2026 Big Sky GeoCon - From Data to Design has ended

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2026 Big Sky GeoCon - From Data to Design

The Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals (MAGIP) looks forward to your participation at this year’s 2026 Big Sky GeoCon!

8:00am MDT

A Knowledge Workers Guide to Visual Management (Full Day) West Divide RoomBrett Horr, GISP, LAVM • Wendy Peloquin, GISP GIS for NG9-1-1 and Addressing (Full Day) Alpine RoomBob Cochran • Michael Fashoway Introduction to ArcGIS Data Management Using Python (Full Day) East Divide RoomDavid Howes

8:30am MDT

Intermediate Experience Builder South Glacier RoomKara Utter

12:00pm MDT

Lunch on your own

5:30pm MDT

MAGIP Meet Up - Sponsored by Terracon Blackstar BrewPub

8:00am MDT

Cartography Extravaganza (2.5 hours) West Divide RoomJohn Nelson Imagery Workflows for Processing and Management in ArcGIS (1/2 Day AM) Nordic RoomRyan Richardson • Cody Benkelman Introduction to the ArcGIS Parcel Fabric (1/2 Day AM) North Glacier RoomFrank Conkling Automating ArcGIS Pro Tasks with AI-Generated Python Code (Full Day) Alpine RoomEric Pimpler Introduction to ArcGIS Arcade (Full Day) East Divide RoomDavid Howes

12:00pm MDT

Lunch on Own On your own

1:00pm MDT

Cartography Extravaganza (2.5 hours) West Divide RoomJohn Nelson Intermediate Survey123 (1/2 Day PM) Nordic RoomCurtis DeVault

5:00pm MDT

Poster/Map Gallery & Sponsor Showcase Glacier Room/Foyer

8:00am MDT

Official Welcome & Conference Kick-off East/West Divide BallroomJackson Rose • John Muhlfeld

8:25am MDT

Web Map Presentations East/West Divide Ballroom

9:25am MDT

Transition Hands-on Learning Lab Nordic Room

9:35am MDT

Lessons Learned and the Benefits of a Cloud based GIS Alpine RoomBrock Saylor A Collaborative Partnership for Maintaining and Improving Parcel Data West Divide RoomRoss Carlson • Campbell Casseb • Jeff Hedstrom ESRI GeoAI Capabilities East Divide RoomRyan Richardson • Cody Benkelman

10:05am MDT

Turning drone data into GIS Intelligence with ESRI Site Scan Alpine RoomJay Haskamp • Collin Kemmesat

10:35am MDT

Networking Coffee Break | Visit Exhibitors

11:10am MDT

Beyond Connectivity: Bridging the Institutional Digital Divide in State Government East Divide RoomDaryl Southard Bridging Cityworks and ArcGIS Dashboards: Practical Arcade Techniques for Public Works KPIs Alpine RoomAndrew Stickney • Kyle Burke ArcGIS Pro and Python: Potentially Helpful Bits and Bobs West Divide RoomDavid Howes

11:25am MDT

GeoAI + 3D Streets East Divide RoomConnor Burns

11:40am MDT

ArcGIS for Real-Time Winter Weather and Street Sweeping Operations East Divide RoomScott Wolter • Ryan Richardson

12:10pm MDT

"Making Maps is just the best!" Hosted Lunch featuring Keynote Speaker: John Nelson East/West Divide BallroomJohn Nelson

1:25pm MDT

Visit Exhibitors Glacier Room

1:40pm MDT

The Modernized National Spatial Reference System is almost here! Alpine RoomBrian Shaw Addressing Roundtable West Divide RoomMike Powell • Jason Danielson GIS Imagery Roundtable East Divide RoomRyan Richardson • Cody Benkelman

2:10pm MDT

BIA GIS Standards: Ensuring Consistent Forest Cover Data Alpine RoomKen Bixby

2:40pm MDT

Networking Coffee Break | Visit Exhibitors Glacier Room/Foyer

3:10pm MDT

Design, Data, and Construction: The Use of Geospatial Tools in Stream Restoration East Divide RoomTanner Tompkins Showcasing the Montana DPHHS CONNECT Directory Dashboard Experience Builder Alpine RoomBrian Norderud Local Government SIG Roundtable West Divide RoomAndrew Stickney

3:40pm MDT

3:45pm MDT

Utilization of Field and Remote Sensing Data to Design the Piedmont Wetland Restoration Project East Divide RoomSelita Ammondt TrialWear: Integrating GIS in Clinical Trials to Save Lives Alpine RoomEric Sproles • Erich Schreier

