The Esri User Conference 2022 came back in-person to San Diego after a long pause during the Covid-19 pandemic. The event is a week-long annual conference about all the applications and recent advancements of geographic information systems (GIS). It is a global event visited by thousands of people in the industry and has been taking place in the San Diego Convention Center for about 40 years. While this year’s conference was big, I heard from attendees that have been to the conference in the past that the post-pandemic conference is not as big as it was once when it reached about 30,000 attendees.

Day one of the conference kicked off the event with plenary sessions led by Esri President Jack Dangermond. The sessions hosted fascinating speakers on their use of GIS technologies to conserve the environment, strengthen communities, and promote a brighter and sustainable future, featuring guest speakers from National Geographic, California Natural Resources Agency, and FEMA. In addition to guest speakers, Esri gave the stage to some of its team members. The presenters showcased successful case studies of ArcGIS promoting smarter, resilient, and sustainable communities and the latest advancements in the GIS mapping software from Esri, ArcGIS. The following days the exhibition floor was open for Esri and Esri partners to showcase their businesses, solutions, and GIS applications. In addition to a full week-long agenda with presentations on business values of GIS technology in all fields.

Zpryme has a valued partnership with Esri who have invited us to attend the event. It was personally my first time at Esri UC and I was excited to attend the biggest GIS conference and learn more about the industry and meet and network with new and existing partners. I was impressed with the impeccable organization of the event, especially one of this size and magnitude. More than that, the event did turn out to be an incredible experience and an opportunity to learn about the many ways GIS capabilities are leveraged across industries to solve problems, create new solutions, and connect people and communities together. It was an opportunity to connect with industry professionals both from Esri and Esri partners and learn about the latest advancements and collaborations in GIS technologies. As a Zpryme representative, it was a pleasant opportunity not only to connect with existing clients on the expo floor but also to meet new potential partners and learn about their use of GIS applications for utilities and grid modernization, disaster response, and building and connecting smart cities.

What I found exceptional about the Esri UC event is their commitment to education, well-being, families, and fun. The expo floor had an education zone for academic institutions with GIS programs. In addition to a hands-on learning lab and books on GIS and relevant topics being sold at the venue. Throughout the week they hosted an outdoors yoga session, a 5k run, a party in Balboa park, and family night at the Esri UC expo where all conference attendees were invited to bring their friends and family members to the event. It was wonderful to see so many curious children about all the technologies on display. The party in Balboa was the most talked about and most anticipated function of all. The party took place in the entire landmark Balboa park with music and food all around the park and access to all museums on site. The party was definitely a successful celebration of a successful event. The entire event was an amazing experience that I hope to revisit again in the future and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in GIS applications.