Welcome to GeoCart'2026

Nau mai, haere mai! GeoCart'2026, Aotearoa New Zealand's 12th National Cartographic Conference, will convene from 26-28 August at the Te Aro campus of Victoria University of Wellington.

GeoCart'2026 aims to bring together a wide cross-section of professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts engaged in cartography, map curatorship and research, geovisualisation, and GIScience. Participants will hear about the latest developments and research, learn about current and upcoming projects and products, network with their counterparts in the greater community, and develop a deeper understanding of cartography and mapping.

We warmly invite you to join us in Wellington for this exciting and inspiring event!  Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

You are invited to submit abstracts for professional or research presentations of up to 1,500 words on any topic in cartography, map curatorship, history of cartography or exploration, geovisualisation, GIScience, or other related disciplines.

Each abstract must be submitted towards an oral or poster presentation stream. Each will be reviewed by a member of the Programme Committee from an appropriate field and background. All accepted submissions will be published in the Conference Proceedings. See the Author Guidelines for further details. Please be aware some oral presentatons may be offered an alternative poster presentation instead.

If an abstract is accepted, one of the following will apply, depending on the results of the review:

• Accepted for oral presentation at the conference and included in the conference Proceedings
• Accepted for poster presentation at the conference and included in the conference Proceedings

Principal authors of accepted abstracts are eligible for a 10% discount on the conference registration fee.

The New Zealand Cartographic Society / Te Rōpū Tuhi Whenua o Aotearoa invites you to submit an entry to the National Map Exhibition 2026. Entries in this competition will be displayed and judged at Geocart'2026 where a panel of judges will decide on how successfully a map delivers on its stated purpose, taking into account its design, execution and presentation.

Subject to the number and quality of entries received, a winner will be announced for each of two categories: Printed Map Product and Digital Map Product. Additional prizes will be awarded at the judges’ discretion. All entries from New Zealand domiciled cartographers will be eligible for selection to represent New Zealand at the 2027 ICA International Cartographic Exhibition in Vancouver, Canada.

Entries may be submitted by any individual or organisation and there is no limit on the number of submissions. Entries must be original products, in their finished state, and first produced/published after 30 June 2024.

All GeoCart'2026 sessions and breaks will be held at Victoria University of Wellington's Te Aro campus in Te Aro, Wellington (139 Vivian Street). The Ice Breaker reception will be at Southern Cross Garden Bar (39 Abel Smith Street) and the Gala Dinner venue will be announced soon.

GeoCart'2026 will feature a two-day pre-conference Map Design Workshop facilitated by Esri cartographer and customer experience designer, John Nelson. Attendees of both the workshop and conference receive a $50 conference registration discount.

24-25 August | 139 Vivian Street (room to be announced)

This workshop will explore techniques for terrain visualization, feature symbology, and layout composition...with a focus on the fun of it all!

Using ArcGIS Pro, attendees will learn to apply these methods to create a map while examining the reasoning behind our design choices and how they translate to other projects. These ideas will then be extended into the interactive environment of ArcGIS Online, focusing on multi-scale cartography, clear information hierarchies, and compelling storytelling.

Although ArcGIS serves as the platform, the goal is to emphasize principles that apply broadly across cartography. Throughout the session, demonstrations and visual examples will keep things practical, varied, and engaging.

• Shannon McColley - Director
• Mairéad de Róiste
• Rosey Harris
• Tony Moore
• Robin Skinner
• Melissa West
  

A special thank you to our sponsors: