News

Next Northwest GIS User Conference September 30 - October 4, 2012 - Portland, Oregon

Submitted by bbutterfield on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 8:16pm

Hello all and Happy Holidays!

The NW GIS Users Group is active planning the next conference. Here's the news& we're joining forces with URISA and their GIS-Pro 2012 50th Anniversary Conference in Portland, OR, Sept. 30-Oct. 4, 2012. Classes are on Sept. 30 - Oct. 1 and the conference follows.

This should be an outstanding conference for a number of reasons and not just the fact that we've joined forces. Paramount is the fact that this will be a crossing of cultures: Management & Technology. Traditionally, URISA is more of a management focus and NWUG is more of a technical group. The combination will offer you a lot of outstanding choices!

We have three representatives from the NWUG on the planning committee and we're working for you. For instance, our typical registration fees and business partner fees have been somewhat less than theirs. We're negotiating these prices to help you get the biggest bang for your buck!

We'll have more information for you as we approach the conference date, but for now, mark these dates on your calendar!

Also, please be thinking about paper presentations or short 1-2 hour workshops. The Call For Papers should be sent out the first part of the year AND there is an EARLY DEADLINE! (February!) Be thinking now about your presentations.

Summary:

  • Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, 2012 - put it on your calendar and in your budget
  • Put together ideas for presentations (Feb. deadline)
  • Keep an eye out for more announcements

Watch for us at http://nwgis.org. We hope to see you there. Follow us on twitter, facebook and LinkedIn.

 

Creating the 2011 NWGIS Conference Attendees Map

Submitted by NathalieCSmith on Thu, 10/20/2011 - 1:00pm

2011 NWGIS Conference Attendees Map: The map is interactive, zoom in/out, click on the pins to get details on the attendees to the conference.  

To recreate this map (or your own simple map)

Step 1: scroll to the bottom of the community list and click on the small orange ‘csv’ button – save the file ”community.csv” to your desktop

Step 2: start ArcGIS Explorer Online: http://explorer.arcgis.com  and start a New Map

Step 3: Click on the Add Content button (button with + sign), click on “import” and select CSV

Step 4: Browse to the ‘community.csv’ file you just saved, click next and then import

You know have a map with all the currently registered attendees to the 2011 NWGIS conference.

If you want to go further and symbolize by state for example, expand the layer details ( click on > on the left side of the map) and start playing with the “Display Configuration” (to control symbology – Unique value by State for example) and/or “Pop ups Configuration” (to change the content of the pop-ups when you click on a symbol – no need to show “FID” for example).

To embed the map in a website or to share it via social media venues (facebook, twitter), you will have to save the map first and for that you will need to log in to your ArcGIS Online account (or create a login if you don’t have one).

Specials from Boise businesses for conference attendees

Submitted by tim.williams on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 1:53pm

Visit our Interactive Map of Local Business Partners to browse special offers for conference attendees. These include food discounts, drink specials and even special rates for a round of golf. Most of the businesses offering conference specials are within easy walking distance of Boise Centre on the Grove.

  

This Web map was created using the ArcGIS Server JavaScript API. To view the code used to create this Web map follow the Interactive Map of Local Business Partners link and :

- In Firefox or Chrome right click anywhere on the map page and select View Page Source.

- In Internet Explorer right click on the page outside the main map window and select View Source.

NWGIS 2011 Director Elections

Submitted by bbutterfield on Tue, 09/20/2011 - 5:51pm

There are 4 NWGIS Director positions open for election by the NWGIS general membership at the 2011 Northwest GIS User Conference in Boise, Idaho October 17 – 21, 2011.

Western Washington – 1 open position

 

Western Oregon – 1 open position

 

Idaho – 1 open position

 

Montana – 1 open position

 

At the 2011 conference registration, you will receive a voting ballot at registration. Please vote for one candidate for each position and deposit your ballots in the ballot box that will be located at the registration table and the exhibitor hall. Ballots must be received by the beginning of the general business meeting on Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:00 AM.

