Another Travel Guide to Cleveland (#nsgic2009)

Hard on the heels of the New York Times post about Cleveland, below, we're starting to get more information about this city in which NSGIC will hold its annual conference (#nsgic2009 for the cognoscenti). So let this post serve as an update-able semi-perma-post about that fair city.

In it, we can post information such as...

From Dan Widner (VA):
If you would like something fun to do on Sunday, consider a multi-modal transportation experience! The Cuyahoga Valley National Park contains the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath. You can combine the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad with a bike rental from the Peninsula store of Century Cycles to take your bicycle onboard the train and ride back to your starting point.

From the National Park Service website:

Discover the heart of Cuyahoga Valley National Park by walking, bicycling, or running on the Towpath Trail. You can travel the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal on the same path that mules walked to tow canal boats loaded with goods and passengers. From the trail, you can make connections to many natural and historic sites, as well as to Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR). Beyond the park, you can continue your journey on the Towpath Trail further along the Ohio & Erie Canalway.

What else should we know about coming in? Where, for example, are the best golf courses?

From Mike Mahaffie (DE):
Why not try using some mapping tools to note where fun things are?


View What to Do In and Around Cleveland in a larger map

This is a simple, open, crowd-sourced map of stuff mentioned above (so for). Feel free to add to it.

A Travel Guide to Cleveland (#nsgic2009)

We're getting close to travel time for the 2009 NSGIC Conference, in Cleveland, Ohio. Craig Niedig, who has some sort of USGS software that lets him read ahead into the near future, sent along a link to a Cleveland Travel Guide in this coming Sunday's NY Times travel section: 36 Hours in Cleveland.

It makes good reading and should be a useful resource for those wise enough to plan to join us along the Cuyahoga River in a city that, after some tough years, is bouncing back:

...instead of abandoning the city, local entrepreneurs and bohemian dreamers alike are sinking roots; opening a wave of funky boutiques, offbeat art galleries and sophisticated restaurants; and injecting fresh life into previously rusted-out spaces.

Registration is Now Open for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference

Now is the time to register for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. You can register on-line or download a printable registration form (PDF).

The conference, set for October 4 through October 8, will include the usual NSGIC mix of meetings, meals, networking, late-night brainstorms, peer-to-peer challenges and inspiration, and that astounding realization we all end up with around the third day: there's just a crazy amount of GIS coordination going on around the nation, and we're all a part of it!

The conference theme -- Fifty States Rockin' Solid -- is an accurate evocation of the intensity of a NSGIC conference.

Folks gathered at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel will hear from state and local leaders, from private sector partners, and from many federal agencies. They will caucus and hold business meetings. They will argue with and teach one another in the hallways. They will sit down together in any nook they can find and plan the sorts of projects that expand the use and sharing of geospatial tools and information by local, state and federal government in service to the people.

There's no good reason why you shouldn't be a part of this.

Registration for NSGIC members is $485 before September 4, or $570 after September 4, and $670 after September 25. For non-members, registration starts at $685 before September 4, rises to $770 after September 4, and to $870 after September 25.

Registration for all non-sponsoring corporate attendees is $1,500. So, why not consider becoming a sponsor?

In any case, registration is now open. So. Go and register.

Second Call for Content for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference

The NSGIC Conference Planning Committee has released its second and final call for content for the 2009 Annual NSGIC Conference. The Conference is scheduled for October 4 through 8, at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. This follows a first call, in April.

The NSGIC Annual Conference is an opportunity to explore state-level GIS coordination activities without losing focus on the NSGIC Advocacy Agenda (PDF).

Ideas for conference content should be e-mailed to Tony Spicci. While all suggestions are welcome, it is really very helpful to include names of individuals or groups that can present on the topic suggested.

The conference committee will review all suggestions and try to accommodate as many as time permits. A separate call for topics for the state caucus meetings will be released prior to the conference.

Plan on Being in Cleveland in October

Registration is now open for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference: Fifty States Rockin' Solid.

The conference will be held at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel (in Ohio, as you might expect) from October 4 through 8. The preliminary agenda (in Excel format) includes state caucus sessions, committee meetings, workshops, open discussions with private sector partners, homeland security training sessions and open-mic sessions. There will be a social event at the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.

The registration fee for members is $485 by September 4, it is $570 after September 4, and $670 if after September 25. For non-members, registration is $685 before September 4, $770 after that date, and $870 if after September 25. For all non-sponsoring corporate attendees, the registration fee is $1,500.

On-line registration is available as well as a downloadable PDF registration form.

Theme Set for 2009 NSGIC Conference

The theme has been chosen for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference, October 4 through 8, in Cleveland, Ohio.

NSGIC 2009: Fifty States Rockin’ Solid

The theme makes obvious reference to the establishment, in Cleveland, of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the (unofficial?) Cleveland theme song, "Cleveland Rocks!"

"This year's theme reflects NSGIC's commitment to all 50 states -- and insular areas -- working together to build the NSDI," explains Conference Committee Chair Tony Spicci, of Missouri. "It also recognizes that we’re going to have some fun doing it."

Conference plans include a social event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Call for Content for 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference

The Conference Planning Committee has released a first call for content for the 2009 Annual NSGIC Conference. The Conference is scheduled for October 4 through 8, at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio.

What do you want this conference to cover? All suggestions for content are welcome. However, it is really very helpful if you include the names of individuals or groups that can present on the topic you suggest. So, to be fair, we should say that content suggestions with more content are more welcome.

Please submit your ideas/suggestions to Tony Spicci via e-mail. The conference committee will review all suggestions and attempt to accommodate as many as time permits. A separate call for state caucus topics will be made prior to the conference.