These events have been an effort to bring together, and keep talking, different groups of people who have a strong interest in getting state-collected geographic data into the public domain: people writing open-source Geographic Information Systems software; people trying to make freely accessible and re-usable maps by collecting GPS tracks, byproducts of different travelling activities, from thousands of different enthusiasts over the internet; and people working as information policy researchers and government advisors, who believe in broadening opportunity by offering public access to geodata.
The World Summit on Free Information Infrastructures in London had an Open Geodata track and panel session on 2nd October 2005.
The Public Access to Maps/Data morning at the Society of Cartographers Summer School, 6th-8th Sept 2005 featured two presentation and panel sessions, including several UK open mapping projects.
The Open Knowledge Forum on Open Geodata happened in London on April 14th 2005.