Located in the middle of product area of the Esri Showcase in Hall B, the ArcGIS Product Info Center is your one stop for info. Need to know when a certain product engineer will be speaking? Check. Want the latest DVD demos and brochures? You got it. The product, marketing, and sales staff operating the island will even lead you through the countless booths, workstations, and demo theaters to find the exact person you’re looking for. And if they can’t answer your question, they’ll find someone who can.

So if you’re trying to learn more about that product you just saw or you’re just looking for some great recommendations about people to see or places to eat, swing by the ArcGIS Product Info Center.

After a popular debut last year, speedgeeking will be even speedier and geekier in 2013.

• Esri UC Hackathon—Join with your fellow geogeeks to design and develop apps centered around specific problems in San Diego. We’ll bring the tools and the data (and prizes!); you bring your energy and ideas.
• Developer’s Sandbox—Test-drive the latest ArcGIS APIs and SDKs on your favorite development platforms and environments. You’ll be able to bounce ideas off Esri’s experts and work with other devs on a variety of exercises.
• Speedgeeking—What’s the best way to experience 10 high-energy lightning talks? As fast as possible! Rotate from presenter to presenter every few minutes. Topics range from mobile and online apps to design and user interaction tips.
• User Experience (UX) Summit—There’s more to creating a great app than just an innovative idea and slick functionality. Get tips from our own developers and engineers about information architecture, interaction, user experience, and a “people first” approach to design.
• UC Dev Meet Up—The popular Dev Meet Up format finally makes it to UC! Esri staff and devs just like you will share their experiences and stories at this fun and informal get together.

July will be here before you know it. See if you qualify for a complimentary pass and register today.

There’s a lot to digest in this year’s agenda (don’t forget to check out the popular 30-minute tech workshops, but here are some of the hot topics that you’ll definitely want to investigate during the week.

• Big Data—See how ArcGIS helps you make sense of the flood of data available to your organization.
• Location Analytics—Add the power of geo to your existing BI systems to discover new trends and insights.
• Developer Tools—Explore the breadth of tools and samples available to help you add powerful mapping, routing, and analysis capabilities to your apps.
• ArcGIS 10.2—Find out how the newest release of ArcGIS will help you work smarter.

Are you ready to take advantage of the ArcGIS platform? See if you qualify for complimentary passes and register today to start making your plans for the 2013 UC.

3D GIS: Utilizing LIDAR in GIS Operations and Planning Using ArcGIS

• 3D Landscape Construction with High Resolution Imageries and LIDAR Data—Weimin Li, Cal Poly Pomona
• 3D GIS for Site Feasibility Study in Hong Kong Housing Authority—Winnie Shiu (Hong Kong Housing Authority)
• Appalachian Region Solar Panel Researching Using Dense Airborne LIDAR Data—Adam Riley, WVU Natural Resource Analysis Center
• Different Applications of LIDAR Data – US Army Europe—Joshua Bridges, USAREUR ITAM GIS

Accessibility, Livability, Demographics and GIS:  Effective Transit Planning

• Developing Location Based Parking Services for Park and Ride Users—Jianhong Xia, Curtin University
• LYNX GIS Strategic Plan: Roadmap for the Next Decade—Douglas Lynch, TranSystems
• Optimising Transport Choice in a Complex World—Steve Abley, Abley Transportation Consultants
• The Accessibility Paradox or How to Analyze Accessibility for Sweden—Florian Stamm, Trafikanalys

Citizen Science and Mobile GIS

• Citizen Science and Mobile GIS to Improve Homeless Counts—Kevin Remington, University of South Carolina
• Using GIS as a Platform for Community Geography—Jack Reed, Georgia State University

Communicating with Executives Using Location Analytics

• Assessing Low & Moderate Income Markets in Banking—Elio Spinello, RPM Consulting
• Educating Insurance Departments with Maps—Douglas Wing, ISO
• Predictive Trade Area Development & Analysis—Makism Sobkin, Capital One

Earthquakes, Tornadoes, and Snowfall – Oh My!

