not an expert with a joystick!  

10.  Your website

11.  How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name? I thought an image of a “robotic surveyor” would capture the technology with the physical realism of surveying.  I named the character “CybErC”, after CEC’s intranet program, which is the “hub” for standards, and both company and project information for CEC staff.  Just like in many ways “Survey / Geospatial” is the “hub” for so many of the other services we offer.

Character Spotlight ‘Emesent’

Introducing our wonderful new sponsors Emesent who have been heavily involved with the Space poster providing extra prints for Australia! Let’s learn some more about them:

  1. Company Name Emesent
  1. Location  Brisbane, Australia
  1. Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey?

Surveying is essential to so many parts of our world and impacts many industries, often in ways that most people don’t fully appreciate. There is a diverse range of surveying jobs that cross many different skills and work environments. We believe that encouraging the next generation of surveyors is critical to our future, both in Australia and globally. Educating young people about the power of surveying, the incredible technology available, and the different ways surveying is used, will contribute to the enhancement of our world.

  1. What do you do? 

Emesent makes an advanced LiDAR (Light detection and ranging) scanner called Hovermap that helps surveyors autonomously map difficult-to-access environments. Hovermap captures detailed 3D maps called point clouds. Point clouds can be used by surveyors in construction, mining, forestry and many other industries – even space! – to better understand and then make decisions about the environments they are working in.

  1. How long have you been in the survey industry? 

Emesent was founded in 2017

  1. State a funny fact about you…

Emesent staff where once invited to appear on a ghost hunting TV show to use Hovermap to see if we could identify a ghost!

  1. Favourite piece of kit and why? 

Emesent Hovermap ST-X is of course our favourite piece of kit. As well as using it hand-held, you can attach it to a car, robot or drone. It has a variety of accessories that can be attached to it also.

  1. Favourite Survey technique and why?

Flying Hovermap on a drone is our favourite way to capture survey data. But anyone can get started by using Hovermap handheld or in a backpack.

  1. Your website: www.emesent.com
  1. How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name?

This is Billie the Hover-Bat. The character is inspired by a local ‘bat’ called a flying fox. In summer, these animals go looking for fruit and berries, flying across the sky at dawn and dusk. We chose it because Hovermap is commonly flown on a drone – often underground into inaccessible and dark spaces.

Ambassador Spotlight ‘Victor Okonkwo’

Introducing Victor Okonkwo from the Anambra State, Nigeria, Africa as one of our latest Brand Ambassadors! Let’s learn some more about him:

Where did you study?
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria
Requirements to be a Surveyor in your area?
First, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree.
Second, you’ll need to apply to become a pupil surveyor, and after your application is accepted, you’ll serve as a pupil surveyor under a registered surveyor for 2 years minimum.
Third, after your 2 year pupilage is up, you then apply to become a registered land surveyor.
Note: You would be registered as a land surveyor by the surveyors council of Nigeria after having fulfilled requirements such as: preparing a survey folio reporting a total of 5 projects carried out and completed within your pupilage years, preparing for a written exam and also an interview where you need to defend the contents of your survey folio.
How long have you been in the industry?
Since 2011, after I graduated highschool
How did you get into surveying?
I never wanted to become a surveyor. I saw myself in the profession. But from my first day in the field with a surveyor, watching him carrying out a survey like a director would direct an orchestra, I knew that I wanted to become one.
Any associations and organisations you’d like to mention:
Nigerian Institute of Surveyors (NIS)
Young Surveyors Network (YSN)
Why are you volunteering?
Surveying is a dying profession; this is what I have come to observe and the only way to save it is to introduce the profession to kids. Not just introduce it to them, but make it something they would feel the need to be a part of. I am volunteering to preserve the profession, to make surveying a household name like medicine or engineering, to make kids and parents alike see an importance in the profesion and it’s professionals.
Why is GKiS important?
Because it is the bedrock of any meaningful development. Without surveyors, the architects, engineers, builders, cannot begin a project. Children need to understand that surveying is everywhere. We are the planners of modern society.
What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador?
The most important thing I’d do is to raise the banner of GKis high in my city, Awka. Create thorough awareness about GKis and then “invade” institutions of learning to meet with our target audiences.
What are your hobbies?
Chess, swimming, writing poetry and short stories, and listening to classical music.
Any GKiS character ideas
A lion’s cub
Ideas of future GKiS resources:
How to use technology to get kids into surveying via AI, Virtual reality, Games etc

Ambassador Spotlight ‘Melissa Retana’

Welcoming our latest Brand Ambassador from Costa Rica, it’s Melissa Retana Sánchez:

