Vancouver, Canada will provide the inspiring backdrop to the 14th International CARIS User Conference taking place from June 25th to 28th, 2012. Canada's proclaimed "Gateway to the Pacific" famously hosted thousands of athletes and visitors from around the world as the host city for the Winter Olympics in 2010, and will now be offering a friendly welcome to CARIS' international user community.

The modern skyline of Vancouver would be unrecognisable to Captain George Vancouver who surveyed the harbour in June 1792. From Captain Vancouver's flagship, HMS Discovery, he was able to survey the coast with such accuracy that his charts were still being used as an effective means of navigation more than a century later. The image of Captain Vancouver has been incorporated into the logo for CARIS 2012 and he is also the inspiration for the conference's theme Exploration and Discovery.

The four-day event will include demonstrations, presentations, a poster session, an industry exhibition, user group meetings and a number of networking events. The user group meetings are a major focus and will enable users of HIPS and SIPS, Bathy DataBASE and HPD to share their insights with CARIS product managers and help steer the future direction of the software.

The Conference will also include a two-day HIPS and SIPS "Boot Camp". The Boot Camp is aimed at new users of the leading hydrographic data processing software, and will provide industry best practices along with tips and tricks to ensure users get the most from their software.

Andrew Hoggarth, marketing and sales manager at CARIS, said: "Vancouver will provide our users with a dynamic and stimulating environment to share experiences and knowledge of CARIS software. The fact that the city is named after one of history's great hydrographers is a real bonus. I feel sure that CARIS 2012 will be the largest conference to date and the team here at CARIS can't wait to offer everybody a friendly Canadian welcome."

For more information on the CARIS International User Conference in Vancouver, please visit: www.caris.com/caris2012/