Early Registration Extended

Submitted by bbutterfield on Sun, 09/18/2011 - 9:21am

For those who needed to wait until the new federal fiscal year to register and for those who just needed a bit more time – the early bird price for registration and training has been extended until October 7, 2011!

The Northwest GIS User Conference is in Boise, Idaho from October 17-21, 2011 - attend and share information, network with colleagues, and learn about new applications.  Need GISP points?  Participating in the NW GIS User conference will help you earn points. We have attendees at all levels so bring your presentation or poster for beginner, intermediate or advanced.

We want to hear what you have to say.

Give a 20 minute User Presentation which allows you to explore a topic or share an application.

Want to try something faster? Give a 5 minute "Ignite" presentation that will allow you to touch on a subject or share a snippet of GIS information.

Submit a Poster - we know that great maps are being made that exchange, explain, and inform using GIS.

There are still some discounted pre-conference training offerings available.

• Basic ArcGIS Desktop
• Advanced ArcGIS: Productivity, Geoprocessing and Analysis
• Understanding and Using Python (full, but with a stand-by list)
• Introduction to ArcGIS Server
• Creating Web Maps with ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS.com
• Getting Started with ArcGIS Mobile

Northwest GIS User Conference - Keynote Speakers

Submitted by bbutterfield on Sat, 09/03/2011 - 1:05pm

The Northwest GIS User Conference in Boise, Idaho from October 17-21, 2011 has some wonderful keynote speakers.
 
Donald Cooke is Community Maps Evangelist and is transforming civic engagement and streamlining relations between government and citizens - making government more open, efficient and transparent.

Ron Walters has been teaching Design Thinking at the University of Idaho, bringing business and design together to provide innovative solutions. With a background in GIS, Architecture and Planning, Ron has brought forth solutions with a geographic component to the business world.

Register for the Northwest GIS User Conference and learn from these two professionals. Register for the Northwest GIS User Conference and learn from these two professionals.

The conference is quickly approaching . We have worked hard to keep your costs as low as possible. The conference registration price has been kept steady, at or below previous years' prices. Vendor booth prices have been reduced. Sponsorship opportunites have been expanded. Pre-conference training prices have been reduced.

Pre-conference training offerings are filling up. A couple of the courses have only 1 or 2 open slots still open. These classes are offered at a discount from regular prices. Courses and workshops include:

 

The Grove Hotel is providing affordable lodging right next door to the conference center in the heart of Boise's vibrant downtown. At $77/night for government and $99/night for corporate, The Grove has reserved a block of rooms for NWGIS, but on September 1 they will release that room block. The prices will still be honored, but room reservations will be as available. We have also arranged discounts for air travel on Horizon Airlines and discounts at downtown Boise restaurants. Your airline promotional code will be supplied with your conference registration confirmation.

Your opportunity to save money during conference early registration will also be ending soon. On September 20, prices for all conference events will increase. This is necessary because conference organizers need to start working out details with the conference venues and need a good sense of numbers.

This year's Northwest GIS User Conference is shaping up to be a great conference. It is a great opportunity to learn about  the latest GIS technologies and swap ideas with your colleagues from across the Pacific Northwest. Register now to ensure your spot at this event. Visit us at The Northwest GIS User Group website and follow us on Twitter @nwgis, Facebook and LinkedIn.
 

The 2011 Northwest GIS User Conference is quickly approaching

Submitted by bbutterfield on Tue, 08/23/2011 - 7:43am

The NW GIS Conference (October 17th - 21st) is offering a variety of training opportunities, including discounted pre-conference training and free hands on tutorials. The pre-conference classes are filling fast. Conference sessions include important updates from ESRI about future products and technical sessions for both programmers and desktop users.

An important part of our conference is the opportunity to learn about the work and experiences of our fellow GIS professionals from across the Northwest. You can share your work by presenting a user presentation or poster.

For the first time, this years conference is being held in Boise, Idaho from October 17th - 21st. The Boise Convention Center is situated right in the middle of vibrant downtown Boise. Boise is centrally located in the Northwest to give everyone easy travel options. We have arranged with Horizon Airlines to provide a special discount. We have also arranged with many downtown Boise restaurants for special deals for conference attendees.

