In 1981, Esri held its first user conference at the Montessori School in Redlands, California. Eighteen people sat in a circle and talked with each other about their GIS projects. The meeting was so useful that it was decided to hold another meeting the following year. A few more people came, and the circle got bigger. It's been growing ever since.

Now, 25 years later, the circle covers the globe. But even at today's scale, its purpose is the same—GIS users helping each other solve problems, find answers, and make a difference.

Esri will host its Twenty-fifth Annual Esri International User Conference July 25–29, 2005, at the Convention Center in San Diego, California. With more than 13,000 GIS professionals from around the world expected, new and experienced GIS users will discover a community of dedicated, creative, and caring people eager to share ideas, experiences, and practical ways their organizations use the technology.

Share Experiences and Expand Your GIS Skills

New and experienced users alike can be part of the knowledge sharing process. They can help their organizations achieve goals through the cross organizational relationships that result from attending the most important GIS meeting of the year. The Esri International User Conference unites organizations and users from around the world, providing a forum for meeting other GIS professionals; attending important technology briefings; and obtaining new learning experiences, tips, and inspiration.

Preconference Seminars

More than 2,000 people are expected to attend more than 30 preconference seminars the weekend prior to conference week, Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and 24, 2005. Half-day and full-day seminars on specific technical topics and areas of interest will be led by subject experts who will take users through application development, modeling, analysis, system administration, and much more. Registration is separate from User Conference registration. Sign up for one or more seminars by visiting www.esri.com/uc. The registration deadline is June 3, 2005.

User Paper Presentations and Technical Workshops

More than 1,000 papers will be presented by users from around the world covering topics from design and implementation of projects to lessons learned. Paper sessions address more than 30 industries and countless applications of GIS in real-world situations.

Technical workshops, led by knowledgeable staff from many departments at Esri, provide an excellent opportunity to learn new techniques for using a wide range of Esri software. Extra sessions will be provided Friday morning before the closing session to give attendees a chance to catch a workshop missed during the week.

Esri Showcase and Exhibit Pavilion

Staff in the Esri showcase will demonstrate the latest software and answer questions about technical support, application development, and educational services. Esri staff will be on hand at the Doctor's Office in the Esri Showcase to answer technical questions.

Esri Business Partners, including hardware vendors, application developers, software dealers, service providers, and data publishers, and other GIS-related companies will display technology solutions at the Exhibit Pavilion.

Map Gallery and Reception

The Map Gallery and evening reception will feature an amazing collection of map products, posters, and Internet projects created by Esri users, which will be displayed during conference week. Several special exhibits will include fascinating displays of unique mapping environments from around the world. All attendees are invited to submit posters (deadline is June 10, 2005), as well as attend the Esri Map Gallery and reception.

And More

In addition, there will be many social events, local tours, a GIS Kids Camp with sessions for elementary and junior high and middle school students, and sports activities. This conference is for all levels of GIS users from around the world. To view the guidelines for attending, go to www.esri.com/uc and click on the Register link.

For further information, contact the Esri User Conference registration staff (tel.: 909-793-2853, ext. 1-1363; fax: 909-307-3128; e-mail: uc@esri.com).