MidAmerica GIS Consortium MidAmerica GIS

Virtual Workshops Now Open

Amber Shultz — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 14:47:03 GMT

We can say without a doubt that we were extremely disappointed that we had to cancel MAGIC 2020. But - now we have some amazing news!

We are incredibly excited to announce our Virtual Workshop Series. What is this, you may ask? Well, we are migrating the Workshops we were offering at MAGIC 2020 to an online platform! The best part of this? Each workshop is only $50! Seriously!

We are updating the Course Catalog often - so check back regularly. We hope to have 1-2 workshops per month for the foreseeable future. Check out what we have scheduled!

Don't delay signing up - space is limited!

PS - A HUGE thank you to our instructors for their willingness to do this and also our Workshop Committee for setting it up. This is why we love MAGIC so much!

MAGIC Announces 2020-2022 Executive Committee

Amber Shultz — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 15:25:42 GMT

Today MAGIC announced their new 2020-2022 Executive Committee. Congratulations to:

Susan Norton (AR), Consortium Chair
Mark Yacucci (IL), Symposium Chair
Stacey Roberts (MO), Secretary
Paula Lemke (IA), Treasurer
Charles Brady III (OK), Director
Brian Culpepper (AR), Director
Bryce Hirschman (KS), Director
Bob Nutsch (ND), Director
Amber Shultz (KS), Director

MAGIC 2020 CANCELED

Amber Shultz — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:37:55 GMT

Unfortunately, MAGIC is announcing that MAGIC 2020 is canceled. This announcement comes with great disappointment. We were very hopeful rescheduling MAGIC 2020 from April to August would provide some clarity on the situation. The Board came to the consensus late last week that no conference is worth risking the health of our community and uncertain budgetary scenarios will likely impact our participants’ education and travel.

MAGIC wants to extend our appreciation to all the pre-conference workshop instructors and presenters who volunteered in 2020. Also - a heartfelt thank you to our Symposium Planning Committee who poured a lot of time and passion into MAGIC 2020.

A couple of pieces of good news. First – be on the lookout for the MAGIC 2022 announcement soon. Secondly, we hope to announce a series of online workshops very soon!

Below is information on logistics:

Registration:

MAGIC will automatically cancel your registration.

Refunds:

If your invoice is unpaid, we will simply mark it void;
If you paid by check, MAGIC will issue a refund check;
If you paid by credit card within the last 6 months, refunds will be issued to the card on file;
If you paid by credit card more than 6 months ago, MAGIC will issue you a check. Unfortunately our credit card processor will not allow refunds for transactions over 6 months old.

Travel & Hotel Accommodations:

You will need to cancel your own travel arrangements including hotel reservations. The Omaha Doubletree can be reached at 866-238-4218.

Ligado Proposal to FCC

Amber Shultz — Thu, 28 May 2020 15:13:01 GMT

As an advisory organization to the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO), MAGIC has added our name to a letter to presented to the U.S. Senate and House Committees on Armed Services. See the letter here.

It is important to note that COGO only communicates on policy matters where there is complete unanimity among its members.

Why Come to MAGIC 2020?

Amber Shultz — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 21:42:25 GMT

What Are People Saying?

Why should you attend MAGIC 2020? Here's a few tidbits you should consider from our previous conferences:

100% of our attendees (who responded) would recommend MAGIC to others.
"A valuable opportunity to share information and network" is the #1 reason people attend MAGIC.
Keynotes described as "the best I have seen in years".
Quotes from attendees on why they attend:
- The amount of accumulated knowledge that is readily shared by instructors and participants.
- Networking:Being with people who speak the same geek language I do.
- It's great to see friends and colleagues every two years. A reunion of sorts.
- The social events were awesome!

Not Too Late To Participate

Do you know who makes the most captivating, fascinating, and engaging Program Schedule? No - not us (but thanks *wink*).

YOU DO! Your presentations are just one of the many aspects that has made MAGIC successful since the 1980s!

Submit your presentation today and be a part of what makes MAGIC magical :)

Deadline is Mar 1!

