Redlands, California—ESRI will host the first Public Works Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting at the twenty-seventh annual ESRI International User Conference (ESRI UC) held June 18-22, 2007, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California (www.esri.com/uc)— the world's largest conference devoted to geographic information system (GIS) technology. ESRI UC attendees in the public works industry are encouraged to attend this meeting from 12:00–1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19th.

“Our users have been asking for this event for some time and I am thrilled that we are answering the call,” said Chuck Cmeyla, ESRI’s public works industry manager. “It’s an opportunity for people to meet with colleagues from their areas of expertise as well as those in other divisions. In this forum they can share information such as lessons learned and innovative applications as well as form foundations for collaboration and data sharing."

Attendees will also be able to meet with consultants, ESRI staff, business partners, and academics who specialize in public works.

"This is a chance for public works professionals to tell ESRI what they need to help them do their jobs better," said Chris Thomas, ESRI government industry manager. "Ultimately, this group should influence ESRI products and the materials, such as case studies and white papers, which we develop to serve this important government segment."

Public works departments use ESRI GIS software to quickly visualize geographic data related to systems such as work order, asset management, permitting, 311, and citizen access systems. When GIS is integrated throughout the department, geography becomes the focal point for service and data, linking databases together, consolidating workflows, and presenting a common operating picture for staff and the public. A public works information system based on ESRI technology improves productivity, efficiency, and decision making by linking all divisions in a public works department, which reduces redundancy in data collection and provides the most accurate and current information to users.

ESRI UC attendees working in infrastructure management, roads and streets, parks and recreation, fleet management, engineering, solid waste, traffic, and other divisions within public works are invited to attend. The ESRI public works team will be on hand to lead this event and answer questions.   

To register for this group, visit www.esri.com/publicworkssig. For more information about ESRI and the public works industry visit www.esri.com/publicworks. 

Additionally, engineering and survey professionals in the government industry can attend the ESRI Survey and Engineering GIS Summit, held June 16-19, 2007, in the San Diego Convention Center. This event, which includes social activities, paper sessions, and technical workshops, offers GIS users an opportunity to connect and learn about topics that specifically relate to their specialized line of work. For more information, visit www.esri.com/surveysummit.

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