Esri Latin America User Conference

The Esri Latin America User Conference (LAUC) was held October 7�9, 2009, in Bogota, Colombia. There were more than 800 attendees from 17 countries. More than 30 exhibitors from Latin America, Lithuania, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States were also in attendance. Six Special Achievement in GIS Awards were given out to recognize organizations innovating and making a difference with GIS technology in Latin America. The LAUC theme was "GIS: Geography in Action," gearing many of the event's sessions and activities toward putting geospatial technology to work, leveraging it to create profit and opportunities, solve problems, and make better decisions.

"Congratulations for such a spectacular event," said Luis Fernando Cadena, an attendee from Interconexi�n El�ctrica S.A. (ISA). Patricia Jimenez, from Pritsma Ltda., remarked, "I want to congratulate you on a successful conference—to all the ones involved, the visible and the ones behind the scenes. The result was excellent. The papers, the Esri staff, the special charm: everything was first-rate." Natalia Castro, from Gobernaci�n de Antioquia, said, "It was a very interesting event—an excellent opportunity to learn."

Merrill Lyew, Esri's international regional manager for Latin America, said, "The conference was a one-of-a-kind experience. I was amazed at all the knowledge sharing, the ease with which collaboration took place and ideas took hold. And our office was so honored to host this event in hopes that participants would come away with everything they needed; it was meant to be a launching pad for success with GIS."

Learn more about the conference at www.procalculoprosis.com/lauc09.

Esri European User Conference

The Esri European User Conference (EUC) was held October 14�16, 2009, in Vilnius, Lithuania, the European Capital of Culture 2009, an honor that showcases a city's culture and development. Three weeks before the conference, 300 people were registered; however, when the event started, there were more than 800 attendees, with approximately 50 percent from outside Lithuania. The 2009 theme was "Geographic Awareness," setting the tone for an agenda full of preconference seminars, more than 100 paper sessions, 80 technical workshops, and other activities that addressed how to apply geography and technology for tangible results in any market. The paper sessions' utilities, transportation, and defense and national security tracks were especially popular. Many of the technical workshops had so many visitors, the audience overflowed into the host hotel's corridors.

Jack Dangermond, president of Esri, shared his vision for GIS during the Plenary Session. The keynote presentations included talks given by Zymantas Morkvenas from Lithuania's Baltic Environment Forum; Jennifer Newlands from France's Spot Image; and Linnar Viik, Estonia's e-government expert. There was also a special presentation given by secondary schoolchildren about their first experience with GIS.

"We are very excited about the enthusiasm of the participants, the active participation, and growing interest in GIS," said Linas Gipiskis, managing director of HNIT-BALTIC, UAB, Esri's distributor in Lithuania. "We had attendees from 37 countries, including all the European countries, Russia, Chile, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates."

During the EUC, Dangermond signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Education in Lithuania to stimulate getting ArcGIS software site licenses set up in all the country's universities and 14 colleges. Another event highlight was the Gala Dinner at the old country estate Belmontas, where different kinds of music, from opera to pop; interesting handicrafts; and good food were a hit.

Esri Asia Pacific OZRI User Conference

The 2010 Esri Asia Pacific User Conference (APUC), combined with Esri Australia Pty. Ltd.'s 2010 user conference (OZRI), will take place March 3�5 on Queensland's Gold Coast, Australia, at the Conrad Jupiters Hotel. This new combination provides a larger forum for users to network and strengthen their GIS knowledge and skills.

With presentations based on the theme "GIS: Extending the Reach," the conference will explore how GIS has evolved from being seen as a tool to simply pair location and information to being acknowledged as a serious business system that delivers real benefits. The event will address four aspects of extending the reach of GIS and delve into how today's location intelligence solutions are making it easier for users to extend the reach of GIS globally, technically, in business, and in their own GIS projects.

"The conference offers a great opportunity for attendees across the Asia-Pacific region to extend their networks and learn how others are using location intelligence in innovative ways," says Brett Bundock, CEO of Esri Australia.

There will be a welcome cocktail party on opening night, and Dangermond will give the Keynote Address during the Plenary Session. Technical experts and industry specialists from Esri and Esri Australia will also be presenting during the plenary and on hand throughout the conference to help answer questions. Numerous exhibitors will be available to discuss some of the most cutting-edge technology solutions related to GIS. Plus, user presentations will unearth more about how GIS and location intelligence have been extended in different industries and organizations across the region.

Registration is available at www.esriaustralia.com.au/ozri2010.

More Information

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