2026 Big Sky GeoCon - From Data to Design

NOTE: This half day workshop is being offer twice at the conference. The morning workshop will be replicated in the afternoon. Please only register for one of the half day workshops.
Due to the anticipated high demand for this workshop, registration will be is limited to 32 participants for each session. If and when registration fills up, you can email Michelle Quinn, to be added to the waiting list. You will be notified if a spot becomes available but feel free to register for a different workshop on Tuesday.

Description:
Who doesn't love playing with Legos (or remember loving it, anyway) to make whatever our imaginations could conjure real, with just plastic bricks and some gumption. In this workshop we'll think modularly to get software to bend to our will. We'll walk through a bunch of different ways you can bring special visual attention to the focal subject of your map. As a key player in many maps, the area of interest deserves its role in the hot sun, and we'll learn practical and easy-to-apply techniques to bring them to life. Piece by piece.

Prerequisite Requirements: Some experience with ArcGIS Online's Map Viewer and StoryMaps is useful but not required.

Technical Requirements: Attendees should bring their own laptop and have at ArcGIS account that they can work with (ArcGIS Online map and StoryMap authoring). A tutorial document and data resources will be provided for download at the beginning of the workshop.

 

Description: 
This half-day workshop introduces participants to the full spectrum of ArcGIS imagery management capabilities through the lens of modern drone-based workflows. Attendees will learn how to design effective flight plans, capture high-quality datasets, and understand the impacts that acquisition parameters have on downstream products. The session will cover core concepts in imagery organization, optimized data models, and strategies for managing large volumes of UAV data both on-premises and in the cloud. Using Esri’s drone and reality-mapping tools, we will walk through best practices for transforming raw drone captures into authoritative orthoimagery, dense 3D meshes, point clouds, and geospatial video suited for enterprise applications.
Building on these fundamentals, the workshop will explore implementation approaches for scalable imagery systems including cloud-hosted repositories, cloud-based and desktop processing, and enterprise deployment patterns ensuring that participants can choose the right architecture for their operational needs. Through demonstrations and guided workflows, attendees will gain practical experience in processing pipelines for orthomosaics, 3D modeling, and video exploitation, along with recommendations for QA/QC, reproducibility, and dissemination of imagery products across their organization. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to manage drone imagery at scale and integrate it seamlessly into decision-making workflows.
Technical Requirements: 
Esri will provide the computer lab with all the necessary software installed and data already pre-loaded on the machine.

NOTE: This workshop can be taken virtually as well, as Frank will be teaching the workshop remotely from his Florida office. Frank will provide the Zoom meeting link to participates the week of the conference.


Description: 
The ArcGIS Pro Parcel Fabric is the next-generation solution for editing and maintaining Land Records and Parcels in ArcGIS Pro. This half-day workshop will introduce the functionality, structure, implementation options, and workflows in the Parcel Fabric. With the workshop, a Dropbox download link to a sample parcel fabric and project file will be provided for demonstration and a work-along experience for attendees.
Technical Requirements: 
If the attendees wish to participate in the workshop, they must provide a laptop containing a fully licensed copy of ArcGIS Pro 3.x or above. Several parcel maintenance workflows will be demonstrated and explored to understand how the Parcel Fabric works.
 

Intended Audience/Description: 
This course is specifically designed for GIS professionals who have little to no programming experience. If you’re a GIS analyst performing repetitive tasks, a GIS technician looking to increase productivity, or someone who has been intimidated by coding in the past, this course will show you how AI assistance makes automation accessible and achievable—no programming background required.
Even if you have some Python experience, you’ll discover a transformative new approach to development. Whether you’ve dabbled in Python and want to write better code faster, understand basic programming concepts but struggle with ArcPy syntax, or simply want to expand your automation capabilities quickly, leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude will accelerate your workflow development in ways traditional coding never could.
You’ll particularly benefit from this course if you perform repetitive geoprocessing tasks regularly, need to process multiple datasets with the same workflow, or create maps and layouts that require frequent updates. This training is also ideal if you want to standardize and document your GIS workflows or have been curious about AI-assisted coding but don’t know where to start. The bottom line: you don’t need to be a programmer to automate your work—you just need to know how to describe what you want and validate the results, and we’ll teach you exactly how to do that.
Software and Licenses/Technical Requirements: 
Students will need a computer with ArcGIS Pro installed and licensed. This should be verified prior to the start of class. Students will also need a login to either ChatGPT or Claude. The free version of either will work fine.
Course Modules:

• Module 1: Getting Started with AI-Assisted Python Automation
• Module 2: Core Geoprocessing with ArcPy
• Module 3: Data Access Module – Working with Cursors
• Module 4: Mapping Module – Automating Map Production
• Module 5: Advanced Techniques & Best Practices

Summary:
Accelerate your ArcGIS Pro automation skills by leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude as your AI coding assistants. In this intensive one-day workshop, you’ll learn to automate geoprocessing tasks, manipulate data with cursors, and control map layouts—all using Python and ArcPy with AI assistance. Whether you’re new to programming or have some Python experience, you’ll leave with practical scripts and the confidence to automate your daily workflows.
 

