Esri User Conference

A project display with an online life

Esri’s map call asks for noncommercial projects that used Esri software. A submission needs the map title, author and organization names, a primary contact’s email and phone number, the Esri products and data sources used, a brief description, and a publicly accessible web-optimized map image or URL. Image files must be PDF, JPG or PNG, with a width or height of at least 1,920 pixels.

Accepted entries are slated for both the Interactive Map Gallery at the conference and the Virtual Map Gallery on the conference website. Esri says accepted maps will remain in the online gallery after the event, where subsequent votes will continue to count toward each map’s ranking. Some may also be considered for Jack Dangermond’s plenary session or Esri marketing materials; neither use is promised.

A panel reservation comes with practical responsibilities. After approval and confirmation of a reservation, contributors are responsible for printing and bringing their display. The allotted panel measures 34.75 by 80.9 inches (0.88 by 2.05 meters). Contributors with reservations are asked to spend an hour by their map or poster during the Map Gallery Reception, answering questions and discussing the project.

The dates on the map page need careful reading. May 29, 2026, is identified as the cutoff for award-category consideration, not as a general submission deadline; the page invites people to sign up for notice when the submission period opens but does not give an overall closing date. The award categories described are for 2026, not a confirmed 2027 list. They ranged from Reference Map and Place Perspective to Interactive Web Map, Outstanding Spatial Analysis, Communication of Methodology, Envisioning the Future, Artistic, Universal Design and Accessibility, Innovative, and Teaching with Maps. Esri says partners are not eligible for awards, though they can encourage customers to submit work featuring partner solutions and may be credited in submission details.

Further reading: Call for Maps | 2027 Esri User Conference ↗

Proposals must teach, not promote

The presentation call is for members of the Esri user community who can explain how they used GIS to address a problem and what they learned. Proposals are assessed by an Esri committee on topic, content and available time. The posted abstract deadline was October 30, 2026, which had passed by the November 2 source check; Esri says submitters are due to hear about selections in March 2027.

All submissions must be in English. Applicants provide speaker names, a company name, a complete address, phone and email details, a title of no more than 80 characters, an abstract of up to 600 characters, and three to five keywords. Esri says information entered will be published on its website and in the agenda. A free Esri Events account is required; it is separate from other Esri and ArcGIS Online accounts. Distributors and business partners may submit for an end user, but that person must be named as the primary speaker and be able to attend.

The call’s subject areas include architecture, engineering and construction; business; conservation; education; health and human services; infrastructure; national government; natural resources; nonprofits; public safety; science; social impact; state and local government; sustainable development; and transportation. Examples named include financial services, logistics, public health, utilities, Tribal and Indigenous governance, agriculture, emergency management, climate action, land records, public transit and ports. These are areas Esri is seeking proposals in, not confirmed 2027 sessions.

The format may help applicants decide how to shape a proposal: an individual presentation slot is 20 minutes including questions and answers, while a 60-minute user session combines two presentations around a theme. Papers and talks must be educational and noncommercial; speakers cannot use the slot to advertise a product, service or company. Selected primary speakers receive complimentary conference registration. Additional speakers may use special early-bird rates. Speakers also receive access to a dedicated hotel room block and a certificate, button and digital downloads. Esri says it will send session details and speaking instructions in early April 2027 and assign a moderator to help speakers prepare and facilitate the session on site.

Further reading: Call for Presentations | 2027 Esri User Conference ↗

Other routes into the event

The conference overview separately invites people to submit up to three maps, photographs or diagrams for possible inclusion in the Plenary Session. Esri is collecting email sign-ups for notification when that opportunity opens. This is a chance to be considered, not confirmation of a 2027 plenary feature or its contents.

Companies interested in exhibiting or sponsoring can sign up to be notified when applications open. That page does not name a 2027 exhibitor roster. The San Diego Convention Center listing classifies the event as a convention with a trade show, but that classification does not identify which companies will participate.

Further reading: 2027 Esri User Conference: July 12-16 in San Diego, CA ↗ · Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor | 2027 Esri User Conference ↗ · ESRI / ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH INSTITUTE - San Diego Convention Center ↗