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ExecuNet and GITA XXIV Come Together
The following column was originally published in the GITA XXIV "Conference News Daily".
While attending the event in San Diego GeoCommunity Staff contributed daily news summaries and a daily column titled "From The Floor".
I think GITA president Tom Coolidge (Senior VP, Stoner Associates) summed it up best
with a comment in the latest edition of “AM/FM/GIS Networks”. He reminds attendees
of GITA XXIV to B.Y.O.B! Of course what Tom is referring to is for attendees to Bring
Your Own Boss. Why? Well, for the first time in almost 20 years, the ExecuNet Forum
will be running concurrently with the annual GITA Conference, providing visitors with
an opportunity for the entire project team to gather together in one location to collaborate,
learn, and even have some fun. ExecuNet is an exclusive educational and networking
event designed for senior-level executives from the utility sector, including electric, gas,
water/wastewater, public works, pipeline, and telecommunications.
Personally, I’ve always viewed the annual GITA Conference as one of the most
educational exhibitions available to geo-spatial industry professionals. Justifying one’s
presence at the show is pretty easy to do, and by co-locating the ExecuNet Forum with
the annual conference, I’m sure that a number of senior executives are making the trek to
San Diego this year with managers, analysts, and technicians in tow.
ExecuNet chair Peter Gomez (Manager GIS, WM, OMS Application Development, Xcel
Energy) explains that in past years, potential attendees were often faced with having to
choose between attending one of either the annual GITA Conference or ExecuNet.
Gomez feels that they have achieved a balance so that attendees will have the flexibility
to attend various sessions and experience the best of both venues. For example, executive
attending ExecuNet will be able to discuss technologies and solutions via the ExecuNet
tracks and then head over to the exhibition hall and see the technology in action or
discuss the possibilities face-to-face with a vendor or consultant.
Making the move to San Diego presented Gomez with a number of challenges. Last
year’s Forum took place in August in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Developing a program
that basically needed to be completed in December (just 4 months later) proved to be a
challenge that was met and accomplished successfully. He commends the efforts of the
planning committee and GITA staff for rising to the occasion. Mr. Gomez was a member
of the 2000 ExecuNet Forum planning committee, a position which helped him to
understand what would be involved and expected of a conference chair and enabled him
to “hit the ground running.”
Executives taking part in the 2001 ExecuNet Forum will notice an emerging group of
municipal and local government executives in attendance. This has been a noticeable
trend over the past couple of years and continues this year. Gomez notes, “we are seeing
a trend in recent years, where governments are implementing GIS for a variety of
applications such as emergency 911 systems.” The GITA conference is seeing more of a
global presence in participation, whereas this has not been the case with the ExecuNet
Forum.
Participants of 2001 ExecuNet can expect to leave with a better understanding of the
global marketplace, enhanced organizational and people skills, and strategies to align
information and technology within existing corporate structures. The show and exhibition
will provide a chance to see effective results of these processes and the boss can then
wind down and take the crew out for dinner or enjoy some of the many attractions in San
Diego. It doesn’t get any better than this!
So, at the end of the week who do you praise for a job well done? ExecuNet Forum chair
Peter Gomez explains… “the Execunet planning committee is comprised of GIS leaders
from both the user and vendor community. These individuals provided a wealth of
expertise, demonstrated by their involvement in all facets of the Execunet program. Of
course we could not have completed all of the tasks in creating this venue without the
fantastic support of the GITA staff. Their efforts are sincerely appreciated.”
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