March | 2025 | OpenStreetMap Blog

Whether you’re passionate about maps, data, or shaping the future of OpenStreetMap (OSM), the community is always looking for your inspiring ideas! Why not sharing them during State of the Map 2025

The call for participation of SotM 2025, taking place in Manila, Philippines, on October 3 – 5, is now open! The programme committee is ready and waiting, eager to unwrap your submissions for talks, workshops, and panels. These sessions aren’t just part of the conference; they’re its beating heart, driving conversations and sparking ideas that resonate worldwide. Presenting your work, projects and ideas at SotM is also a great way to get in touch with the wider OSM community.

Tracks

Sessions can be submitted for the following tracks:

OSM Basics – Information dedicated to newcomers
Community and Foundation – Bringing people together, working group experiences, strategies & vision
Mapping – All about making the mapping easier and better
Cartography – Your ideas on how to create good-looking presentations of the OSM dataset
Software Development – Software for processing and editing data
Data Analysis & Data Model – Reflections about the OSM data, its model and analysis of quality and completeness
User Experiences – Stories of using OSM and its data as a user
Education – How you use OSM in an educational context

If your submission doesn’t seem to fit into one of these tracks, don’t worry – as long as it is clearly related to OpenStreetMap, you’re perfectly fine if you simply choose the track that feels to fit best.

Academic Track at SotM 2025

In addition to this general call for participation, there will again be a proper academic track with a separate CfP, which will be announced later. So, if you’re knee-deep in the captivating world of OpenStreetMap, stay tuned for the official call: The working group is eagerly awaiting the most riveting insights and groundbreaking results from your studies. Get your research hats on, gather your data, and prepare to submit the best of your studies.

Timeline and Deadlines

18 May 2025 23:59:59 UTC: Deadline talk, workshop and panel submissions
End of June 2025: End of review phase, speakers will be informed, schedule published
July 2025: Talk video production (test video and final video)
3-5 October 2025: State of the Map

For more information on the above track categories, submission requirements and rating criteria, please visit the complete call for participation and the submission guidelines on the SotM website and then submit your session on Pretalx using our submission form!

Stay tuned for more news about the State of the Map 2025! See you later this year in Manila, Philippines, and online!

The State of the Map Working Group

Do you want to translate this and other blogposts in your language…? Please email communication@osmfoundation.org with subject: Helping with translations in [your language]

The State of the Map conference is the annual, international conference of OpenStreetMap, organised by the OpenStreetMap Foundation. The OpenStreetMap Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, formed to support the OpenStreetMap Project. It is dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free geospatial data for anyone to use and share. The OpenStreetMap Foundation owns and maintains the infrastructure of the OpenStreetMap project, is financially supported by membership fees and donations, and organises the annual, international State of the Map conference. Our volunteer Working Groups and small core staff work to support the OpenStreetMap project. Join the OpenStreetMap Foundation for just £15 a year or for free if you are an active OpenStreetMap contributor.

OpenStreetMap was founded in 2004 and is an international project to create a free map of the world. To do so, we, thousands of volunteers, collect data about roads, railways, rivers, forests, buildings and a lot more worldwide. Our map data can be downloaded for free by everyone and used for any purpose – including commercial usage. It is possible to produce your own maps which highlight certain features, to calculate routes etc. OpenStreetMap is increasingly used when one needs maps which can be very quickly, or easily, updated.

The Philippines is made up of more than 7,000 islands, and there are more than 7,000 reasons to love it! We are delighted to share that the State of the Map global conference will be coming to Manila, Philippines, from 3 to 5 October 2025. This is a historic moment for Southeast Asia as this will be the first global SotM in the region.

The OSM Philippines community warmly invites passionate OSM contributors—mappers, data enthusiasts, developers, and community organizers and members from all around the world—to celebrate the spirit of collaboration and open mapping, look back to where we came from, look closely at where we are now, and look forward to where we would like to be next.

Following the positive feedback for the past two conferences post-pandemic, the upcoming State of the Map 2025 will once again be held in a hybrid format. We are committed to making SotM even more inclusive and accessible, bringing in new voices and new faces, to participate in this open mapping festivity.

Save the date! Stay tuned via our website, 2025.stateofthemap.org, for more updates on speakers, agenda, ticketing, and how to get involved as the event draws closer. Let’s gather our ideas, pack our maps, and gear up for a one-of-a-kind mappy experience at State of the Map 2025 in Manila!

Interested in sponsoring SotM 2025?

We invite you to become a valued partner in the mapping revolution by supporting the State of the Map 2025 conference! By collaborating with us, you will be contributing to the advancement of open data, community engagement, and mapping innovation. Your support will play a crucial role in shaping the future of OpenStreetMap and will provide your organization with unparalleled exposure within the global mapping community.

To learn more about sponsorship packages, please see our Sponsorship Prospectus.

For further information or to discuss customized sponsorship packages, please contact our sponsorship team at sponsor-sotm [at] openstreetmap [dot] org.

Announcing our SotM 2025 Logo

We would like to thank everyone who took part in the SotM 2025 Call for Logo! We received more than 15 proposals from creative contributors from all over the world!

…however, only one design will be the new face of this year’s conference!

Congratulations to Andi Muhlis for submitting the winning logo inspired by the iconic jeepney of Manila, which embodies the vibrant spirit and creativity of the Philippines.

The logo features a stylized jeepney, paying homage to local cultural heritage. A detailed segment of the Manila map is also prominently displayed, symbolizing our commitment to the global mapping community. The design seamlessly integrates traditional and modern elements, reflecting Manila’s unique character.

OpenStreetMap Philippines Local Organizing Team for SotM 2025 and the SotM Working Group