Put the date for next year's State of the Map conference in your diaries: July 12th-13th, 2008.

The location? Well, that's where you can help.

We have not yet settled on a location. It doesn't have to be in the UK again - but it could be. It doesn't have to be 'terra incognita' for OSM (not much mapping was done at Manchester) - but, again, it could be.

But here's what it does need to have:

• Enthusiastic local OSMers who can help organise it, and who have good contacts with potential venue. Manchester worked so well because there were people on the ground prepared to put the hours in.
  
• Good transport links. We want to encourage at least as good a turn-out as this year, hopefully better.
  
• A site equally suitable for learning, discussing and socialising.
  
• A technology-aware venue - obviously, we need projectors, Internet connectivity, etc.
  

Like everything else in OSM, this is a call for volunteers - but the OpenStreetMap Foundation will, of course, pay reasonable expenses involved in arranging the venue. If you're prepared to help OSM by putting the time in, you won't be out of pocket.

SOTM 2007 was a huge success. Let's make 2008 better still.

(Please feel free to circulate this to your national mailing list if you'd like to host SOTM in your country.)

Richard
on behalf of the OpenStreetMap Foundation