Where did you study? Universidad Autónoma de Centroamérica
Requirements to be a Surveyor in your area? Study surveying Engineering at the university and later be part of the sueveyor´s colllge of Costa Rica
How long have you been in the industry? I have 13 years of experience
How did you get into surveying? I worked at an engineering company that built hydroelectric dams and learned about surveying there.
Any associations and organisations you’d like to mention?
Colegio Ingenieros Topógrafos de Costa Rica
Asociación Panamericana de Profesionales de la Agrimensura y Topografía
FIG Young Surveyors
Why are you volunteering as a Brand Ambassador?
I am a mother and I have a vocation to work with children and young people. I am currently chair of the children’s and youth commission of the association to which I belong and the idea was born with the intention of awakening early vocations.
Why is Getting Kids into Survey important?
I carried out research work in Latin America and the data I obtained made me see that children are not showing interest in studying topography despite it being one of the professions with the best future prospects. I find that there is ignorance and that is why they do not access the university to study surveying
What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador? 
Through the work group that I lead in my country, I am scheduling visits to schools and colleges to bring the little ones closer to our profession.
What are your hobbies?
I like doing pilates, doing puzzles and taking care of plants.
Any GKiS character ideas?
We already have a character, it’s a mole.
Suggestions for more GKiS resources:
Coloring material, videos, anything helps.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I love this program and it was my motivation to carry out the working group in my country.

 

Ambassador Spotlight ‘Patrick Champion’

Welcoming our latest Brand Ambassador, Patrick Champion from the Memphis area of Tennessee USA! Let’s learn some more about him:

Where did you study? Currently enrolled at East Tennessee State University
What are the requirements to be a Surveyor in your area?
Minimum of a high school diploma/GED, eighteen (18) hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences and 10 years of progressive practical experience under the direction of a professional land surveyor.
How long have you been in the industry? Just over 20 years
How did you get into surveying? I took an AutoCAD class at a local trade school in Bakersfield, CA, and landed a job with a small surveying and engineering company. As I started to learn about the history and laws behind surveying, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the profession. The more I understood it, the more it captivated me.
Any associations and organisations you’d like to mention?
California Land Surveyors Association
Why are you volunteering as a Brand Ambassador?
The surveying profession is losing more people to retirement than we are bringing in. Public promotion of the profession is needed to help keep it alive. If we can expose kids to the profession and get them excited about surveying, we stand a better chance of keeping the profession alive.
Why is GKiS important?
Not only is it vital for the survival of the industry, but introducing kids to surveying can help to reinforce their education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador?
I would like to represent the program and profession at school job fairs and STEM events.
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy spending time with my family and dogs, traveling and doing photography.
GKiS character ideas?
I’d be a friendly, energetic, and determined-looking camel with a white hard hat adorned with a compass rose symbol, wearing a safety yellow surveyor’s vest with multiple pockets filled with things like a field book, and pencils. I’d also be wearing rugged boots and a tool belt.

I would be carrying a robotic total station on my back and have a UAV controller in my hooves with a mapping UAV hovering above to represent the technology we use in the profession.

Any ideas for more GKiS resources?
I think things like stickers, small toys or puzzles based on surveying instruments and maps and other fun items would be great to capture young kids’ attention and attract them to learn more behind the industry.

Character Spotlight ‘Kompass BMS’

Welcoming Kompass BMS to the Get Kids into Survey team! Brand sponsors of the ‘Surveying in Space’ poster, let’s learn some more about them:

1. Company Name –
Kompass BMS
2. Location –
We’re based in the bustling city of London, UK. It’s a long way from my cozy nest on the cliffs, but I’ve learned to love the city life. We’ve also spread our wings with many of our clients over in the US and Canada. Quite the jet-setters, aren’t we?
3. Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey?
At Kompass, we believe that curiosity is the first step to great discoveries. Just like how I love to explore the skies and seas, we want to inspire kids to explore the world of surveying. By getting involved with Get Kids into Survey, we can help kids see how exciting and fun surveying can be, using cool technology to map out the world around them. Plus, we need bright young minds to keep the industry thriving. Who knows, maybe one of them will map out the next big puffin colony!
4. What do you do?
Kompass BMS is a business management software system specially designed for surveying and geospatial professionals. It’s like having a treasure map that shows you where everything is and how to get things done efficiently. Our software includes an intuitive dashboard, a robust CRM, project mapping, crew scheduling, timesheets, expense reporting, and real-time visibility. All these features help companies streamline their operations, improve collaboration, and manage their projects smoothly.
5. How long have you been in the survey industry?
We’ve been soaring through the survey industry for 10 years now. That’s a whole decade of mapping, exploring, and innovating!
6. How did you end up getting into the geospatial industry?
Well, let me tell you, it wasn’t always about high-tech gadgets and software. Our founders started with a simple love for maps and the great outdoors. After studying geomatics and getting hands-on experience in the field, they realized there was a need for better tools to manage surveying operations. And thus, Kompass BMS was born, designed to make the lives of surveyors easier and more efficient.
7. State a funny fact about you…
Oh, let me tell you a funny story! Once, I was out exploring the coast when I stumbled upon a group of surveyors. They were scratching their heads, looking quite lost. They had all this fancy equipment but no idea where to go. Turns out, they didn’t have a good business management tool to keep track of their projects.
I waddled over and offered to help. “Follow me,” I said, and with my trusty compass (I wonder why I love it so much! 😉), I led them through the tricky terrain. We navigated cliffs, swooped over valleys, and even dodged a few seagulls! With my compass and some good old puffin navigation skills, we got them back on track.