Pre-Conference Workshop Highlight

Are you finding it a challenge to know what Esri ArcGIS Online tools are right for your data and your organization? Sign up for "Configuring ArcGIS Online Applications for Data Collection, Visualization, and Analysis" and learn hands-on skills as well as tips, tricks, and recommendations for a variety of ArcGIS Online solutions! Taught by Jesse Adams & Ethan Borgen of North Point Geographic Solutions. This instruction team earned 3 out of 4 stars in 2018!

View all Pre-Conference Workshops

Talk at MAGIC 2020

Amber Shultz — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 15:25:59 GMT

Talk At MAGIC 2020

Do you like to talk? Super! It's not too late to submit a presentation for 2020 - Deadline is Mar 1. Click here to submit now!

Do you not like talking? It's ok...we understand. But, you know - they say exposure is the best way to get over a fear. MAGIC 2020 has a wide array of session times starting at just 10 minutes. What a great way to not only get over your fear of speaking, but show off all that cool stuff you're doing!

You think people won't be interested? Wrong! Our geospatial fandom loves to learn. Whether it's a cool scripting tip or a story where your boss actually listened to you - we want to know how you did it! Sign up now!

Chiefs Win the Super Bowl!

This obviously has nothing to do with MAGIC, but according to our sources*, the 9-state MAGIC region was rooting for the Chiefs and we like maps**. So - thank you.

* Aka quick Google search

** Normally we make our own maps-being professional geospatial practitioners, but this one came from https://fox4kc.com/2020/01/31/its-official-this-sunday-the-chiefs-are-americas-team/

MAGIC 2020: Exhibitor Deadline, Justify Your Tip, and Workshops

Amber Shultz — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:08:41 GMT

Exhibitor Deadline Approaching

Are you looking to engage with hundreds of geospatial practitioners across the Midwest region? Yes? Great! Then you should make sure to sign up as a MAGIC exhibitor or sponsor. We have lots of options to fit any budget. The deadline is approaching fast - February 1! You can find all the information you need here. Questions, please contact Tony Spicci.

Justify Your Trip

We get it - money is tight and unfortunately educational opportunities are the first to get cut. MAGIC is a steal for only $425 and pre-conference workshops for only $125. And, Omaha is within driving distance of the majority of our membership (duh - that's why we picked it). Help justify your trip with this handy letter you can provide with your pre-travel authorization.

Pre-Conference Workshops Filling Up Fast!

Register for MAGIC 2020 here!

We know we've said this before - and we are not kidding. At $125 for classes like these, they are filling up incredibly fast:

Python Scripting (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
Data Management, Analytics, Visualization
Program Management
ArcPro
ModelBuilder
Precision Editing
Geospatial Law
And More...

Dates to Know

February 1, 2020: Exhibitor Registration Deadline

March 1, 2020: Presentation Submission Deadline

March 20, 2020: Early Bird Registration Deadline

March 30, 2020: Hotel Reservation Deadline

April 20-23, 2020: MAGIC 2020!

Omaha Doubletree

1616 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE

2018-2020 Grant Recipients Announced

Amber Shultz — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 15:10:58 GMT

MAGIC would like to thank all the wonderful grant applicants received this 2018-2020 grant cycle. Such a broad base of Geographic Information Professionals submitting grants makes it hard to select only two winners, but alas, that is what we must do.

MAGIC congratulates the following 2018-2020 grant applicants.

Western AR Planning and Development District, Inc. – Fort Smith, AR
Kansas University Endowment Association – Lawrence, KS

MAGIC is eager to watch & learn from these fantastic projects!

New MAGIC Website

Amber Shultz — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 18:45:43 GMT

As you've probably noticed, we've been a little silent as of late. Well, we've spent the last several months in our dungeons completely revamping MAGIC and our branding. As you can see, we have a new logo and a new website. And we love both of them.

This new website is a complete overhaul. We will begin (free) membership management, forums, blogs, group, AND event registration through this site. We've only begun to scratch the surface on this site - so if you have an idea - send it our way!

Please pass the word along for folks to join MAGIC (for free)!

New MAGIC Identity!

Amber Shultz — Sat, 25 Feb 2017 02:26:32 GMT

We are really excited to announce our new MAGIC logo. Not only does it replace one that we've been using for 30 years, but we believe it makes a statement as to who we are. The logo is comprised of 9 segments, each representing a MAGIC state. But, they come together as a whole, illustrating our unification - which is what the MAGIC community is. We hope you like it too!