• Earthquake Damage Estimation System and Its Application to Initial Response—Byeongpyo Jeong, NICT
• GIS Modeling Natural Disasters with Operational Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale—Daniel Shands, Grassfield High School
• GIS to the Rescue: Tornadic Event in Northern Kentucky—Trisha Brush, NKAPC

Enterprise GIS for Highway Agencies

• A GIS-Centric Approach for Tracking and Reporting Major Capital Programs—Kurt Lebo, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority
• AGO; Bringing the Organization to the Public with “Easy-Button” Apps—James Mitchell, Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development
• Creating a Database Suitable for Multimodal Route Planning—Thomas Norlin, The Swedish Road Administration
• DDOT TIES (Transportation Integrated Enterprise Solution)—José Colón, District Department of Transportation

Environmental Management – Invasive Species

• Efficient Data Collection and Database Management System for Invasive Control—Yi-Chin Fang, Irvine Ranch Conservancy
• Invasive Sahara Mustard Weed Habitat Toolset—Violent Cullors, University of Redlands
• Our Mission Is to Eradicate Bovine TB from New Zealand—Kelly Beuth, AHB

Following the Right Path to Web GIS

• Good GIS Shows Good Design; Bad GIS Shows Off Itself—David Ziff, Bexar County GIS
• Not Another Password! Creating a Custom Provider for AGS—Katherine O’Brien, UNC at Chapel Hill
• Searching for the Perfect Web Map – Does Yours Measure Up?—David Blumberg, US Navy

Getting Information into the Hands of Your Customers

• Data Discovery and Open Data, Made Easy with Voyager—Duncan Rowe, York Region
• Extending the Reach of GIS with ArcGIS Online—Ryan Latimer, Metro Nashville Public School District
• Ride the Trail, Tell the Story—Leslie Kehmeier, International Mountain Bicycling Association

GIS as a Platform for Smart Grid

• An Architectural Framework for Using GIS as the Smart Grid Platform—Jesper Vinther Christensen, Informi GIS
• GIS Accuracy Required for Smart Grid Success—Brian Lindsay, Alabama Power Company
• Improving Deployment Efficiency through Applied Location Analytics—Faye Hall, Black & Veatch

Excited about what’s in store? Ann Mayo-Kiely from Alaska Geographic explains why you need be at UC:

“This is an incredible gathering of innovative thinkers, with opportunities to connect with and build collaborations with people that otherwise might not realize their collaborative potential. People from urban planning, conservation, science, and education fields connected and shared ideas about how their technology and innovating use of GIS may cross disciplines in unexpected ways.”

Don’t miss your chance to hear first-hand how your peers are using geospatial technology to change the world. Register today.

United we map.

What’s New in 10.2?

Ismael Chivite will tell you everything you need to know about the new release of ArcGIS, including improved integration with Portal for ArcGIS, the new ArcGIS GeoEvent Processor for Server extension, and more.

Road Ahead – Desktop GIS

Rob Elkins will give you some insight into what our developers are working on and how these upcoming releases to ArcGIS will impact professional GIS users.

Esri Maps for Microsoft Office

Art Haddad, Senthan Sivabalan, and Tony Howser will show how you can create interactive maps of your Excel data that you can then embed in Microsoft PowerPoint or publish to ArcGIS Online.

Big Data: Using ArcGIS with Apache Hadoop

Intimidated by big data? Don’t be. David Kaiser and Erik Hoel will show you how you can use the power of Hadoop to batch geoprocess against enormous volumes of data and provide tips from moving your data between the Hadoop framework and geodatabases.

Esri Maps for Business Intelligence

Join Art Haddad, Pierre Seguin, and Brenda Wolfe for an overview of Esri’s solutions for IBM Cognos, MicroStrategy, and SAP Business Objects that allow you to easily visualize and explore your enterprise business data on a map.

ArcGIS GeoEvent Processor for Server – An Introduction

Adam Mollenkopf will take you on an exhaustive tour of the newest extension for ArcGIS for Server and show how you can incorporate real-time information streams into your GIS workflows.

ArcGIS GeoEvent Processor for Server – Monitoring Assets

Adam will continue his deep dive into ArcGIS GeoEvent Processor for Server, with a focus on specific capabilities like dynamic geofencing, speed monitoring, and other analysis capabilities for live feeds.

ArcGIS GeoEvent Processor Server – Monitoring Routes

See how this new extension for ArcGIS for Server can help organizations continuously monitor their assets on specified routes and provide updated arrival times for stops on the route in real-time.

Esri Maps for SharePoint

Sentha Sivabalan and Tony Howser will demo the mapping components in Esri Maps for SharePoint and show you to how assign and use location-based data in a SharePoint list.

Esri Maps for Customer Relationship Management

Sentha Sivabalan and Lucy Geurra will show you how easy it is to map your customer data in corporate data warehouses with Esri’s solutions for IBM Cognos, MicroStrategy, and SAP Buisness Objects.

Make Better Policy Decisions Using Esri Community Analyst

Brenda Wolfe will walk you through the wealth of community data available in Esri Community Analyst and explain how you can use this information for policy decisions, grant applications, and more.

Esri Business Analyst: Overview and Update

James Killick and Lucy Guerra explain how commercial and government organizations alike use Esri Business Analyst for market planning, site selection, territory optimization, and more.

