Latest Contributions by CharlottePapp

As the conference continues to grow, so does the demand for quick and close lunch options. In addition to a variety of restaurants in the immediate area, this year we’ve added more choices that are close, quick, and reasonably priced all within minutes from the conference. At the Convention Center New this year! Plaza Park Lunch Concessions Located just outside the south end of the convention center New this year! Sails Pavilion Lunch Concessions Located on the upper level of the convention center Food trucks Located on the front lawn of the Hilton Hotel For a full list of concessions, menus, and hours of operation, please see the attached PDF. At Nearby Hotels Inside the Hilton San Diego Bayfront is the Fox Sports Grill and Vela Restaurant. At the Marriott, there is the Marina Kitchen Restaurant & Bar. In San Diego San Diego has an amazing variety of dining options.  Visit the concierge desk in the convention center, located on the ground floor between Halls B and C. These local experts have wonderful insights on local places to visit and where to eat in San Diego. You can also go to the concierge to learn where you can get discounts with your conference badge. Check out our Some Places to Eat in San Diego, California story map for more great places to eat. Tips from the Team: Get to the convention center early to orient yourself Wear comfortable shoes Utilize the info booths (both Esri booths and the Convention Center booths) Keep track of how many steps you take each day (you will be surprised!) For Discussion: Where do you get great food during the conference or when visiting San Diego? ... View more

What is the GIS Managers’ Open Summit? The GIS Managers’ Open Summit (GISMOS) is an all-day interactive experience followed by the new GIS Managers track with eight sessions on Wednesday and Thursday of the User Conference. The summit focuses on showing people with a GIS background how to be successful as leaders. Adam Carnow the Community Evangelist, explains the summit aims to “turn managers into leaders.” The summit began in 2010 at the User Conference with a meet-up of 30 people and the Managers in GIS LinkedIn group. Since then, GISMOS has grown to include 180 attendees. W ho should be attending this summit? Anyone that is a manager or a leader of a GIS team, and even future managers/leaders can attend the GISMOS. This could mean CIO’s, managers, IT leaders or anyone that wants to one day lead their team. Registration is free, and seating is limited. You must be registered for the User Conference to attend this summit. Please click the link below to register. Register Now >> What should I expect at the summit? Presentations Among the other GISMOS activities this year, we are going to have an Esri led presentation focusing on the executive and elected officials’ view of GIS, and three guest speakers. The seating will be designed to encourage activities and discussions between presentations. I asked the GISMOS team what made these guest speakers standout, and they expressed that the presenters have a strong handle on the business-side of GIS. They show the power that GIS can have and how their GIS work has transformed their organizations. The GISMOS team hopes that the speakers will be able to inspire the attendees in their own work. Networking GISMOS is not just a day of inspirational presentations. The emphasis is also on networking and the interactions between participants. The day starts off with an icebreaker. This is your opportunity to make many new connections. Group discussions are held after each presentation using the Lean Coffee method for meetings. The group discussion helps further the understanding of the presentation topics. At the end of each discussion, attendees are asked to share the topics they discussed. Fortunately, this will be very simple when you already have your sticky notes ready! Please see the attached agenda for more details! Tips from the Team: Bring business cards (especially if you are going to this event!) Get active on social media so you don’t miss out on the excitement of the conference. Remember to use your hashtags. #EsriGeoNet #EsriUC #Esri #GIS #TheScienceofWhere  Join the Managers in GIS LinkedIn Post during the conference, let people know what you are doing at the summit Check out the Lean Coffee method and video before the conference starts Explore the other GIS Manager Events at the conference For Discussion: For our former GISMOS attendees, what made you choose to go to the GISMOS, and what was your favorite part? ... View more

This week we are talking about certification testing. Our certification program started in 2010 as a way for the Esri community to benchmark their ArcGIS skills. The program is open to Esri employees, distributors, partners, and customers worldwide. We started with only five exams and now offer nine different certifications, with certified individuals in 86 countries. What is certification testing? Certification testing is a benchmark to measure your proficiency with Esri GIS software. They typically last between 2-2.5 hours, with 80-95 multiple choice questions. Certification is a way to differentiate tech workers in the market, grow your professional resume, or reach a personal goal. Why should I get certified? It is a requirement for certain positions and highly valued by many companies. All of our Esri instructors must have them. Certification is a great way to grow within your organization, find a new position, increase your salary or develop your personal and professional skills. You can read some success stories from those who have benefited from their certifications, or read this blog post about the value of certification. Check out a recent survey about certifications and average salary. How do I get certified? Our certification team is excited to offer Certification testing at the Esri User Conference this year making it more convenient to take your exam. Testing will be offered Tuesday, July 10 – Thursday, July 12, 8 a.m.  –  5 p.m. in the Omni Hotel across the street from the San Diego Convention Center. You can find more information here. Here’s a quick rundown of the process: Select your exam. You can choose from nine (9) exams across three domains with three different skill levels. If you are unsure which exam is best for you, check out this post. Prepare for the exam. There’s a post about that too! Register for the exam. Registration is optional but highly recommended. Pay for the exam. The cost of the exam is $225. You can pay when you arrive on site (click here for conference discount information). Bring two forms of ID! Tips from the Team: Wear layers Wear comfortable shoes Bring a water bottle Talk to 1000 people. Talk to presenters, talk to the person sitting next to you, talk to everyone you possibly can Have an energy bar in your bag for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack For Discussion: For our certified GeoNet members, what made you decide to get your certification? What advice do you have to prepare for the exam? ... View more