By the end of the day, not only did they find their way, but they also discovered the importance of having the right tools for the job. They were so grateful; they even named a landmark after me – Pippa’s Point! It was a day to remember, full of laughs and newfound friendships.

8. Favourite piece of kit and why?
Our favourite piece of kit is, of course, a compass! (I wonder why 😉 ) Just like us puffins who are expert navigators, a compass helps surveyors find their way and keep on track. It’s a timeless tool that never goes out of style, providing direction and guidance no matter where you are.

9. Favourite Survey technique and why?
We’re big fans of terrestrial laser scanning. It’s highly accurate and incredibly versatile, perfect for both detailed historical documentation and large-scale construction surveys. The 3D models it produces are invaluable for planning and analysis, making it an essential tool in our toolkit.

10. Your website:
www.kompassbms.com
11. How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name?
Meet me, Pippa the Puffin! Puffins are known for being expert navigators, resilient, and community-oriented—just like us at Kompass BMS. I symbolize our adventurous spirit and our commitment to making complex processes simple and accessible. My curious nature and love for exploration are traits we hope to inspire in the next generation of surveyors. Plus, let’s be honest, who can resist my charming beak and colourful feathers?

Character Spotlight ‘OWN Inc’

Welcoming OWN Inc, who are one of the wonderful new sponsors of the upcoming Surveying in Space poster. Let’s learn some more about them:
Company Name – OWN, Inc.
Location – North Florida
Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey? 
Getting kids excited about the surveying profession aligns with our purpose of building futures for our team, our partners, and our communities by fostering a pipeline of future talent equipped with the skills and passion necessary for our industry’s growth.
What do you do? OWN, Inc. is an employee-owned engineering firm with core offerings of Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Land Surveying, and Field Services. Our talented team helps shape the built environment across the country from our offices in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Florida.
How long have you been in the survey industry? 70 years
State a funny fact about you… Our land surveyors are so dedicated, they’ve turned dodging angry geese, rogue lawn sprinklers, and the occasional 6-foot rattlesnake into an Olympic sport. We’re still waiting for the official gold medals to arrive.
Favorite piece of kit and why? A cloth tape is so underrated and is one of my most useful tools.
Favorite Survey technique and why? Retracement surveys are the most interesting and fun. As a surveyor and orangutan, I love being in the forests retracing the steps of our fathering surveyors. Reading through GLO notes and then finding an original monument is the most rewarding experience.
How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name? 
Ollie the OWNer, our beloved orangutan mascot, embodies the perfect blend of fun and professionalism that defines our surveyors at OWN. With his bright eyes and playful demeanor, Ollie reminds us that while we strive for excellence in our work, it’s equally important to enjoy the journey and maintain a positive, vibrant work environment. His curious spirit and love for exploration mirror our dedication to discovering new information and providing valuable insights for our clients, partners, and community.
Ollie’s presence encourages us to approach challenges with a light heart and an open mind, fostering creativity and innovation. He symbolizes our commitment to excellence in surveying while emphasizing the importance of joy and laughter in a productive workplace. With Ollie by our side, we are inspired to achieve great things and have fun along the way, ensuring that our work remains fulfilling and enjoyable.

GeoBusiness 2024

We are very grateful to the organisers at Geo Business that each year we are able to return to the Education section of the show.

 

Geo Business is the UK’s ‘unmissable geospatial event of the year’ with over 100 companies exhibiting and even more attending as visitors. This year the event was super connected to it’s neighbour show Digital Construction Week with visitors and exhibitors socialising between the two.

 

Erin and Sarah attended and were at the stand for the duration of the two day show, the first day being extremely busy with a queue for the majority of the day! It makes us so proud to realise how many people support our mission and share our values to inspire the future generation of geospatial experts.

 

Shoutout to our fabulous final sponsor of the Surveying in Space Poster 90 Degree who signed up on day 2 of the show 🥳 This means we are rapidly trying to finish off this poster ready to launch… coming this summer so keep your eyes peeled!

 

Moving forwards we have started recruiting for the next SERIES of posters

 

Plus there’s always lots going on to help expand our volunteer team of Brand Ambassadors. With the new Hub online thanks to Topcon, we are able to expand our collection of resources which help our brand ambassadors go out and do outreach. 

 

It was fantastic to see some of our incredible Brand Ambassadors at the show Grace Ngwenya, Chris Preston, James Gager and Jamie Stephens to name a few!

 

Lots of lovely people took Erin’s business card at the show, please do get in touch if you took one. There’s plenty going on in the world of GKiS and Erin can help explain the options to you.

 

If you are intrigued about anything GKiS related please just pop us an email and we can have a chat: erin@getkidsintosurvey.com

 

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