2023 Esri Partner Conference wrap-up: views from the ground

March 16, 2023

Jay Terrill

This year, three of Esri Canada’s partner managers were in person at the Esri Partner Conference (EPC) in Palm Springs, California, and they came back inspired! They saw familiar faces, made new friends, and overall deepened their relationships to members of the Esri Partner Network. Read on to find out more about EPC’s plentiful opportunities and vibrant atmosphere.

A brightly coloured mural saying “We are happy you are here. Thank you to all of the developers and partners. We appreciate you!” Taken in the lobby at the 2023 Esri Partner Conference.

Photo credit: Brianna Kelly

From Brad Ashley, business development partner manager for AEC:

The 2023 Esri Partner Conference (EPC) took place in early March at the Palm Springs Convention Center and with a record number in attendance, the opportunities to connect with partners old and new were great.

The event consisted of three days of sessions with topics related to partner needs, including beginner topics like “Introduction to Partnering with Esri” as well as advanced topics like “International Infrastructure Opportunities”.

As the Esri Canada business partner manager overseeing architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) partners, the topics that drew my attention were primarily related to digital twins, BIM/CAD integration and my word of the week, infrastructure.

It didn’t take long to see that I wasn’t the only one who was enamored with this word. In the Sunday plenary, Jack Dangermond and his guests used the term dozens of times.

Presenters at the event showcased tools like ArcGIS Indoors, Site Scan for ArcGIS and the newly released ArcGIS Reality. They discussed the capability of this new tool suite to find a missing hiker. Seems like there are opportunities to use this same tool suite for site security on large infrastructure projects.

Our Silver partner AECOM had their chief digital officer, Colette Munro, speak about their SaaS application PlanEngage, which is designed to promote collaboration on projects to reduce risk and improve outcomes for the greater community. This cloud-based tool shows how partners can take regulatory requirements like community engagement to a whole new level.

Using tools like these, community members can engage when, where and how they want, removing barriers to inclusion for many involved in the dialogue.

Other topics throughout the weekend included roads, rails, ports, water, utilities, telecommunications … you got it, infrastructure. It was great to hear about how tools from both Esri and our partners are revolutionizing the way we design, build and operate.

If you work in this space and aren’t yet a business partner, it’s not too late. Reach out and let’s discuss how you and your team can play a role in the advancing world of infrastructure.

Oh, and by the way, I used the word five times, if you weren’t keeping count yourself.

The exterior of the Palm Springs Convention Center, where many outdoor tables have been set up and people are sitting chatting with one another. A large sign above the convention center doors says “Esri: 2023 Esri Partner Conference & Developer Summit”.

Photo credit: Brianna Kelly

From Brianna Kelly, technical solutions specialist:

The Palm Springs hospitality, the friendliness of the staff at the conference venue and the food throughout the 2023 Esri Partner Conference was fantastic.

I got to meet Canadian partners whom I’ve worked with in person for the first time! I also got to meet partners that I hadn’t yet met. We met at sessions, over lunch, during breaks and in the evening.

It was also nice to witness partners getting to know each other throughout the event and grow their networks. I also got to meet with other Esri distributors across the world, including staff from Esri Korea and Esri España (Spain).

The sessions at EPC were very valuable—they provided an overview of our entire EPN program, including business, technology and market opportunities. The EPC is a great event to attend if you want to understand all Esri Partner Network key programming. If you’re new, need a refresher or just want to learn at a quick pace, plan to come to the EPC in the future.

Co-presenting two sessions—one called “Leveraging ArcGIS Technology for Business Opportunities” and one called “Getting Ready for ArcGIS System Ready”—was also very rewarding for me. It allowed me to see partners taking in the session in the audience and making plans to adopt ArcGIS patterns and apply for the ArcGIS System Ready Specialty.

Finally, for me, EPC was an opportunity to meet Esri staff (including product managers and members of the Esri Partner Network team) in person. And as always, I was left inspired by the plenary session!

The stage at the 2023 Esri Partner Conference plenary session. Jack Dangermond stands to the left of the stage in front of a packed audience. Behind Jack, a slideshow is displayed. The stage is lit with blue and shows maps and images of the globe.

Photo credit: Brianna Kelly

From Fiona Hatfield, business partner manager:

EPC is a benefit for all partners. We had several new, startup and smaller organizations join us at EPC this year, and I was excited to see them gain so much benefit from their attendance.

The benefits include:

Creating deeper connections with the people in your field. EPC provides networking opportunities with Esri, Esri distributors and with other partners that can lead to further business opportunities down the line.

Pictured here are Canadian EPN partners Caroline Arnouk from OPA Technologies, Haseeb Malik from IRIS R&D and Matt Pietryzyn from Qwhery, posing with Esri’s Jack Dangermond.

(L-R) Caroline Arnouk from OPA Technologies, Haseeb Malik from IRIS R&D and Matt Pietryzyn from Qwhery pose with with Esri’s Jack Dangermond. Photo by Caroline Arnouk.

Photo credit: Caroline Arnouk, OPA Technologies

One unique networking opportunity at EPC was the ”Map the World” social, which allowed partners to engage directly with staff in some of Esri’s 86 distributor regions. Partners and distributors were able to make valuable connections all in one place. For example, partner managers Roland Schenkel and Markus Schlager from Esri Switzerland were available to answer everyone’s questions.

Two partner managers from Esri Switzerland, Roland Schenkel and Markus Schlager, stand on either side of the Swiss flag. In front of them, a table showcases various Esri Switzerland swag items.

Photo credit: Roland Schenkel and Markus Schlager

Staying on the leading edge of Esri best practices. EPC allows partners to get the latest technical and business best practices from Esri’s partner enablement teams.

“Opportunities and Benefits of Co-Selling with Esri” and “Doing Business with Esri Internationally” were two well-attended sessions that I would recommend to all new partners. Both sessions were recorded and will be hosted on the Esri Partner Community in the coming weeks.

Being the first to know where Esri technology is going next. By attending EPC, partners can see new Esri technology, like ArcGIS Knowledge and ArcGIS Reality, in action.

Esri teams demonstrated new or niche GIS technology or capabilities, introducing new ideas to partners and expanding the art of the possible with the ArcGIS system.

I also had the opportunity to deep dive into ArcGIS Identity through demonstrations and practical step-by-step examples. Esri’s technical teams showed the audience how different security and authentication patterns grant access to users’ ArcGIS content and services.

These are only some of the reasons that joining us at EPC 2024 can help you build and grow your partnership with Esri teams and the ArcGIS technology stack. Looking forward to this event next year!