This week we will be discussing the third annual Esri Science Symposium. The Symposium started in 2015 by Esri’s Chief Scientist Dawn Wright as a reception for the 300 scientists of the GIS community attending the UC. In 2016, the reception expanded into the first actual Symposium with a keynote speaker, reaction discussion panel, and an audience of 450 attendees. The Symposium continues to grow in popularity with an expected audience of 600 for the 2018 event! What is the Esri Science Symposium? The Science Symposium is held on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, from 4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. in Ballroom 20D of the San Diego Convention Center. The keynote presentation will focus on critical environmental issues, while the reaction panel will include GIS experts talking of how the vision presented by the keynote speaker can be realized geospatially. Following the panel discussion is a Q&A and a discussion among the audience. The Symposium will conclude with a networking reception. The purpose of the Symposium is to “broaden the tent" of participation at the UC beyond the traditional geographers, GI engineers and GIScientists who come to the UC, inviting those working in the domain sciences. Domain sciences include: ocean science, hydrology, ecology, forestry, climate science, geology/geophysics, agricultural science, conservation biology, sustainability science and/or geodesign, health sciences, the social sciences It also serves as a focal point for scientists at the UC who are normally scattered about as individuals and hidden in various sessions during the week. How is the keynote speaker selected? The keynote speaker is selected based on their relationship with Esri and the advancements that they are making in their field of science. Last year, Dr. Jon Foley, the Executive Director of the California Academy of Sciences, spoke about the need for scientists to communicate more clearly about the societal importance of their work, particularly in the area of climate change. This year the keynote speaker will be Dr. Camilo Mora of the University of Hawaii. Dr. Mora will be presenting on his work with deadly heatwaves impacting the entire planet. His work (featured in media outlets such as CNN, Newsweek, Wired, the Washington Post, and the Huffington Post) has shown that 74% of the world’s population will be exposed to deadly heatwaves by the year 2100 if carbon gas emissions continue to rise at current rates. Even if emissions are aggressively reduced, the percent of the world’s human population affected is expected to reach 48% by that same year. How is the reaction panel of experts chosen? In addition to our keynote speaker, we are happy to welcome our five reaction panelists: Tom Cova, University of Utah Kellee Koenig, Conservation International Mark Kumler, University of Redlands Karen Kemp, University of Southern California Amber Witner, United States Geological Survey This year the reaction panel, consisting of a variety of GIS experts, will discuss how GIS can play a role in reversing this trend. Panelists are chosen based on their backgrounds, their prior work with Esri teams and Esri software, and their ability to speak to the issues that will be raised by the keynote speaker. The session will end with general questions and comments from the audience. Who should attend? The Symposium is open to everyone with interest in science and how GIS may be used to solve a variety of scientific problems that also have a great effect on society. The content is slightly geared towards professionals rather than researchers, but the conversation stems from those in the room, and all are welcome. Registration is free, and seating is limited. (Please note: you must be registered for the Esri User Conference, or Education Summit @ Esri UC to attend this event) Register Now>>   What makes the Science Symposium unique? The Science Symposium is not a Technical Workshop or a User Presentation. Nor, is it a Special Interest Group meeting. It covers broad science issues such as Earth observation, sustainable development and climate change by prominent scientific experts, and provides a unique opportunity for UC attendees to interact directly in discussions with them. The speaker and panelists bring with them different perspectives and expertise that in turn help all attendees get a thorough understanding of the issue at hand. The Symposium is also more interactive than a traditional session, with inspiring moments coming from the speaker, and from the discussions with the reaction panel and the audience. Tips from the Team: Pace yourself. It's like going to Disneyland, if you try to do too much all at once you'll burn out Ask anyone with a red lanyard for help; for anything; at any time Pick up your badge before Monday morning Bring a light wrap, pashmina or jacket that will fit into your bag Stay involved after the symposium with the Sciences group For Discussion: For our GeoNet Scientists who have attended in the past, why have you attended previous Esri Science Symposiums? ... View more

