
2D Is Against My Religion with Michal Gula
Why INTERGEO Still Wins in the AI Era w/ Olaf Freier
INTERGEO, geospatial AI and reality capture are reshaping surveying, digital twins, BIM and the economics of technical trade shows. Olaf Freier joins Michael to explain how GPS, GIS, drones, SLAM and AI compressed decades of innovation into year-by-year disruption—and why face-to-face trust matters more as digital information becomes easier to generate and harder to verify.They break down the exhibitor mistakes that destroy trade show ROI: treating attendance as the strategy, choosing booth space without considering traffic, leaving directory profiles empty, and arriving without measurable goals for leads, brand awareness, product visibility or thought leadership. Olaf also explains why events remain powerful for comparing scanners, support ecosystems and real workflows—not just specifications.The conversation covers Olaf’s move from satellite surveying to organizing INTERGEO, the rise of AI-powered reality capture, scanning restrictions around critical infrastructure, show-floor stories, networking, startup visibility, workflow automation, the Application Dome, the Reality Capturing Hub, and the hands-on experience park planned for Munich.For geospatial companies, surveyors, reality-capture teams and exhibitors, this episode is a practical guide to choosing technology, building trust and getting measurable value from major industry gatherings.00:00:00 Intro00:00:43 Warm-up00:03:05 From survey engineer to INTERGEO organizer00:08:02 Early exhibitor lessons and event logistics00:15:25 GPS, GIS and AI: three industry shifts00:20:44 Drones, SLAM and faster innovation cycles00:23:20 The biggest exhibitor mistakes00:29:51 Setting goals for trade show ROI00:34:30 Startups, market leaders and shared KPIs00:37:39 How small booths win attention00:42:24 Organizer-exhibitor collaboration00:44:18 Why trade shows matter in the AI era00:48:26 New leads, market research and trust00:52:03 INTERGEO stories and show-floor chaos00:55:45 Scanning rules and critical infrastructure00:58:39 Why visitors should attend INTERGEO01:02:50 Comparing scanners, brands and support01:07:52 Networking, digital twins and BIM01:10:49 From product demos to business outcomes01:14:42 Reality Capturing Hub and experience park01:17:29 Exhibitors, visitors and event scale01:20:12 Last-minute exhibitor packages01:22:22 Competitor placement and booth politics01:26:08 What excites Olaf about geospatial’s future01:29:17 3DISE partnership and final invitation

