GIS-Pro 2026

It is nearly upon us. NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) has redefined the entire National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). Nearly two decades in the making, preliminary versions of all components of the Modernized NSRS are available for public review and comment. The complete system will be unleashed in 2027. Every coordinate in the U.S. will change. New “horizontal” and “vertical” datums will replace the existing datums. All zones of the State Plane Coordinate System will be replaced, with many new zones added. The international foot will replace the U.S. survey foot. All coordinates will have a date (“epoch”) to account for the fact that everything is moving. This presentation gives a peek behind the curtain to show what was done by NGS and why, along with new tools. Despite its behind-the-curtain complexity, the Modernized NSRS will be easier to use, more consistent, and more accurate than anything before, to better serve the GIS, mapping, surveying, and engineering professions.

 Keywords: National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), NSRS modernization, New datums, State Plane Coordinate System, Time-dependent coordinates, Coordinate epochs, U.S. survey foot, International foot

Attendance at technical short courses is included with full conference registration and pre-registration is not required. Note that seats are available on a first-come/first-served basis. 

Learn how to think and create visuals like a graphic designer. This workshop goes beyond visualization basics to explore the deliberate choices that make maps and charts not just correct but compelling. In this technical short course, you'll learn practical techniques for using color intentionally, balancing space to guide the reader's eye, and structuring visuals to tell a clear story. The techniques you'll learn in this course can be applied across maps, charts, dashboards, and more.

Keywords: data visualization, cartography, dashboard, storymap, presentations

Attendance at technical short courses is included with full conference registration and pre-registration is not required. Note that seats are available on a first-come/first-served basis. 

What happens when your GIS systems go down? In this session, Carley walks through the real-world consequences of losing geospatial capabilities when they’re needed most, from failed emergency response to critical decision-making gaps. Using real scenarios and lessons learned, she challenges GIS professionals to rethink their role as essential infrastructure, not just support services. Attendees will be guided through a practical framework for building a Continuity of Operations (COOP) plan tailored specifically for GIS departments. The session breaks down key components such as identifying mission-critical functions, mapping system dependencies, assessing risk, and preparing staff and resources to operate under disruption. Through structured examples, worksheets, and actionable strategies, participants will leave with a clear path to strengthening resilience in their own organizations, and ensuring their GIS programs can continue to function when everything else is failing.

Keywords: Continuity, COOP, Emergency, Resiliency, Strategy, Planning, Risk

Attendance at technical short courses is included with full conference registration and pre-registration is not required. Note that seats are available on a first-come/first-served basis. 

In this session, best practices to plan photogrammetry and LiDAR missions for sUAS mapping will be discussed. This includes flight planning including site research, mission planning, and field procedure. This technical short course will also include an overview of the differences in processing LiDAR data versus photogrammetry processing and will conclude with AI-based feature extraction and other techniques to create a map including surfaces and contour lines.

Keyworks: sUAS, drone, mapping, survey, AI, point cloud, orthoimage, dem, tin, contour, LiDAR, photogrammetry, sensor, GNSS, GPS
 
Luis Rojas, Civil Engineer, Part-107 sUAS pilot, Regional Sales Director, Carlson Software, Dubuque, IA

Attendance at technical short courses is included with full conference registration and pre-registration is not required. Note that seats are available on a first-come/first-served basis.