4:15pm MDT

4:20pm MDT

Modernizing Forest Inventory on Montana’s Trust Lands through LiDAR and Timber Cruise Data Integration Alpine RoomAnna Moser • Clay Stephenson Let's Vibe Code a GIS App East Divide RoomKenny Ketner Challenges in Small Local Government GIS Operations West Divide RoomKevin Fitzgerald

4:50pm MDT

5:00pm MDT

Social Reception, Dinner, Awards and Trivia! East/West Divide Ballroom

8:00am MDT

MAGIP Annual Member Meeting East/West Divide Ballroom

9:00am MDT

9:05am MDT

AI and Satellite Imagery: Transforming Illegal Dumping Enforcement in Remote Areas Alpine RoomJoey Griebel Geospatial Governance: Laying the Foundation for a Reliable and Sustainable GIS West Divide RoomMatt Trebesch Visualizing Bozeman’s Data through FME and Experience Builder East Divide RoomLin Rich • Lauren Wilcox Hands-On Leaning Lab Nordic Room

9:35am MDT

9:40am MDT

Bringing Big Data Down to Earth East Divide RoomDan Mummert • Helen Paris MSDI Administrative Boundary Theme Update West Divide RoomMeghan Burns Quantifying the extent and magnitude of landslides in the Bridger Range using UAV-LiDAR Alpine RoomLena Nelson

10:10am MDT

10:15am MDT

Preparing for the 2030 Census and Redistricting: Block Boundary Suggestions West Divide RoomDave Ritts You have LiDAR in your area—Now What? East Divide RoomTyler Kaebisch Relative Cooling, Absolute Heating: How Rapid Urbanization Reshaped Thermal Dynamics across the Arabian Peninsula (2000-2020) Alpine RoomEqi Luo

10:45am MDT

Networking Coffee Break | Visit Exhibitors Glacier Room/Foyer

11:00am MDT

Resume Review Glacier Room/FoyerJackson Rose

11:05am MDT

For Whom? Parcel-Level Spatial Accessibility to Hazardous Fuels Reduction Alpine RoomPatrick Benson Wading into Elevation-Derived Waters – An Intro to EDH and 3DHP East Divide RoomBrian Hadley MSDI Cadastral Framework Update West Divide RoomJeff Hedstrom

11:35am MDT

11:40am MDT

DNRC Upper Yellowstone Structure Survey & GIS Methodologies Alpine RoomMatt Blassic • Hannah Nishek From Point Clouds to Posters: Making LiDAR Data Pop West Divide RoomMeghan Burns • Troy Blandford • Pat Jackson • Garret Weichel Utilizing Survey 123 and Microsoft Power Automate for Online Address Applications East Divide RoomJason Danielson

12:10pm MDT

Lunch on Own Student and Early Career Prof. Development Roundtable (includes lunch) East/West Divide BallroomElaine Guidero • Tyler Kaebisch • Kyle Burke • Helen Paris • Matt Blassic • John Nelson • Melissa Christie

1:40pm MDT

Secondary Education, Remote Sensing, GIS Integration, Ground-Truthing Alpine RoomSarah Tabor Resume Review Glacier Room/FoyerHelen Paris MSL Support for NG9-1-1 GIS East Divide RoomBob Cochran Geospatial Accessibility in Practice: Challenges, Tools, and Collaboration West Divide RoomMatt Trebesch • Nick Youngstrom • Allen Armstrong • Gail Jorgenson • Ryan Richardson • Cambria Ewart • Colton Hash

2:10pm MDT

Turning Massive NASA Climate Data into GIS-Ready Data Cubes Alpine RoomDaniel Bose

2:40pm MDT

2:45pm MDT

Sans Regret: Making Confident Font Choices for Maps East Divide RoomElaine Guidero • Liz Juers Shaping Montana’s Geospatial Future: A Conversation with the MGIA Council West Divide RoomErin Fashoway • Jennie Stapp • Allen Armstrong • Eric Spangenberg • Nick Youngstrom

3:50pm MDT

Closing and Door Prize Giveaways East/West Divide Ballroom

5:00pm MDT

GIS Scavenger Hunt Downtown Whitefish

8:00am MDT

Advanced Level ArcGIS Pro Parcel Fabric (1/2 Day AM) Alpine RoomFrank Conkling Intermediate ArcGIS Arcade (Full Day) Nordic RoomDavid Howes