Members have met like minded people and learned more about maps through individual lectures, a symposium, or visiting a map collection. They have widened their historical, political and geographical knowledge through the stories which a map can tell.
We have held map events in many cities throughout the world. Here are some examples.
| Year | International Symposium | Visits – UK and Europe |
| 2022 | Sydney and Texas | Hereford |
| 2021 | Brussels | [Postponed for pandemic] |
| 2020 | [Postponed for pandemic] | [Postponed for pandemic] |
| 2019 | Did not take place | Oxford |
| 2018 | Manila and Hong Kong | Cambridge |
| 2017 | Hamburg, Germany | Manchester |
| 2016 | Chicago, USA | Durham |
| 2015 | Cape Town, South Africa | Perth |
| 2014 | Seoul, South Korea | Norwich |
| 2012 | Vienna, Austria | Canterbury |
| 2011 | Malta | |
| 2010 | London, UK | Hatfield |
| 2008 | Wellington, New Zealand | Budapest |
| 2007 | Guatemala | Rotterdam |
| 2005/6 | Denver, USA | UK Hydrographic Office, Taunton |
| 2004 | Modena, Verona & Florence, Italy | London |
| 2003 | Nicosia, Cyprus | Liverpool |
| 2002 | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | Holkham Hall, Norfolk |
| 2001 | Chicago & Milwaukie, USA | British Library, London |
| 2000 | Rekjavik, Iceland | |
International Symposium
A Symposium lasts three days and has a theme relating to the host country. The format is one of lectures in the morning and a visit to an important map collection in the afternoon. One of the benefits of this event is the opportunity to see some of the most important maps in the world with experts giving us the most pertinent information about why the map was made, why it is important and so on. We often see material not normally available for public viewing and the back story is often fascinating! Here are a selection from previous events.
| In 2004 IMCoS held its International Symposium in Modena, Verona and Florence. In the Estense Library in Modena is one of Italy’s most famous maps – the Cantino planosphere. |  |
Closer to home, as part of the London International Symposium, we visited HM The Queen’s collection of maps
at Windsor Castle. This was part of the Symposium’s theme ‘Power and Influence in the 18th Century’.
In 2001 at the Newberry Library in Chicago we toured the exhibit ‘Cartographic Treasures of the Newberry Library’ which included the most important material relating to the establishment of the US as an independent nation.
 | The thirst for cartographic knowledge has led keen travellers to visit Asia where the cartographic tradition is less well know in the US and Europe. Our Symposium in Tokyo in 1998 was attended by those eager to learn something entirely new and experience a culture which they otherwise might not have visited on their own. |
Regional Visits
| Within Europe many cities have played host to short weekend IMCoS visits to see interesting cartographic material in the company of friends. This may be inititated as a result of a Map Exhibition being mounted locally either by a public body or a private collector. In 2000 we visited Santiago del Compostela for an exhibition of maps of Spain initiated by one of our Spanish members together with a prominent Spanish map dealer. |  |
In 2003 we visited the Athenaeum and the City Record Office in Liverpool to learn of the history of this once famous port as recorded through maps.
