On Wednesday, January 17th, we had our first GSF Field Trip of 2018. Our host for this outing was Strategic Partner BAE Systems, specifically their Geospatial eXploitation Products.
This was a multi-faceted Field Trip. Not only did attendees receive a workshop on the various GXP products, but they also received a behind-the-scenes tour of the Amalie Arena…home of the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team.
This Field Trip brought in over 25 attendees, including representatives from five GSF Corporate Partners and Liaison Officers from eight Partner Nations. As the attendees entered the Arena’s exclusive Chase Club in groups, they were excited to see some action on the ice below. The Lightning–currently the top ranked team in the Atlantic Division–were having a rare practice at the Amalie Arena!
The Field Trip coinciding with the practice–which we wish we could take credit for, but was just pure luck–worked out extremely well, providing an entertaining backdrop while our attendees did some networking.
After everyone arrived, we were taken on a cool tour of the Arena, during which we learned about the building’s history, its recent upgrades, and some of its future plans. We also had the opportunity to get down to ice-level to watch the Lightning practice, see a few other exclusive clubs, and even briefly meet the CEO of the Arena.
Because no GSF event comes without food, we went back to the Chase Club to eat a tasty lunch of sandwiches, salads, and a delicious tray of brownies.
Then came the reason for the season–a workshop on BAE Systems’ Geospatial eXploitation Products. We were fortunate enough to have the expertise from three BAE representatives in the house, and naturally Stu stepped in to provide insights on operational applications wherever he could.
After a quick briefing, the GXP team pulled up their actual systems for the workshop, which allowed for interactive question and demonstrated answers. The crowd was very engaged, asking about various scenarios to understand how the systems could be applied to their work and/or home nation.
Key takeaways from the workshop include:
BAE is worldwide–”We can be where you need us to be.”- GXP tools can be added to your existing systems, and each GXP product is part of a suite that can help you analyze and visualize any amount of data
- Products are mobile friendly and can be sent to team members’ mobile systems that are in austere or low-bandwidth environments
- It’s “Stu-Proof”–meaning you don’t need to be tech-savvy or highly trained to use these tools
The Field Trip went at least 30 minutes over schedule due to the interest and amount of questions from the audience–so we’d say it was a successful event.
Thank you to BAE Systems and the Amalie Arena for putting on yet another awesome GSF Field Trip!
Learn more about GXP Products.
Learn more about The Amalie Arena.
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