Description: 
The purpose of this workshop is to introduce GIS professionals to the Arcade expression language. According to Esri, "Arcade is a portable, lightweight, and secure expression language used to create custom content in ArcGIS applications." Expressions are written using JavaScript-like syntax to calculate values, such as data values that can be used in a field or a label, formatted text for use in a pop-up, or a set of data values that can serve as the data source for a dashboard. A range of standard scripting capabilities are available to the Arcade developer, allowing for the creation of single-line expressions through to complex multiline expressions involving, for example, custom :and branching. The workshop will provide attendees with a thorough grounding in the core Arcade features, enable them to recognize how to use Arcade in different contexts, and ensure that they are well prepared to take immediate advantage of new capabilities of this constantly evolving language.


Intended Audience:
Anyone wishing to learn the fundamentals of ArcGIS Arcade.


Prerequisite Requirements:
It will be assumed that attendees are generally familiar with using ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online, but have little experience with Arcade or are starting from scratch.


Associated Workshop:
Completion of this workshop is required for anyone wishing to attend the associated workshop: "Intermediate ArcGIS Arcade" (which is offered on Friday, April 17 at this conference). An exception to this requirement will be made if the instructor, David Howes, is satisfied that your level of Arcade experience is such that attending the introductory workshop is not necessary. If required, please contact David at [email protected] to request a waiver.

Format and Technical Requirements:
The workshop will consist of a balance between lecture material and demonstrations, forming the basis for a flexible and interactive training approach. There will be plenty of time for discussion and experimentation, which will result in a rich and rewarding experience for everyone involved.


Attendees must have their own license (Creator level or above) for ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online.
Attendees must bring their own laptop.
Setup:
Setup steps will be provided and must be completed prior to the workshop and attendees will be contacted to ensure that the required software is installed and that they can save workshop files onto their machine. Attendees are asked, therefore, to make sure they can be reached via the email address and phone number they used to register for the workshop.
 

NOTE: This half day workshop is being offer twice at the conference. The morning workshop will be replicated in the afternoon. Please only register for one of the half day workshops.
Due to the anticipated high demand for this workshop, registration will be is limited to 32 participants for each session. If and when registration fills up, you can email Michelle Quinn, to be added to the waiting list. You will be notified if a spot becomes available but feel free to register for a different workshop on Tuesday.

Description:
Who doesn't love playing with Legos (or remember loving it, anyway) to make whatever our imaginations could conjure real, with just plastic bricks and some gumption. In this workshop we'll think modularly to get software to bend to our will. We'll walk through a bunch of different ways you can bring special visual attention to the focal subject of your map. As a key player in many maps, the area of interest deserves its role in the hot sun, and we'll learn practical and easy-to-apply techniques to bring them to life. Piece by piece.

Prerequisite Requirements: Some experience with ArcGIS Online's Map Viewer and StoryMaps is useful but not required.

Technical Requirements: Attendees should bring their own laptop and have at ArcGIS account that they can work with (ArcGIS Online map and StoryMap authoring). A tutorial document and data resources will be provided for download at the beginning of the workshop.

Description: 
During this workshop we will master Survey123 Connect. The workshop focuses on creating forms that enhance the user experience, making data collection easy. We'll cover everything from simple input fields to smart logic and dynamic questions, ensuring your forms adapt to your users' needs. But that's not all – we'll also dive into automating workflows, so you can spend less time on manual tasks. Think automated validations, smart notifications, and seamless data analysis. By the end of the workshop, you'll have the skills to design forms that users actually enjoy filling out, and you'll know how to automate processes to supercharge your data collection efforts. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, this workshop will take your Survey123 game to the next level.
Prerequisite Requirements:
A base level knowledge of Survey123 and ArcGIS Online will be very helpful.


Technical Requirements: 
Attendees must bring their own laptop and have Survey Connect downloaded and installed on the machine. Additional, attendees must have access to either an ArcGIS Organizational or ArcGIS Enterprise Account with publishing privileges.