Gary Gale introduces What3Words, a global addressing system that assigns a unique three word address to every 3m x 3m square on Earth. The summary describes how three word addresses can provide addresses for the 4 billion people who currently lack adequate addressing systems and help deliver services in developing communities. It also outlines how What3Words is being used by organizations like the UN and festivals to accurately pinpoint locations globally using a simple three word address.

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GARY GALE
CTO WHAT3WORDS
MAPS ALONE ARE NOT ENOUGH
WhereCamp
BERLIN, DE
52.54548,13.35217
http://w3w.co/mushroom.shadows.afford

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Thomas Skowron | CC BY | www.flickr.com/photos/thomersch/14424740131/
HELLO, I’M GARY

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Thomas Skowron | CC BY | www.flickr.com/photos/thomersch/14424740131/
HELLO, I’M GARY@VICCHI

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Thomas Skowron | CC BY | www.flickr.com/photos/thomersch/14424740131/
HELLO, I’M GARY@VICCHIWWW.VICCHI.ORG

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Kattigara | CC BY-SA | http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lennox_Globe,_by_B.F._Da_Costa.png
HIC SUNT DRACONES

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12. THE WORLD IS POORLY ADDRESSED
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KATE CHAPMAN | CC-BY | www.flickr.com/photos/35700286@N03/4899295938

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An address will start with, or at least include a building
number

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ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, COVENT GARDEN,
LONDON, WC2E 9DD, UNITED KINGDOM

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No buildings are numbered zero

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FUNMILAYO | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/94688236@N08/9021558258/
0 EGMONT ROAD, MIDDLESBROUGH, TS4 2HT

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OK, but they won’t have negative numbers

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FUNMILAYO | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/94688236@N08/9021558258/
-1 PRIORY ROAD, NEWBURY, RG14 7QS

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But the building number will only be used once per street

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FUNMILAYO | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/94688236@N08/9021558258/
50 AMMANFORD ROAD, TYCROES,
AMMANFORD, SA18 3QJ
50 AMMANFORD ROAD, LLANDYBIE,
AMMANFORD, SA18 3YF

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But there’ll only be one number in the address, surely?

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FUNMILAYO | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/94688236@N08/9021558258/
5/F, CITYPLAZA 3, 14 TAIKOO WAN ROAD,
ISLAND EAST, HKSAR

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Aha! But there’ll be a road name!

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FUNMILAYO | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/94688236@N08/9021558258/
2 MI N THEN 3 MI W OF JENNINGS, OK 74038

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FUNMILAYO | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/94688236@N08/9021558258/
WWW.MJT.ME.UK/POSTS/FALSEHOODS-PROGRAMMERS-BELIEVE-ABOUT-ADDRESSES/

27. 75% OF THE WORLD HAS INADEQUATE,
POOR OR NO ADDRESSING SYSTEMS
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28. 4 BILLION PEOPLE DON’T HAVE AN ADDRESS
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25° 9’ 40.918” S
18° 59’ 2.824” E

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37. “EVEN IN ONE OF THE BEST ADDRESS SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD, IN THE UK,
RESEARCH HAS SUGGESTED THAT A 1% IMPROVEMENT IN THE GOVERNMENT’S
OWN ADDRESS DATA WOULD BRING A EUR 25BN REDUCTION IN COSTS.”
JAMES CARTLEDGE
POST&PARCEL
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38. ‘...ONLY ABOUT 50 OR 60 [COUNTRIES] HAVE POSTAL CODE OR ADDRESS
DATABASES WHICH ARE KEPT REASONABLY CURRENT...’ .
‘IN THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, [ADDRESS VERIFICATION] MAY ONLY
MEAN THAT THE CITY OR TOWN EXISTS.’
“ADDRESSING THE WORLD: AN ADDRESS FOR EVERYONE”
UPU (UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION)
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39. “THE ADDRESS DATA IS REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING THING
TO WORK ON [RIGHT NOW].”
”FOR THE LOVE OF OPEN MAPPING DATA”
STEVE COAST (FOUNDER OF OPENSTREETMAP), IN TECHCRUNCH 2014
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40. POOR ADDRESSING IS EXPENSIVE AND FRUSTRATING IN THE
DEVELOPED WORLD…
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41. …AND COSTS LIVES & LIMITS GROWTH IN DEVELOPING ONES
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42. THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF EVERYONE COULD
EASILY TALK ABOUT THE LOCATION OF EVERY PART OF IT
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YOU CAN. IT’S CALLED WHAT3WORDS

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NASA | CC-BY | www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/6049973495/

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RHINO NEAL | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/rhinoneal/7001216349/

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DORAN | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/dopey/7989387542/

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DORAN | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/dopey/7989387542/

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DORAN | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/dopey/7989387542/
INDEX.HOME.RAFT

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DORAN | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/dopey/7989387542/

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DORAN | CC-BY-NC-ND | www.flickr.com/photos/dopey/7989387542/
MUSHROOM.SHADOWS.AFFORD

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WHAT3WORDS IS A GLOBAL ADDRESS SYSTEM

52. BECAUSE WORDS BEAT NUMBERS FOR COMMUNICATION
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53. BECAUSE WORDS WORK EVERYWHERE
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54. BECAUSE WORDS MEAN YOU CAN SPOT ERRORS
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55. BECAUSE WORDS ALLOW INTELLIGENT DISTRIBUTION
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56. BECAUSE LANGUAGE EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES
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57. A COMMON COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE
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BEING USED IN THE SLUMS TO DELIVER LIGHT
w3w.co/pollinate-energy

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BEING USED IN RURAL AFRICA TO ERADICATE MOSQUITOS
w3w.co/in2care

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3 WORD ADDRESSES BEING USED IN THE FAVELAS
w3w.co/favela70
BEING USED IN THE FAVELAS TO DELIVER PACKAGES
w3w.co/carteiro-amigo

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BEING USED IN THE TOWNSHIPS TO DELIVER MEDICINES
w3w.co/iyeza-express

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BEING USED BY THE UN TO REPORT DISASTERS
w3w.co/un-asign

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FESTIVALS, RUNS, CHALETS, SCAVENGER HUNTS

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BARS, HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
w3w.co/hedonists-guide

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USED TO DOCUMENT 1 MILLION+ ARCHEOLOGICAL FINDS
w3w.co/british-museum

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WINNER - MOST
INNOVATIVE APP 2015
WINNER - INNOVATION GRAND PRIX
WINNER - LAUREATE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
WINNER - BT INGENIOUS AWARD
NATIONAL NOMINEE & SHORTLISTED WINNER - LONDON INNOVATOR
MULTI-AWARD WINNING IDEA
FINALIST
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
FINALIST

76. A 3 WORD ADDRESS MEANS

81. EVERYONE & EVERYWHERE NOW HAS A SIMPLE ADDRESS

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ON THE WEB AND ON MOBILE
w3w.co/map w3w.co/ios w3w.co/android

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Gary Gale
CTO
gary@what3words.com
+44 79670 47979
what3words.com
index.home.raft
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find your 3 word address at w3w.co/map
Giles Rhys Jones
Marketing Director
giles@what3words.com
+447748 653352
w3w.co/index.home.raft
what3words.com
. .
Giles Rhys Jones
Marketing Director
giles@what3words.com
+447748 653352
w3w.co/index.home.raft
what3words.com
.. ..