2026 Big Sky GeoCon - From Data to Design

We will share our practical lessons learned from migrating and operating enterprise GIS in the cloud, specifically AWS and Azure based implementations. Topics include right sized architectures; performance tuning (caching, tiling, storage tiers); secure identity, roles, and governance; data pipelines that connect CAD/BIM, IoT, and analytics; and automation for updates and deployments. Attendees will learn migration patterns to pursue and avoid and a lightweight operating model for cost control, reliability, and collaboration. Throughout this presentation we will focus on three key topics, 1. Cost Benefits, 2. Security Benefits, and 3. Maintenance Benefits.

This workshop provides a practical, end-to-end overview of using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with Esri Site Scan to capture, process, and deliver high-value geospatial data. Participants will learn how drone-collected imagery and reality capture products integrate directly into the Esri ecosystem to support mapping, analysis, and decision-making workflows.
The session will cover core concepts of drone operations, data collection best practices, and how Site Scan streamlines flight planning, data management, processing, and collaboration. Emphasis will be placed on turning raw aerial data into actionable GIS deliverables such as orthomosaics, digital surface models, point clouds, and 3D content that can be shared across teams.
Attendees will gain insight into real-world use cases including surveying, construction monitoring, asset inspection, public safety, and infrastructure management. The workshop will also highlight accuracy considerations, operational efficiencies, and how organizations can scale drone programs while maintaining consistency and data quality.
By the end of the workshop, participants will understand how to effectively connect drone workflows with Esri Site Scan to move from flight to finished GIS products faster, more efficiently, and with greater confidence.

Public works agencies rely on dashboards to track service delivery and performance across streets, utilities, and field operations. Much of this information originates in Cityworks, which manages work orders, inspections, and asset data before publishing it to ArcGIS Dashboards. This session shows how Arcade transforms Cityworks‑derived datasets into accurate KPIs by performing tasks dashboards can’t handle natively, including fiscal‑year calculations, conditional formatting, multi‑layer metrics, and real‑time data cleaning. Using practical public‑works examples, we’ll demonstrate how Arcade bridges the gap between Cityworks data structures and dashboard needs. Attendees will leave with adaptable patterns for producing clear, user‑friendly KPI visualizations.

NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS) defines, maintains, and provides access to the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), which is a common foundation for geospatial data that serves as the basis for civilian surveying and mapping in the United States. Changes in technology and a better understanding of the dynamic earth have made it necessary to improve the NSRS to be of better use for modern applications. Currently, NGS is in the process of modernizing the NSRS, updating the existing horizontal datums with a suite of geometric reference frames and the vertical datums with a gravimetrically-derived geopotential datum.

This presentation mandates annual updates to the Forest Cover Type (FCT) dataset and centralized storage in the BIA Enterprise portal. It defines data standards, standardized workflows, and staff training to ensure integrity, accuracy, and efficient collection, processing, and sharing. FCT supports the Regional Forest Management Plan, reflecting evolving inventories, management goals, and past actions. Originally developed regionally (2003–2018) and revised notably in 2013–2014 using NAIP imagery, the protocol consolidates update procedures and user instructions for field and office contributors.

The Montana DPHHS CONNECT program described here provides critical health services to Montana community members. https://connectmontana.org/ , https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/ConnectMT/CONNECTReferralSystem , To communicate what agencies participate in the program, DPHHS built a modernized GIS directory dashboard that makes great use of the ArcGIS Experience Builder platform. This application allows users to do a variety of spatial operations to interact and learn about the program that will be covered in this session. For those interested in spatial approaches for assessing access to care in rural places, this talk will be right up their alley. The dashboard has not yet been finalized but should be at time of presentation. Additional efforts on accessibility of the resource will be covered as well.

TrialWear is a new medical device designed to improve health care outcomes in Montana and beyond. Developed by an interdisciplinary team from Montana State University, the device utilizes ArcGIS GeoEvent Server and built-in geofencing to alert providers when a clinical trial patient enters a medical facility. The goal of TrialWear is to promote rural representation in clinical trials by removing communication barriers between researchers and providers, allow more patients access to life-saving treatments, and increase the safety of clinical trial participants.

Since the 1980s, the Montana DNRC’s Stand Level Inventory (SLI) has supported forest management on Trust Lands through walkthrough-based field assessments of stand conditions. While foundational, this method presented challenges in data consistency, repeatability, and maintenance. Leveraging recent statewide LiDAR acquisition, DNRC developed the Remote Forest Inventory (RFI), integrating timber cruise data with LiDAR to produce spatially continuous, landscape-scale forest metrics. This presentation highlights DNRC’s application of GIS and remote sensing in developing the RFI, a modernization effort that transformed legacy inventory methods into a precise, efficient, and scalable framework for forest data management.