Every year, the Washington GIS community comes together to share, connect, and reimagine what’s possible with geospatial technology. This June, we’re heading to the University of Washington Tacoma for the 2025 Washington GIS Conference, and the excitement is already building.

Whether you’re a seasoned GIS professional, a student just starting out, or somewhere in between, this is your chance to immerse yourself in the latest tools, ideas, and stories shaping our work across the state.

One of the highlights this year? Our keynote speaker, Sarah Bell, a dynamic cartographer and designer who has worked with everyone from the National Park Service to Esri. With a passion for map-making that balances both tradition and innovation, Sarah will challenge us to think differently about how we visualize the world and communicate data. Get to know Sarah Bell here.

The main conference runs June 17–18, with pre-conference workshops on June 16, offering hands-on learning and technical deep-dives before the full schedule of presentations begins. Expect sessions covering everything from web GIS and equity mapping, to emergency response workflows, automation tools, and inspiring case studies from across the Pacific Northwest.

And of course, it wouldn’t be the WA GIS Conference without some friendly competition:
The Poster, App, and Script Contest is back! This is your moment to show off that beautiful map, time-saving script, or interactive app you’ve been building behind the scenes. If you’ve been looking for a nudge to share your work, this is it. Check out the contest details here.

There are plenty of ways to be part of this year’s gathering—whether you’re presenting, volunteering, nominating a colleague, or simply showing up ready to learn. Explore ways to participate here.

And here’s a great bonus: Your registration includes your 2025 WAGISA membership, so you’ll stay connected with the Washington GIS community long after the conference ends.

This is more than a professional event. It’s a space for geographers, data scientists, planners, ecologists, students, and innovators of all kinds to come together and imagine the future of our work. We hope to see you in Tacoma this June—because what we build together today shapes the maps of tomorrow.

This post was contributed by Candice Plendle, Conference Coordinator and Associate with the True Wind Collaborative.