Tentative Agenda
27th Annual New York State GIS Conference

• Smart Phone App Development Workshop
  Ever want to know how to develop some of those great smartphone applications everyone’s using?  Come to this workshop, and get a sense for how it’s done. This workshop will provide a general overview of the tools, skills, and registration requirements needed to get smartphone apps published. We’ll discuss the three primary platforms - iOS, Android, and Blackberry, and compare and contrast their various pros and cons. With the explosion of geo-intelligent devices in everyone’s hands, the ability to exploit these tools for customized geocentric information, inventories, and applications is boundless. Whether you’re a developer, or someone who just wants a better understanding of what’s inside that little black box, come learn how you can be part of this tremendous wave.
• LiDAR Workshop
  LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and other acquisition technologies are developing rapidly. The demand for high-quality elevation data has also increased significantly. This workshop will discuss the needs for high-resolution elevation data including an introduction to Lidar data, and examples of Lidar data applications. The participant will have hands-on experience implementing LIDAR data into GIS projects.
• AutoCAD GIS Workshop
  Description coming soon.
• Open Source GIS Workshop
  Do you ever feel like innovation in map production and online mapping tools is happening at a rate you can’t keep up with?  Would you like to start learning how to use open source and online technologies but you don't know where to begin? This hands-on workshop will provide the basic skills needed to utilize emerging geospatial tools for creating, analyzing, and publishing geospatial data. We will cover technologies such as MapWindows, Quantum GIS, TileMill and Google Fusion Tables, and other emerging open source technologies. Space is limited so register early and prepare to jump start your geospatial retraining! Attendees must bring their own laptop.
• Dealing with Data: Sources, Structures, and Solutions Seminar
  This four-hour seminar will address the challenges associated with the need to acquire and use geospatial data. The seminar presenters will include representatives from some of the federal and state agencies that distribute data within New York State. Datasets considered will cover a variety of application areas including water, air, soil, elevation, administrative, environmental, and imagery sources. The first part of the seminar will consider the process of obtaining data, will identify what is unique about particular datasets, and will identify some of the challenges and pitfalls associated with using the data including the preprocessing needed to convert tabular data into a spatial form and dealing with projections and datums. The second part of the seminar will demonstrate a variety of applications that highlight the traps, issues and limitations with performing analysis and producing map output.

Keynote Presentation Part 1

Jeff Howe, Author, Crowdsourcing

Specialized Spatial Spotlights

LiDAR: What's the Point?

Description coming soon.

Get Your Head in the Cloud

Did you ever wonder what’s in the Cloud?  Here is your chance to learn about some different GIS Cloud computing applications that are available to you.  Cloud computing is an efficient way to utilize GIS services without the initial costs for hardware and software in many cases.  Also, it will free you from having to maintain servers and other equipment.   It can also give you more flexibility by allowing you to be more mobile by allowing you access to GIS functionality online.  During this session, presenters from the geospatial community will give their perspectives on the benefits of using the Cloud to publish and share your spatial data.  

Crisis Response

This session will delve into the use of GIS in emergency response in New York and in neighboring states.  The session will start with 45 minutes of presentations by expert panelists that used GIS to respond to the recent flooding in New York and Vermont from Hurricane Irene as well as the response to the October snowstorm in hitting Connecticut and other incidents.  Panelists will be asked to talk about applications developed, the use of “crowd sourced” data and their recommendations for the most effective use of GIS in meeting the needs of their emergency management communities.

Think Spatially, Act Locally

Do you want to see how geospatial technology is being used or could be used by local governments?  This is your lucky day!  You will have a chance to see what others are doing with GIS and how it could be replicated possibly within your own organization.    Having the ability to understand different geospatial technologies and how they work together can be the difference in making an informative decision and increasing your efficiencies.

Keynote Presentation Part 2

Jeff Howe, Author, Crowdsourcing