ESRI Mid-Atlantic User Group
Newsletter
Summer 2007
Welcome to the Summer 2007 edition of the ESRI-MUG
Newsletter. If you have a calendar item, GIS activity, or GIS news item that
might be of interest to us all, please submit it to our newsletter editor, Sue
Hoegberg, at sue@esrimug.org.
ESRI-MUG 2007 Annual Conference: Visualizing Our
World
You don’t want to miss the ESRI MUG 2007 Annual Conference. It is the ideal, low-cost
opportunity for managers and GIS professionals to get ESRI product information
straight from ESRI experts and applications solutions from your colleagues. You’ll be
able to share ideas and information with your peers using ESRI software. Here are
some of the many reasons you should attend:

Hear Jack Dangermond, ESRI founder and president deliver the keynote
address. Anyone who has heard Jack Dangermond speak in the past looks
forward to hearing him again. Anyone who has not yet heard him speak is in
for a real treat. Come out to hear his always inspirational message and get the
latest news about what ESRI is working on!

Attend low-cost, workshops taught by ESRI instructors who are available all day
to answer your questions. Bring several of your staff to cover all three
workshops and maximize this opportunity.

Get the latest information about ESRI products and upcoming releases from
keynote speakers and ESRI technical track sessions that run throughout the
conference.

Learn what your colleagues are doing with ESRI products at the user application
presentation tracks in your areas of interest.

Find on-the-spot technical help at the ESRI Doctor’s Office.

Check out the latest products and services from vendor sponsors and
exhibitors.

Network with your colleagues over breakfast, lunch and snacks – and the
Tuesday evening social -- which are provided onsite and included in your
registration.

Enter your maps in the map poster gallery and win a prize.

Participate in free drawings for great door prizes.
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Utilities Track
This year, ESRI-MUG is planning to feature a Utilities Track with presentations
specifically geared towards users whose focus is utilities: electric and gas, pipeline,
telecommunications, and water/wastewater. If you are a Utilities user, please
consider making a presentation this year. And look for this new track in the
conference program!
Who Should Attend?
The ESRI-MUG Annual Conference is a must-attend event for planners, developers,
supporters and users of ESRI products, and their managers and customers in New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West
Virginia.
Conference Location
The ESRI-MUG 2007 Annual Conference will be held at the beautiful Union League in
historic Center City Philadelphia. The Union League is in the heart of Center City,
walking distance from historic attractions, cultural, and retail opportunities. We have
guest rooms held at The Union League (140 South Broad St.) at a special rate of
$189.00. Call 215-587-5570 for reservations. For directions and parking information
for The Union League, visit: http://www.unionleague.org/directions-parking.php.
Other nearby hotels include the Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia (237 South Broad St.)
and the Courtyard Mariott (21 N. Juniper St.).
Union League Dress Policy
Please note that the Union League adheres to a strict dress policy for all events held
there, allowing business casual attire (collared shirt and slacks for men). No jeans,
denim wear, athletic attire, tee shirts, baseball caps, sneakers, or tattered clothes are
permitted.
One-Day Workshops Taught by ESRI
The conference will start off with a series of all-day workshops taught by ESRI staff on
Tuesday November 27th. This is a great low-cost way to get in-depth information
directly from ESRI staff on a focused topic.
This year’s workshop topics are:
Introduction to ArcGIS
Introduction to ArcGIS Server
Using JTX and PLTS
Keynote Speakers and Conference Highlights
Keynote Address: Jack Dangermond, President, ESRI
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Jack Dangermond, founder and president of ESRI will be our keynote speaker this year.
Anyone who has heard Jack Dangermond speak looks forward to hearing him again.
Anyone who has not yet heard him speak is in for a treat. Come out to hear his always
inspirational message and get the latest news about what ESRI is working on!
Dr. Cynthia Brewer, Associate Professor of Geography, Penn State University
Dr. Brewer is a proponent of the intelligent use of color in mapping as a way to help
users understand complicated data and better see relationships. She is also the
designer of ColorBrewer, an on-line tool that helps users choose and test color
schemes for map data.
State of the States Panel
Join the Mid-Atlantic region’s leading GIS authorities as they speak about trends in the
industry, what is on the horizon for their jurisdictions, and how they see the industry
evolving in the next few years. Hear representatives from Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia in this
interactive and enlightening session.
Other Conference Highlights
Briefing by the director of the ESRI Philadelphia office
ESRI technical sessions track
ESRI Doctor’s Office and Technical Showcase
User presentations
Vendor exhibits
Poster displays
Evening social on November 28th from 5–6:30 p.m.
Paper Presentations
We encourage everyone to submit paper presentation abstracts and register for the
conference as soon as possible so we can best plan for accommodations and events.
Paper abstracts should be submitted on-line by August 30th, 2007.
Poster Displays
Don’t forget about this opportunity to showcase your agency’s GIS project. Judging is
by our distinguished panel of judges and by conference attendees (People’s Choice
award). Prizes for the best posters are provided by ESRI and include free training
certificates for the winners. Bring your poster with you to the conference and submit
it when you sign in to get your registration packet.
Conference Fees
Conference fees are:

$150 for the workshops on November 27, 2007 ($175 late registration);
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
$275 early bird registration for the conference on November 28-29, 2007 ($300
late registration);

$200 for presenters;

