I was pleasantly surprised to receive the latest ArcNews Magazine in the mail and even more surprised when I noticed an article on page 40 that I contributed to. The article looks at the annual ESRI UC and provides the perspective and tips from a first timer and a veteran attendee... enjoy!

If you’re interested in the annual International ESRI User Conference then please be sure to check it out. In typical top 10 fashion, I’ll share with you 10 other important things I try to do each year to ensure that I have a productive and enjoyable user conference experience.

From the Article:

1. I plan on arriving the Sunday of conference week to ensure that I'm rested and ready for business on Monday morning when the event kicks off. Sunday is a great day to meet up with old friends and find new ones. Last year, I attended a preconference seminar this day too.
2. For any first-time attendees, I definitely suggest trying to spend some time at the convention center on Sunday so you can get a lay of the land and prepare yourself for the week. ESRI offers a new attendee orientation, which is also highly suggested.
3. I "tweet it up" in the Gaslamp Quarter, the swank entertainment- and eatery-filled area surrounding the convention center.
4. I always plan to spend the entire first day (Monday) in the Plenary Session, where Jack has the stage for most of the day (all morning, at least), and when it's not Jack, it's a high-level product or industry manager, key business partner, or customer sharing interesting success story details. Stay in the main hall all day!

See the entire article HERE

Thanks to ESRI for the opportunity to contribute! FYI, follow ESRI conference updates on twitter via @esriuc