From that point forward, ForestSAT conferences were held every two years at locations around the world. For over a decade, an informal group of colleagues and volunteer hosts carried the ForestSAT torch, sustaining a conference that steadily grew in size, scope, and global reach. The meetings embraced emerging spatial technologies, showcased advances in remote sensing, and broadened their audience well beyond the originally European base.

By 2014, it had become clear that the expanding ForestSAT community would benefit from a formal organizational structure to ensure continuity, maintain the high quality of the biennial conferences, and support new initiatives. In 2015, the Association for Forest Spatial Analysis Technologies (ForestSAT) was formally established, with an organizational constitution adopted that December.

To date, ten international ForestSAT conferences have been held on four continents, with participation increasing at every edition. While the early conferences were held in Europe, ForestSAT 2012 and 2018 were staged in the USA (Corvallis and Maryland) and the 2016 conference took place in Santiago, Chile. ForestSAT has a policy of rotating the conference location between continents. Hence, the tenth conference was held in Rotorua, New Zealand, from 9–13 September 2024, the next will take place in Gainesville, Florida, in May 2026. The 2028 conference will be held in Europe.

Reflecting on ForestSAT’s origins and evolution, Juan Suárez—host of the inaugural meeting and Chair of the ForestSAT Board of Directors from 2015 to 2022—explained:

“ForestSAT was conceived as a meeting point for developers, foresters, academics, and industry representatives. The name ForestSAT refers to Spatial Application (later Analysis) Technologies in Forestry. The original concept sought to integrate all forms of remote sensing and spatial technologies across diverse forestry applications. This encompassed not only remote sensing but also spatial information technologies, with the aim of bridging the gap between data derived from various sensors and its incorporation into decision-support systems. We aspired to showcase new scientific developments and tools, as well as successful examples of remote sensing being embedded within organisational workflows. The overarching goal was to create a shared platform for exploring synergies and the vast potential offered by emerging technologies in forest management.”