Innovative Industry Leaders to Speak at the 2008 ESRI Business GIS Summit

Business Wire, March 13, 2008

Keynote Presentations Will Explore How Organizations Can Gain the Geographic Advantage

REDLANDS, Calif. -- ESRI is pleased to announce keynote speakers for the upcoming Business GIS Summit, taking place April 27-30 at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. During the Plenary Session, attendees will hear from industry executives and thought leaders from some of today's leading commercial organizations, which are leveraging business geographic information system (GIS) solutions to gain a competitive edge, drive business innovation, and increase return on investment (ROI).

Keynote speakers will include Patrick Alesi, senior vice president and comanager of business continuity at Lehman Brothers, and Dave Miller, director of health care and GIS planning and research at Walgreens. Alesi will discuss integrating GIS as part of business interruption and disaster response planning initiatives. Miller will explore retail GIS and the huge question of where--Where are my current locations, where is the market potential, and where should I go next? This presentation will offer attendees a rare look inside one of the largest retailers in the country.

Additional keynote speakers include Jay Zhang, senior manager of marketing analysis at JPMorgan Chase, and Dusty Clevenger, senior manager of strategic planning and business development at Archer Daniel Midland (ADM). Zhang will address the use of GIS in market, channel, and branch site analysis as well as discuss the vital role GIS plays in analyzing the housing market. Clevenger will review the GIS growth at ADM from a single desktop license just three years ago to a skilled GIS staff today, developing server applications and spatial analysis at all levels of the corporation. He will also explore the key milestones and critical success factors of ADM's GIS experience including fitting technology into their business, quantifying business value, and building and maintaining momentum.

"We are very excited about the quality and diverse expertise of this year's keynote speakers," says Simon Thompson, commercial business industry solutions manager, ESRI. "These thought leaders represent some of the nation's most innovative commercial organizations. Their experience, knowledge, and real-world application of GIS and spatial analysis provide valuable insight and intuitive ideas that any business professional can bring back to their organization and immediately benefit from."

Offering three full days of inspiring sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities, the ESRI Business GIS Summit gives attendees direct access to the latest software, data, and services developed specifically for the commercial user community. To find out more about the keynote speakers for this year's summit, visit www.esri.com/bizsummit. Registration and accommodation information is also available online. If you have any questions, please contact K. C. Shearer at kshearer@esri.com or 909-793-2853, extension 1-2894.

About ESRI

Founded in 1969, ESRI (www.esri.com) is the world leader in the GIS software industry. ESRI offers innovative solutions that help users create, manage, analyze, and display information to make timely decisions and solve problems they encounter every day. ESRI's comprehensive product line ranges from desktop GIS to GIS for the enterprise.