We are starting the party this week with our User Conference SIGs and Socials! Last year we held 176 different meetings and socials during the conference, giving attendees plenty of opportunities to network with their peers. What is a SIG? SIG stands for Special Interest Group meeting. These meetings typically take place at lunchtime or in the evening during the conference, although there are a few early birds that do breakfast meetings. The goal of these meetings is to connect with individuals in the same industry, with the same interests, or in the same area (known as Regional User Group meetings) to talk about relevant topics and trends in GIS. How do we plan and schedule SIGs and Socials? Each of these meetings is requested through our Meeting Request System and reviewed by a special team. The reviewing team looks at each request to make sure the meeting will be beneficial to attendees and that we will be able to accommodate the time and number of people attending in our open conference rooms. Once the request is approved, it is scheduled. We schedule the meetings on a first-come-first-served basis and try our best to place them in rooms near related User Presentations and Technical Workshops. What kinds of SIGs are happening this year? Currently, we have 157 scheduled SIGs and Socials. They vary in topic from Airports to Augmented Reality, from Telecommunications to Trails, and everything in between. (There’s also two GeoNet meetups!) You can see the full schedule of SIGs and Socials in our Agenda. Why should I go? SIGs and Socials are a great place to connect with your community. The presentations focus on exactly the applications of Esri software used by your group and go over the most important changes and trends that the industries are facing. These events are also one of the best places to network at the conference. Be sure to bring your business cards. What better way to make valuable connections than to surround yourself with people that have shared interests? Tips from the Team: Bring a sweater Make sure you keep your phone and charging cables with you. We’ll have charging stations around the convention center to plug in Drink water! There are water coolers in most session rooms to fill up your bottles Are you a foodie? Check out this story map of places to eat in San Diego. Be aware there are cash limitations. Bring a credit/debit card. For Discussion: How do you find the balance between work and play at the User Conference? What are your best networking tips? ... View more

This week we are going to talk about the 247,388 square-foot, 500+ computer Expo. I met with Esri’s area manager for ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, Sean Breyer, who has the unique perspective of attending the User Conference as both an attendee and as an Esri staff. What is the Expo? The Expo is located in Halls A-C on the first floor of the convention center where Esri experts are excited to answer questions about our products. You can also find the Esri partners showcasing the great things they are doing in GIS. What does Esri do to prepare? First, each Area Manager needs to determine the layout of their area. The Living Atlas area went through eight redesigns to optimize their space for noise, walkability and easy access for attendees. Once the floorplan is determined, staff need to be selected and scheduled. Sean tries his best to make sure there will always be someone scheduled in the area whom can answer every question, which was something that was important to him when he was an attendee of the conference. Before the conference, he gathers with his team to review responses to both common and difficult questions, allowing them to dive deeper into their areas of expertise. They practice until everyone on the team is comfortable explaining each map/app/layer, and can customize their answers to meet the needs of their practice clients. Apart from each area, there are also the Expo Spotlight talks. These talks are short discussions on a specific subject that will also point you in the direction of other resources at the conference about that topic. Sean’s spotlight talk will focus on common challenges faced when starting your first Esri Story Map, and he will share tips and tricks for newly released software. “I think there is a different mindset when you attend the User Conference as an Esri staff member vs. a user. For the Esri staff, it is a place to share your hard work, and listen to the users bring their new ideas into the mix. For the users, you just get so much information thrown at you with no breaks. But I think in both cases you are pretty much exhausted by Wednesday afternoon.” -Sean Breyer, ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, Program Manager Why should I go to the Expo? The Expo is a great place to see the innovation that is happening in the world of GIS. It is where you go to see the products and partners that are doing incredible things in GIS. Most importantly, the Expo is where you go to make connections. Esri is a “company of relationships” according to Sean. We value the relationships and conversations that we have with our users, and we are constantly looking to improve the platform usability and help our users innovate new spatial workflows in their work. It is not very often that you will have access to the people who are directly building the technology and developing the code that you are using, but the Expo floor is the place to do that. For Esri staff, the Expo is the place to find new ways customers are using Esri products. Often conversations with users show us new use cases.   Be sure to check out the Living Atlas area and Demo Theater presentations located in the Esri Expo. Tips from the Team: Go to SIGs. They will go over topics that directly relate to your work, and often give you insights into what other sessions you should attend during the week. Spend lots of time visiting the partner booths to learn about new ways to use Esri software. Wear comfortable shoes. You will walk a lot. If you have very specific questions, get to the floor early, then you can follow up later in the week to answer additional questions. Use the Discovery Tags to get extra information. Go to the Map Gallery. There are many big agencies there, students and small organizations that could lead to your next big project. For Discussion: With so much information and so many things to learn, how do you fit time for the Expo into your schedule? ... View more