Both the 2008 Esri Europe, Middle East and Africa User Conference (EMEA UC) and Latin America User Conference (LAUC) are drawing near. Esri GIS users from any industry are invited to be part of these exciting international gatherings, which foster community, discussion, and solutions that make differences across the globe. Attendees can network with their peers and Esri staff as well as access the latest GIS resources and technologies, from user presentations and technology demonstrations to addressing specific projects and trends and meeting with Esri business partners.

"Any event that brings professionals across borders for collaboration is important," says Merrill Lyew, Latin America regional manager, Esri. "The aim of our GIS user conferences worldwide is to do just that: bring users from different regions and different industries together to find answers to our most pressing problems. For example, LAUC is not just about updates; it's about a global effort to make better decisions."

LAUC

Hosted by Esri Chile, the 2008 Esri Latin America User Conference (LAUC) is expected to draw more than 700 attendees and will be held October 1�3, 2008, in Santiago, Chile, at the Santiago Grand Hyatt. The goal of the conference is to give GIS users in Latin America the opportunity to learn about and share solutions to real-world problems. More than 50 user presentations and 30 technical workshops will be offered, and about 30 exhibitors will be available in the GIS Solutions EXPO. Plus, hear from Esri president Jack Dangermond during the Plenary Session.

LAUC will be held in the exclusive residential area of Vitacura with easy access to the airport and downtown Santiago. To find out more and register for the conference, visit www.esri-chile.com/lauc2008. The deadline to register, as well as for university students to receive a limited discounted registration rate, is August 31, 2008.

EMEA UC

The 2008 Esri Europe, Middle East and Africa User Conference (EMEA UC), hosted by Esri (UK) Ltd., will take place October 28�30, 2008, at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, opposite the Houses of Parliament, in London, England. The conference theme is "GIS for Everyday Life," setting the tone for the event's sessions, discussions, and activities and helping users explore Esri's vision for the future, where GIS solutions will play an increasingly important role in many ways and on a daily basis. EMEA UC will offer a wide variety of preconference seminars, user presentations, workshops, exhibits, and map displays, as well as a gala dinner at the Science Museum.

At the same venue, the 2008 Esri EMEA Education User Conference will be held October 26�28. This conference is for professionals from all areas of education and gives attendees the chance to connect with each other. There will be a GIS education keynote presentation, paper sessions, peer discussions, technical sessions, and hands-on workshops.

To learn more and register for either conference, visit www.esriuk.com/emea2008. The deadline to receive the discounted early registration rate is August 28, 2008. Users are also invited to submit a map for presentation in the EMEA UC Map Gallery. The deadline for submissions is October 2, 2008.

More Information

For a complete listing of upcoming Esri events worldwide, visit www.esri.com/events.