Several years ago, Esri standardized the naming convention for its industry user conferences. For years, the name of the Electric and Gas User Group event was the EGUG Conference. Rather than use the name EGUG, we came up with Esri Electric and Gas GIS Conference or EEGGC. A couple of years ago, we were helping Jack Dangermond — founder, president and owner of Esri — with the video welcome to the EEGCC. We reminded him several times the conference name was now EEGGC and not EGUG.
It didn’t matter.
Dangermond proudly stated, Welcome to EGUG! So much for standardization. The good news is that the name EGUG is officially back, but with a slight twist. We are creating something new, an overarching event that includes EGUG and for the first time the Telecommunication User Group (TelUG). We are calling the event GeoConX hence EGUG @ GeoConX and TelUG @ GeoConX.
The EGUG and TelUG will be the same great event.
Co locating them in a single facility at the same time has some great advantages for both communities. Attendees will be able to mix and match sessions and tracks. Registering for the EGUG Conference automatically gives you admission to the TelUG Conference and vice versa. This event will deliver an unprecedented collection of user presentations, technical sessions, discussion panels, and birds-of-a-feather session, all focused on the utility and telecom industries.
Many of your favorite attractions will return, including data health checks and the solutions holistic lab. And we can all be together at the famous Wednesday night party. You’ll get to make new friends with perhaps different insight into how the ArcGIS platform is changing the way these two industries operate.
With the advent of smart grid, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and cloud computing, EGUG Conference attendees will be able to learn what’s new in each of these connected industries. Telecoms are leading the way in many of these areas. Co locating the conferences provides additional learning opportunities and can expose the telecom staff within utilities to understand the best practices implemented at telecoms.
We picked the name GeoConX because this conference is about — you guessed it — connections. People connections — new ones and old ones. Connections between technology and business needs. And connections between you and your customers. We are connecting communities that share a passion: using geography to transform their industries. You will also be connecting with an expanding array of GIS partners. The good news for partners that serve both industries is that they now only have one conference to attend.
I was the keynote speaker at one of the earliest EGUGs back in 1998, when I worked for a power company. While I already had a vision for what GIS could do, that early EGUG Conference helped me cement the expanded vision that I hold today. Sure, GIS was pretty primitive in those days. Yet the attendees were doing amazing things even then. Those users inspired me. EGUG members still do.
Whenever I attend a technology conference, I think about the business problem I am having. I’m thinking of how GIS technology can help me solve that problem. At GeoConX, you will find plenty of folks talking about how they have used GIS in many clever ways to solve real utility business problems. But what I often find is that someone is using the technology to solve a problem that I didn’t even know I had or doing something unique that I had never thought about. GeoConX is about connecting those pearls of wisdom to your business needs. Come to Phoenix for GeoConX, to be held October 17-20, and you’ll see what I mean.
Let’s all connect at GeoConX and inspire each other.
For more information about GeoConX, visit esri.com/geoconx and sign up for updates on this year’s conference.
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