October 14-15, 2026
Bismarck Event Center
The North Dakota Geospatial Summit started out as GIS Day in 2001. In 2005 that event turned into the North Dakota GIS Users Conference. Reflecting the dynamic and widening geospatial field but not losing sight of the foundation continuing to be built upon by geospatial professionals, in 2019 the event was renamed to the North Dakota Geospatial Summit. The North Dakota Geospatial Summit is THE event in North Dakota for you if you can check one or more of these:
- Discover how GIS and geospatial tools can directly support your work—whether you’re a seasoned GIS professional or brand new to the field.
- Learn about the latest technologies, trends, and buzzwords in geospatial science, and understand what they actually mean for your organization.
- Connect with experts who administer, design, or support geospatial systems across government, tribal, and private sectors.
- See real-world success stories showing how GIS improves public services, infrastructure management, emergency preparedness, natural resource work, and more.
- Explore solutions offered by companies specializing in geospatial software, data, mapping, analytics, and support services.
- Build new skills applicable to administrators, managers, educators, surveyors, engineers, utility professionals, planners, and anyone who uses or relies on spatial data.
- Network with peers from city, county, state, tribal, academic, and business communities who share similar challenges and goals.
- Gain insights that help you make informed decisions—whether you supervise GIS staff, use location-based data, or simply want to understand how geospatial tools can benefit your field.
- Here is a small sample of abstract titles already received:
Map the Message: Telling Your Story Through GIS
The National Map: New Look and New Data
More Than a Pretty Picture: Effective Cartographic Design for Scientific Communication
New! The 2026 Geospatial Summit will follow the October 11-13, 2026 North Dakota Association of Counties Conference. If you are planning to attend that conference, consider staying a bit longer and attend the Geospatial Summit!
Keynote Speakers
Click on a tile for more information:
Justin Fisher
Director of Lands and Compliance, Metro Flood Diversion Authority
Justin Fisher, of West Fargo, North Dakota, joined the Metro Flood Diversion Authority as its Director of Lands and Compliance in June 2025. Prior to this role, Justin worked for multiple federal agencies, to include the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, most recently, the U.S. Department of Energy. Throughout these different roles, Justin has gained an extensive background in land management, real estate, and environmental compliance.
Join us in listening to Justin's presentation, "Seeing Beyond the Dirt: What Lies Ahead for the FM Diversion"
Eric Abrams
Strategic Geospatial Advisor, GFT
Eric Abrams invites you on a fun and lighthearted journey through his 36 years of personal GIS experiences. From Iowa DOT GIO to consultant and entrepreneur, his story highlights trials, tribulations, and lessons learned that shape his view of today's and tomorrow's GIS landscape. In this lively, interactive session, Eric shares memorable experiences—and maybe some advice—about navigating budgets, government, technology, data, and organizational structures in pursuit of enterprise GIS utopia.
Join us in listening to Eric's presentation, "Journey of a GIS Manager"
Schedule
We are planning 8am-5pm on Day 1 and 8am-noon on Day 2. This is subject to change.
Here is a schedule overview (opens a PDF)
Agenda
As we get closer to the Summit, we will be updating the agenda below. It is currently under construction.
Our Venue
Bismarck Event Center
315 South 5th St, Bismarck ND
Prairie Rose Rooms (Upper Level - Exhibit Hall Entrance Door E42)
Thank You Sponsors!
Geospatial Summit Premier
Frontier Precision
Geospatial Summit Partner
Houston Engineering
EnerGETic
Bismarck State College's Automation, Energy, and Advanced Technologies Division
