ESRI User Conference 2004 - Highlights for the 2004 UC from Clint Brown
Written by Clint Brown, ESRI
27 July 2004
Chances are if you've attended an ESRI User Conference in the past then you've met Clint Brown. You may know Clint from watching the ESRI house band (Gridlock) perform at the Thursday evening shin-dig in Embarcadero Park.. a ritual on the thursday evening of ESRI UC conference week. Actually, Clint's real claim to fame is that he's also the Director of Software Products for ESRI. We asked Clint if he would share his thoughts on some of the highlights we can expect at ESRI User Conference 2004.
Some of the Highlights for me:
Monday Plenary:
- Morning: Listening to Jack on Monday morning. He always has some key visions and each year is articulating a critical new aspect of GIS. He has real insight into where things are headed.
- Mid-day: ESRI Development and User Presentations. ESRI uses this time to convey what we are working on in our software and what’s coming. We try to illustrate use of new tools. This year, there is a lot of information being presented on ArcGIS 9.0, mobile GIS, Server GIS, standards, and GIS portals.
- Late Afternoon: Awards and special speakers. Those attending are certainly rewarded for sticking out the entire Monday. The speakers and their messages are truly inspiring and thought provoking. This year, we have:
- Dr. Rita Colwell, former head of the National Science Foundation and researcher will speak on her work relating cholera to environmental factors (Sea temperature and sea level) as well as her efforts in Bangladesh to save thousands of lives.
- Allan Schmidt will be honored. Dr. Schmidt was Assistant, Associate, and Executive Director of the Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis, at various points in time during the early days of GIS. Jack Dangermond always credits his experiences at the lab as the genesis of ESRI.
- Dr David Rhind, Vice Chancellor , City University of London and former Director General and Chief Executive of the Ordnance Survey, UK. Through Dr. Rhind’s vision and contributions, ESRI collaborated on the development of the book Understanding GIS: The ArcInfo Method, which was one important tool that many of us used to learn GIS.
- It’s incredible just to sit among your peers and to acknowledge how far we have come as a profession in 2 decades. It’s useful to get a broader context for the week and to see how GIS is changing and growing.
Monday Evening:
- Poster Session and Social (Amazing to learn what users are working on. Incredible diversity, methodology, and inspiration). There are special exhibits, but one real trill is to spend some time with users and their amazing work. Special exhibits this year will include: California Wildfire responses in the Fall of 2003, a special use of GIS in Zoo’s for species protection, use of GIS in State Governments, maps from the new National Geographic Atlas produced using GIS, and exhibits on the role and use of GIS in Homeland Security.
Tuesday – Thursday:
- Look for your application domain in the agenda and find the key sessions that help you learn about GIS use for your interests. Numerous excellent speakers and presenters will share what has worked for them.
- Technical workshops. Learn how to use new software or to perform more sophisticated work.
- Vendor Area. See what’s happening in the broad IT industry and its application in GIS.
- Sessions of particular note:
o Interoperability, NSDI, and Standards sessions.
o Data Modeling sessions
Thursday night Party:
- This has been called the largest part on the west coast. It’s always fun and just over the top. ESRI’s Gridlock Band plays. After a few drinks, they sound damned good too.
Early Evening and at Lunch:
-Numerous user group meetings, just meeting a person from another place or organization and sharing your GIS experiences.
Really Cool Things to See and Do (Mostly related to GIS):
- Any night for the best music in San Diego, go to Patrick’s 2 (on a side street close to the Bitter End). It’s a funky little bar. It’s a tight fit, but squeeze in and get into the blues. Great live bands. I love this little bar.
Thanks to Clint Brown for being so candid and sharing his suggestions. If you plan on attending the conference this year, look for Clint in a number of sessions, around the ESRI booth, on stage Thursday night, or at Patrick's on any given night!
What do you like best about the User conference or what are you looking forward to the most this year? Contact Glenn (GISuser.com Editor) and send your feedback.
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Chances are if you've attended an ESRI User Conference in the past then you've met Clint Brown. You may know Clint from watching the ESRI house band (Gridlock) perform at the Thursday evening shin-dig in Embarcadero Park.. a ritual on the thursday evening of ESRI UC conference week. Actually, Clint's real claim to fame is that he's also the Director of Software Products for ESRI. We asked Clint if he would share his thoughts on some of the highlights we can expect at ESRI User Conference 2004.
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