$140 for students; and

$650 for exhibitors ($700 late registration).
Student Scholarships
This year, ESRI-MUG is pleased to be able to offer two student scholarships that will
cover the cost of conference registration. To apply, students must provide
documentation of current student enrollment in a college or university and submit a
brief essay (500 words) on how GIS helps us visualize our world or how attending this
conference will further your GIS career. Send your applications before October 15th,
2007 to sue@esrimug.org. Selected students will be notified by November 2nd, 2007.
Getting There
The Union League is conveniently located in
Center City Philadelphia. It’s a short 4-block
walk from Suburban Station.
Coming from Baltimore or Washington, you
can take Amtrak to Philadelphia’s 30th Street
Station and then either change to a local
train and go one stop to Suburban Station, or
take a short cab ride to the Union League.
If you plan to drive, the Union League is
across the street from the Midtown Parking
Garage and there are several other garages
within a few blocks.
Visit the Union League web site at
http://www.unionleague.org for detailed
driving directions and parking information.
This map of Philadelphia also shows the
Union League’s location, transit stops, and more.
http://www.gophila.com/Go/TravelTools/centercitymap.pdf
Lodging
We have guest rooms held at the Union League (140 South Broad St.) at a special rate
of $189.00. Call 215-587-5570 for reservations. Be sure to ask for the ESRI-MUG rates
when making reservations. Visit the Union League web site at
http://www.unionleague.org for information about rooms at the Inn at the League.
Other nearby hotels include the Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia (237 South Broad St.)
and the Courtyard Mariott (21 N. Juniper St.).
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More Information
For more information on the conference, contact Brendan Ford, at
Brendan@esrimug.org.
For exhibitor information, contact Delaney Meeting and Event Management at 802-8655202.
2007 ESRI-MUG Golf Tournament
Brendan Ford, golf outing chairman, reports that this year’s tournament was a
huge success. In fact, it was so successful that we plan to use some of the
proceeds to sponsor two students to the ESRI-MUG 2007 Conference. The
tournament was held July 25, 2007 at the Marlborough Golf Club in Upper
Marlborough, MD. Anyone interested in playing in next year’s tournament or
sponsoring a tournament event should send an email to Brendan Ford
(Brendan@esrimug.org).
ESRI-MUG Quarterly Meetings
Want to get involved with ESRI-MUG? Help us organize a quarterly meeting at a
site near you.
Other Upcoming Events of Interest
Maryland Association of Counties 2007 Conference
The Maryland Association of Counties (MACO) will hold its 2007 conference
August 15-17, 2007 at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center, Ocean City, MD.
For more information, visit http://www.mdcounties.org/events.
URISA
URISA will hold its 45th annual conference August 20-23, 2007, at the
Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit
http://www.urisa.org/conferences/aboutannual.
Central Appalachian Geo-Spatial Conference: 3 Rivers HAZUS
California University of Pennsylvania is hosting the 3 Rivers HAZUS Users Group
at California University of Pennsylvania’s Southpointe Campus on August 24,
2007 from 8 am - 3pm. For more information, visit the conference web site at
http://www.cup.edu/eberly/earthscience/gis/.
Virginia GIS Conference
The 18th Annual Virginia GIS Conference will be held September 24-25, 2007, at
the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, VA. For more
information, visit http://www.hrpdc.org/VAGIS2007/.
3 Rivers Wet Weather Sewer Conference
The 9th annual 3 Rivers Wet Weather Sewer Conference will be held October
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3-4, 2007 at the Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North, Cranberry Township,
PA. Visit the conference web page at
http://www.3riverswetweather.org/b_news/b_events.stm for more
information.
Maryland Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers Annual
Conference
MASFM will hold its 3rd annual conference October 24-25, 2007, at the
Conference Center at the Maritime Institute, Linthicum Heights, MD. For more
information, visit http://www.mafsm.org/.
New Jersey League of Municipalities
The New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLOM) will hold its 92nd annual
conference November 12-15, 2007 at the Atlantic City Convention Center,
Atlantic City, NJ. For more information, visit
http://www.njslom.org/92ndconf/92nd_annual_conference.html.
GIS Day
GIS Day is November 14, 2007. Sponsor a geography event during Geography
Awareness Week.
More events on the Web
Look on our web site at www.esrimug.org for a more complete listing of GIS
seminars and events in the Mid-Atlantic region as well as a list of ESRI
authorized and custom GIS training courses in the Mid-Atlantic region.
ESRI-MUG 2007 Board of Directors
Office
Name
President & Golf
Brendan Ford
Tournament Chair
Vice President
Gary
Rockwell
Treasurer
Mario Field
Secretary
Sue Hoegberg
Webmaster
Fatih Andican
Past President
Ray Wolf
ESRI Liaison - DC
Walt Rennick
ESRI Liaison - DC
Paul Hartwell
ESRI Liaison - PA
Jim Higgins
ESRI Liaison - PA
Greg Welc
Phone
703-324-3792
E-Mail
410-279-1959
grockwell@govmap.com
202-727-1761
703-849-0419
703-509-0088
Mario@esrimug.org
sue@esrimug.org
fandican@razavi.com
raymond.j.wolf@lmco.com
Brendan@esrimug.org
Board of Directors Meetings
Board of Directors’ Meetings are usually held via conference call the second
Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Come join us and get involved! Contact
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Sue Hoegberg at 703-849-0419 or sue@esrimug.org or Brendan Ford at 703-3243792 or Brendan@esrimug.org for more information, dates and times, call-in
number, etc.
Local User Groups in the Mid-Atlantic Region
Look on our web site at www.esrimug.org for a list of local user groups in the
Mid-Atlantic region.
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