Like what you see? Register today to ensure that you’ll be there to witness the future of geospatial technology.

And don’t forget. The Esri UC is the only place where you can observe geographicus intelligenticus (the geogeek) in its natural habitat.

Click here to view the embedded video.

United we map.

And while the entire event is devoted to the great work you do with mapping technology, the Map Gallery in particular is the ultimate showcase of your cartographic skills and ingenuity. Each year, we feature more than 700 posters and displays that tell the stories about how your work is making a difference in our world.

We’ve assembled a few of our favorite maps from the past year to celebrate the opening of submissions for the 2013 Map Gallery. Some of these were last year’s award winners, while others are just some of the more interesting work we saw on display. Click on any map to see a larger version.

What do you think they’re fishing for?

Jeannett Phillips earned “People’s Choice” honors at last year’s UC with her beautifully illustrated Historic Map of the Unconquered and Unconquerable Chickasaw People.

This fascinating cartogram examines the health cost of electricity.

A great example of how saturated colors and infographics can reinforce the message of the map.

Yes, that’s exactly what you think it is. Someone mapped the titular characters’ journey to White Castle from their 2004 movie.

Want to display your work among the greats? Submit your map for inclusion in the Map Gallery by May 31. Share your favorites with us on Facebook, or send us a tweet @EsriUC. United we map!

We recently caught up with several attendees that experienced UC for the very first time in 2012 to find out when it clicked for them.

The Entire Experience

“I think I had these moments all week long. There was so much I wanted to see and attend and be part of, so I guess just being at the UC was my aha moment.”

– David Jaurequi, Senior GIS Technician at City of Las Cruces, New Mexico

“I work mostly alone and with people who are often slow to see the uses and applications of GIS. It was great being among people who are often wrestling with the same challenges and generously sharing their ideas and solutions.”

– George Durkee, Park Ranger at National Park Service

“It’s difficult to define one aha moment, I had several. But I was very touched by some of the speakers at the plenary sessions Monday.”

– Rene Kobbernagel, GIS Specialist at EnergiMidt A/S

Technical Mastery

“My ‘aha’ moment came when I entered my first technical workshop and saw how everything was set up, including the way the message was going to be delivered by the speaker. I didn’t know exactly what to expect from the workshops since I hadn’t participated in this particular conference before, but after I listened to the first speaker talk about solutions to similar issues we were facing and show an actual demo of their solution, I knew I was going to get more than I bargained for from the week.”

– Richard Cody, 911 GIS Map Coordinator at Pinellas County Public Safety Services

“I attended a technical workshop and wanted to put what I learned to use immediately, so I grabbed my laptop and went to work. I did okay, but I was missing a few steps so I went to one of the service islands in the EXPO center and talked to an Esri employee to get clarification. At that point, I realized that I could use the technical workshop and one-on-one help to maximize my training and learn almost anything.”

– Matt Tansey, GIS Program Manager at Colorado State Forest Service

“I kept asking really novice questions of Esri staff, and expecting them to get exasperated, but they never did. Ever. On the contrary, they stayed with me the whole time. I know it sounds like Esri paid me to say that, but it’s true. Bottom line: The UC is a great environment to learn about GIS, and to help fuel ideas and passion for your GIS vision.”

– Chris Ferrara, Owner, CFF Ventures

What was your aha moment? Share it in the comments below and we’ll spread your message on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Esri: Congrats and thank you for being the first person to register for the 2013 Esri UC. You’re listed as the GIS Manager for Barrick Gold. Can you tell us more about that?

Jeff Dickey: I’ve been with Barrick for two years and I’m the GIS Manager of the North American Regional Land Department. We use GIS to manage all of our cadastral records. We hold title to over 30,000 unpatented mining claims, in addition to thousands of acres of surface and mineral holdings.

Jeff Dickey is GIS (and the first person to register for the 2013 Esri UC).

Esri: Will this be your first UC?

Jeff: I’ve actually attended six user conferences, each one from 2007. Since that first conference in 2007, I’ve always been in awe of the sheer number of GIS professionals from across the world that come to San Diego. Even now, I’m still amazed when I look across the sea of people in the plenary session every year.

Esri: You keep coming back year after year. Why is that?

Jeff: I think it’s the best way to stay abreast of the latest developments in the Esri suite of products. In many ways, I feel that GIS is still in its infancy. I’m glad to be involved in an industry with such potential and I always come away inspired by the myriad ways my colleagues are using GIS. It reinforces the fact that there is always more to learn.

Plus, the UC is like the UN General Assembly of GIS. Just without all of the bombastic rhetoric.

Esri: What do you look forward to at UC?