The Grove Hotel , right next to the Boise Convention Center, has set aside rooms for conference attendees at great rates - $77 at government rate, $99 for corporate rate. But, because they aren't forcing us to any room night commitments, they are releasing the room block on September 1. They will continue to honor our prices, but it will be based on availability. The last day for early conference registration is September 19. After September 19th the prices go up for late registration.

Register now to reserve your space in the pre-conference training and to receive the discounted early registration prices. There are also vendor booths still available if you have products that you would like to share with conference attendees. Make your room reservations at The Grove Hotel now to ensure your room at a great price. Check out all the conference details at the Northwest GIS User Group website. 

NWGIS Meeting at ESRI International User Conference

Submitted by bbutterfield on Tue, 08/23/2011 - 7:33am

 

We had an excellent turnout of almost 200 people for the Northwest GIS User Group meeting on July 12th at the ESRI User Conference (ESRI UC). It was great to network with other GIS users from the Northwest while enjoying hosted beverages and munchies. In fact, one could have just about had a full dinner there.

We raffled a Juno SB donated by EDS, and ESRI added ArcPad software.  

We especially want to thank the sponsors for hosting this enjoyable event. They stepped up when the economy is down. Take time to look at their products and services and thank them again!

Be sure to join us in Boise, Oct. 17-21, 2011 for the Northwest GIS User Conference.

ESRI UC NWGIS Sponsors

 

Platinum Sponsor

  

 

Gold Sponsors

 

 

Silver Sponsors

   

 

 

 

 

Call for Papers and Posters

Submitted by bbutterfield on Tue, 07/26/2011 - 10:17am

Join your fellow GIS professionals from around the Pacific Northwest at the Northwest GIS User Conference in Boise, Idaho from October 17-21, 2011.  Registration is now available with both online and downloadable PDF formats at www.nwgis.org.

Participate in the conference by presenting a paper or application in the Thursday User-Presentation sessions or display a poster during the poster session. Don't want to give a full presentation? Try our new Ignite session where you can give a quick 5 minute presentation. Information and submission forms are now available online at http://nwgis.org/program/sessions.

The 2011 Northwest GIS User Conference is also a great place to pick up that GIS training that you need. Pre-conference training offerings include:

- Basic ArcGIS Desktop
- Advanced ArcGIS: Productivity, Geoprocessing and Analysis
- Understanding and Using Python
- Introduction to ArcGIS Server
- Creating Web Maps with ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS.com
- Getting Started with ArcGIS Mobile 

This year's Northwest GIS User Conference is shaping up to be a great conference. Additional conference information can be found on our Web site at www.nwgis.org .  Mark your calendar now to be sure not to miss this event.

Registration is Now Available for the Northwest GIS User Conference October 17-21, 2011 - Boise, Idaho

Submitted by Administrator on Wed, 06/22/2011 - 3:33pm

Join your fellow GIS professionals from around the Pacific Northwest at the Northwest GIS User Conference in Boise, Idaho from October 17-21, 2011. Registration is now available with both online and download PDF formats at nwgis.org. We have worked hard to keep your costs as low as possible. The conference registration price has been kept steady at or below previous years' prices. Vendor booth prices have been reduced. Sponsorship opportunities have been expanded. Pre-conference training prices have been reduced. Pre-conference training offerings include:

The Grove Hotel is providing affordable lodging right next door to the conference center in the heart of Boise's vibrant downtown. We have also arranged discounts for air travel on Horizon Airlines. Your airline promotional code will be supplied with your conference registration confirmation. This year's Northwest GIS User Conference is shaping up to be a great conference. Mark your calendar now to be sure not to miss this event. Visit us at nwgis.org and follow us on twitter. Additional conference information can be found on our new Web site at nwgis.org. See you this fall in Boise, Bart Butterfield & Linda Davis Conference Co-Chairs, Northwest GIS User Group Boise 2011