"This event was eye-opening and enlightening and, in short, a very worthwhile conference," says Ladd Vagen, director of information technology, City of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Thousands of professionals from around the world will attend the 2009 Esri International User Conference (Esri UC), being held July 13�17 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. The event gives attendees access to valuable GIS resources and the opportunity to come together with other users as well as Esri staff.

"This summer, our GIS users will again gather to discuss and share their work," says Jack Dangermond, Esri president. "Yet, now more than ever there is importance and value in applying the advances in geospatial technology and methodology that support our users' work. This will be an important year for Esri—also our 40th year—and we intend to make it our most successful meeting yet with hundreds of user presentations, extensive training, workshops covering crucial topics, and many opportunities for communication and collaboration."

An Awe-Inspiring Plenary Session

The event's opening session will kick off the conference week with energy, inspiration, and important technology updates and demonstrations. Attendees will hear from Dangermond and a variety of special guests and Esri technical staff, including a compelling keynote speaker, award-winning users, youth using GIS, and Esri product managers and teams. From Dangermond's vision for GIS and the road ahead for Esri to a celebratory look at GIS applications worldwide, the issues to be discussed and projects to be highlighted are geared to be useful and memorable.

"It was wonderful to see how geospatial information comes together," says Sharon Silver, intelligence analyst, U.S. Department of Defense, Oversight & Compliance, regarding the 2008 Esri UC Plenary Session. "It was great hearing from others who think the way I do and to see how folks are reaching out into the communities and our schools to broaden this vision and shape the way GIS data will be used in the future."

Getting Involved and Conference Highlights

Participating in the conference is one of the best ways to soak up the resources available at the Esri UC. From submitting maps for the Map Gallery to hosting a special interest group meeting, there are numerous ways to both share and learn about GIS technology. The deadline for Map Gallery submissions is June 15, 2009, and meetings can also be requested online at www.esri.com/uc.

Attendees will want to be sure to visit some of the valuable conference highlights, including user presentations, technical and industry sessions, GIS concepts and industry focus sessions, and workshops, which foster plenty of peer collaboration and skill-building. Special Interest Group (SIG) and Regional User Group (RUG) meetings will give attendees another way to further their knowledge and networking by meeting with other users during these informal gatherings organized by industry, field, region, or area of interest.

The Esri Showcase, located inside the Exhibit Pavilion, is a comprehensive resource area where users can watch demonstrations and get face time with Esri staff, from product development and professional services to technical support and customer service. The Pavilion is where more than 300 exhibitors—Esri business partners and users extending the Esri GIS platform—will be available to answer questions about their advancements and solutions.

Last year's popular new event on remote sensing and GIS will be offered again on Sunday, July 12. During Remote Sensing and GIS 2009, the remote-sensing and imagery community will hear Esri's new vision for integrating remote sensing and GIS, as well as hear from industry leaders on the topic.

More Information

The conference is for all Esri GIS users. To learn more about the 2009 Esri UC and to register, visit www.esri.com/uc or e-mail uc@esri.com.

See also Homeland Security GIS Summit.