Jeff: There’s a lot, but the first thing I do every year is make a mad dash from the airport to the Convention Center for the Esri Mining Group, which is usually held on Sunday afternoon. There’s just a lot to do at the conference. I love the “Where in the World” exhibit and I’m really interested in ArcGIS Online for Organizations this year.

Esri: If you were talking to someone who had never been to UC, what would you tell them?

Jeff: There really is no better place to learn about GIS. The technical workshops are phenomenal, and the networking opportunities are endless. I would also recommend that they find a user group, either based on their industry or region, and be sure to attend those meetings during the week.

Jeff manages cadastral records for Barrick Gold’s mining claims and mineral holdings.

Esri: With budgets being tight in most businesses, how do you explain to your superiors that you need to attend each year?

Jeff: I stress the importance of learning about the latest enhancements to the software, and the value of the training opportunities. Throughout most of my career, I’ve been the only person in my organization doing GIS work. The UC is often my only opportunity to meet and discuss GIS with other users.

Esri: It’s pretty clear that you think the UC is a big deal. That said, how did you end up being the first person to register?

Jeff: It has a lot to do with past experience. The first year I attended UC, I ended up registering about a month before the conference, and the only hotel I could get was a ways away from the convention center. I make it a point to always register early now, to make sure I get a room at my favorite hotel. I was ready to register on the 4^th, but I know there were some technical issues that held things up on your end. The next day, I guess I was the lucky one to hit refresh at the right time on the website.

Esri: Finally, I know you weren’t able to make it to the Who is GIS booth last year, so we wanted to give you the chance now to tell us how you are GIS.

Jeff: Off the bat, I would say years of practice make me GIS. In terms of the specific trading card questions…

Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah

1^st Eri UC: 2007

1^st GIS project: Building a GIS database and developing a GIS-based interpretation system for Red Butte Garden & Arboretum in Salt Lake City

Interests: Snowboarding, exploring the landscapes of Southern Utah, and whatever my two kids are into at the time.

Interesting factoid: I play the didgeridoo

Bucket list: I hope to see Victoria Falls someday.

Esri: Thanks again for sharing your story with us. As a parting question, what piece of advice would you have for a first time attendee?

Jeff: Register early! Don’t miss out on your hotel room!

As impressive as it is visually, our attendees also consistently rate the EXPO as one of the most useful components of the conference. It’s one of the reasons we created the EXPO Only registration. It’s that popular.

But enough from us. Here’s a sample of your comments about the GIS Solutions EXPO.

“In the Exhibit Hall, I was able to sit down with an Esri ArcGIS Online expert and with my Esri account representative for two hours to go over all the features of ArcGIS Online and have my detailed questions answered. It was such valuable information to bring back to my manager and the director of the Information Services Department.”

 

– Colleen Swain, Information Services Supervisor at Easy Bay Municipal District

“This conference provides a wealth of information that helps significantly when it comes to leveraging our geospatial investments by allowing me to meet directly with the product managers to discuss the roadmap ahead or address issues we may be experiencing with a particular product. The technical knowledge islands in the exhibit area are very insightful.”

 

– Scott Burton, GIS Manager at the Broward Sheriff’s Office

“The vendor EXPO and industry solution islands were awesome. They were helpful for newcomers and those looking for solutions for their agency.”

 

– Denise Jens, IT Analyst for the City of Santa Clarita

“As a first-time attendee (I was an EXPO Only attendee and I did not attend any of the sessions), I was impressed with the overall organization of the EXPO room, the quality of the displays, and the demo theaters.  I was able to learn quite a bit from the speakers at the demo theaters, and the range of topics should have given most attendees something they would have found of value in watching or listening to. I really enjoyed the opportunity to network with the vendors and Esri partners and I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference.”

 

– Timothy Harrington, Director of Client Services and Support at BeSafe Technologies

Find out for yourself just how awesome the GIS Solutions EXPO is. Register for UC by January 15^th and save 25% off the conference rate. Don’t forget to book your hotel while you’re at it.

Think it’s too early to register and that you’ve got plenty of time? Here are two reasons you should reconsider that:

• Save 25% off the Conference Rate-We’re offering a special early registration rate for any attendees that register by January 15. If you don’t qualify for complimentary registration, those savings can really help when it comes to paying for your hotel and other travel costs.
• Get the Best Hotel Room Selection-As you may know, we negotiate special room rates at hotels around the San Diego Convention Center for registered attendees. Once you register, you’ll be able to find and book the best rooms before they run out.

You probably have several great reasons to attend the UC, but if you get stuck or are looking for some help in getting your trip approved, feel free to use our UC Proposal Letter.

We can’t wait to see you July 8–12 in San Diego. Register today.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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