Attending a GIS conference? Here's what you need to know...
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Conferences are one of my favorite ways to develop your GIS career...both technically and socially. You'll be exposed to the latest and greatest in GIS topics, usually both locally (how your peers are using GIS) and worldwide (the newest advances in GIS tools). You also get the opportunity to network, whether by presenting your work or by meeting new GIS friends!
But attending a conference can be intimidating, especially if it's your first one...so I've asked the GIS community what their top tips are. Here are the common themes that came up:
The Practical
Conference buildings usually run COLD. All those people in one spot... they definitely crack up the HVAC. Dress accordingly and bring a jacket.
Wear comfy shoes. You're going to be doing a lot of walking (especially if you're at the Esri User Conference; the San Diego Convention Center is roughly the size of Rhode Island). I know you want to look nice and it IS important to dress professionally...but I promise you that nobody is looking at your shoes. And even if they were, I promise you that nobody will remember your shoes. And even if they did, I promise it's that they remember that you were comfy and they were not and they're just making a mental note for next time to dress comfy like you did.
Build breaks and downtime into your schedule, especially for week long conferences like the Esri User Conference. It can be really tiring learning, socializing, walking, etc. Don't burn yourself out and allow yourself time to decompress.
You're there to learn and network... if you can, avoid work related things and artificial "crises". If you don't have to respond to the email/calls, don't. You're there to learn and network. Don't be distracted. In the immortal words of Ron Swanson, "Never half-ass two things, whole-ass one thing."
The People
Meeting and talking to the people at conferences is arguably the most important and useful part of the conference. You can learn as much from the people in the hallway as the people presenting. If you let your shyness and introversion get the best of you, you're missing out on a crucial benefit of the conference. Go into it promising yourself you'll put yourself out there (at least a little bit). SPOILERS: GIS folks are friendly. It's not actually that scary. :)
It helps to have some ice breakers already prepared...may I humbly suggest "if you were a geoprocessing tool, which would you be and why?" or "who needs ice breakers when it's so friggin cold in here?!" Okay, you can probably come up with something better. Seriously though, a good one is "What GIS challenge are you struggling with right now?"...everyone is having trouble with something in GIS and you're bound to get an answer. Maybe you could even help them!
Prepare an "elevator pitch" too! This is just a quick intro of who you are, where you work, what you do, what your GIS interests are, what geoprocessing tool you'd be and why, etc.
Everyone's bad at remembering names. Be the exception. Most people forget names because they are too focused on what they are going to say next or distracted. Stop and really listen by giving the person your full attention.
Don't forget the follow-up! Be sure to collect business cards and reach out afterwards, even if it's shooting them an email or LinkedIn DM saying "it was great to connect at the conference!"
The Presentations
It's okay to pick some "fun talks" over the ones you "should" go to or that work wants you to go to. It's important to remember why you got into this field and have your passion be rejuvenated.
Try going to a presentation on a topic that's foreign/new to you. It can be worth it to explore other realms even if it doesn't directly apply to your work such as by giving you a new way of looking at things or sparking a new interest!
Also, consider presenting! Conferences are always looking for presenters and it's a great opportunity to boost your resume, develop your presenting skills, and contribute to the GIS community. Ignore the thoughts "nobody cares about what I have to say" or "I am not doing anything interesting". You do have important things to contribute!
Specific to the Esri User Conference (in San Diego every July)
On the Agenda:
Take advantage of the nifty Esri Events app and pick out your agenda before the conference so you're going into it with a plan. There are a lot of considerations, so it does take time to get the optimal plan. Some considerations:
A lot of popular sessions have multiple offerings, so optimizing can be a challenge.
Have backups for every session, so that if your first choice fails, you have a backup. And you will have at least one failed session...maybe it turns out to be too far, or it's too technical, or too basic, or the room is full, etc.
Some sessions are recorded, so you could catch them when you're back in the office and you don't need to add them to your agenda.
It's worth it to attend the Plenary on the first day. It's hype AF and you can't help but feel energized and excited to be a GIS professional.
Attend the social events that are listed in the evenings! They're fun and a great way to meet people.
On the Esri Store:
Shop ASAP if you're searching for a mappy tee: a lot of the best shirts are gone the first day.
Don't ignore the children's section: some of the best shirt designs are kids sizes. You may want to consider picking up a kids XL and getting creative with it (a la cutting it up DIY grungy chic style).
Don't think if you're on the fence you can just find the gear online after the fact -- the content in the Esri Store is ONLY available at that conference that year (as far as I can tell). Talk about limited editions!
Careful with the pint glasses. They're pretty cool, but do not hold up in the dishwasher after a couple of years... they're not truly etched well and the design totally disappears. Now only I know that my pint used to say "I map and I know things."
On the buttons:
This is seriously akin to a cult phenomenon. There will be tubs of buttons located throughout the convention center with fun mappy buttons in them. Collect them all! But it can be difficult -- they are often found empty. Some loyal fans will legit follow around the poor employee who's tasked with refilling the tubs so that they can claim first dibs on the pins. It reminds me of a zombie horde following the last human on earth.
Collecting the buttons and adding them to your lanyard nametag can be a great ice breaker! "Oh dang... you found a 'Mappybara' button! Where was that? Would you like to trade for my 'Geography Club' button? Where are you from and do you want to be my new best friend? Also, if you were a geoprocessing tool, which would you be and why?"
On the SIGS:
SIGS = Special Interest Groups
These are great opportunities to meet with others working/interested in similar topics as you. Perfect for networking and asking focal questions.
Make sure to reserve your spot (and lunch) by "add to Schedule" in the Esri Events app...if not, you'll be wait-listed and no guarantee in.
PLUS: Many of them are at lunchtime and a solid lunch is provided!
On the Expo:
This could be one of your most useful time at the conference. You'll want to allocate several hours just walking around here.
This is a great opportunity to meet with the actual product engineers working on the tools you use. Bring questions and suggestions you have to the conference and chat with them! Grab their business cards too so that when something inevitably comes up, you have a real person to reach out to!
Sometimes in the afternoon, there's a "happy mappy hour" where some venders offer yummy beverages. These pair very nicely with some of the Demo Theater presentations also in the Expo.
The End
Lastly, perhaps one of the most important but overlooked aspects of conference attendance is what happens AFTER the conference. You're there, it was fun, and now it's time to go back and make up for lost time, right? WRONG. You're wasting valuable conference insight if you don't follow up with what you learned and who you met. Make sure you allocate time (a couple hours every week for several weeks) to:
Summarize the things you learn, organize your notes, develop a plan to put it into practice, test and troubleshoot, etc.
Reach out to the people you met and solidify your connections (coming up with follow-up questions to reignite the conversation is always good!).
Pay it forward and share what you learned with others in your office or the larger GIS community.
Overall, conferences are great events for the GIS community. It's a hub for professionals from all backgrounds to come together and share insights, foster collaboration, and have fun. Yes, it's about your professional development and expanding your knowledge, but it's also about connecting with your colleagues; the person sitting next to you starts off a stranger, but could become a valuable part of your network, by providing professional support, collaboration opportunities, and maybe even friendship! It's also about contributing to the knowledge base by presenting and sharing your experiences; discussing your insights can spark new ideas and inspire others and further push the boundaries of what's possible in GIS.
Next time you have the opportunity to attend the conference, don't just say yes! Say goodbye to being shy and say YES to all the opportunities it provides -- present, talk to people, and collect ALLLL the buttons!
