European Satellite Day 2012: Mayday! A day without satellites

The inaugural European Satellite Day 2012: Mayday! - A Day without Satellites will take place on 27th September at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels under the patronage of Antonio Tajani, Member of the European Commission.

The event will be organized by Forum Europe and co-hosted by the European Satellite Operators' Association, the European Space Agency (ESA), Secure World Foundation, EUMETSAT, Committee of the Regions, NEREUS, and Télécoms Sans Frontières in partnership with The European People's Party (EPP), Eurospace, European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) and Galileo.

Participation is free of charge, but with limited places available and interest expected to be extremely high, we advise you to register now (http://www.eu-ems.com/register.asp?event_id=125) to confirm your place.

Bringing together top-level speakers, and also offering an exhibition and live demonstration area, the inaugural European Satellite Day 2012 has the theme of Mayday! - A Day without Satellites, and will provide attendees with the opportunity to experience first hand the many innovative and vital roles that satellites play in the everyday lives of EU citizens everywhere.

By sharing critical satellite applications and putting them in the context of key policy objectives linked to the EU 2020 strategy, the event will highlight the ever growing dependence that Europe has on this invisible infrastructure, and highlight the disastrous impact that would be had if ever we had the misfortune to experience just one day without satellites.

Some of the fundamental applications and uses of satellites that will be showcased include:

• The importance of global information availability through media broadcasting anytime anywhere
• The reliance on weather forecasting and the longer term understanding of climate change thanks to meteorological satellites
• The criticality of satellite communications when disaster strikes to support emergency response and relief efforts when terrestrial systems are destroyed or overloaded
• The vital role that satellite plays in synchronising power grids and financial markets worldwide
• The indispensable communications ability delivered by satellite for ships on the high seas & for secure communications
• Delivering equal access to services and opportunities through satellite broadband in remote / difficult to reach regions
• The positive impact that satellites are making on communications in developing nations

This high-level conference and exhibition will be followed by an EPP hearing on "Communication & Monitoring Capabilities in Disaster Management" hosted in the European Parliament by MEP Elisabetta Gardini (more information on this will be available shortly).

For more information click here ( http://www.eu-ems.com/summary.asp?event_id=125&page_id=1002) or contact Anne-Lise Simon on anne-lise.simon@forum-europe.com or +44 (0) 2920 783 023.