Hotel Murano in Tacoma | 1320 Broadway, Tacoma, WA 98402

Join us in Tacoma, Washington for the NACIS Annual Meeting, October 16–19. We invite you to submit proposals for the Main Conference, Practical Cartography Day, specialty-themed sessions, discussion panels, workshops, field trips, or any other way that you are interested in contributing on themes related to cartography. 

Submissions are now open!

Submission deadline: May 15, 2024

Not sure where to contribute? The annual meeting has lots of opportunities for you to share your knowledge and work.

Main Conference

Present your cartographic accomplishments, research, or ideas to the NACIS community during our main sessions on Thursday and Friday. Questions about presenting? Email [email protected].

Types of talks you can submit for the Main Conference:
* Standard Talk: 15-20 minutes
In-depth discussion of a cartography or GIS-related topic. Presenter(s) may use their entire allotted time to present their project or paper or may choose to present a shorter paper followed by a brief discussion with the audience. Here’s an example of a standard talk.

* Lightning Talk: 5-10 minutes
Quick description or discussion of a process, collection of quick tips and tricks, behind-the-scenes peek at a project, or highlights of an academic paper. Here’s a lighting talk from 2023.

* Birds of a Feather:
An informal, conversational, hands-on, or interactive session planned in advance and scheduled parallel to the Main Conference sessions. Conference organizers reserve the right to accept or decline proposals based on what is logistically possible in terms of space and scheduling. We encourage you to consider a Saturday workshop for more in-depth sessions. This will be listed in the program.

* NACIS Commons: 
Organic gatherings spearheaded by our members. You are invited to host one of your own — for affinity groups, topic-related chats, group mapping projects… the possibilities are endless! You do not need to submit a proposal for NACIS Commons! There will be a sign-up sheet at the venue during the conference and a dedicated space set aside for people to gather. These gatherings will appear on the program as NACIS Commons; specific gatherings will not be listed in the program.

* Panels: 
These sessions get their own room and time slots. Please include a panel title, brief abstract, and a list of the panelists when submitting your proposal. The number of panels may be limited due to space or other logistical considerations.

* Other Ideas:
If your idea does not fall within these categories, you can still submit it for consideration. In your proposal, please include a detailed description of your session or activity and any logistical requirements such as room size, equipment, and time allotment. The organizers reserve the right to accept or decline proposals based on what is logistically possible in terms of space and scheduling.

Practical Cartography Day

Help put the ‘practical’ in Practical Cartography Day! Share your mapping tips and tricks, new design ideas, and innovative methods, or take the NACIS community on a journey back to basics with a refresher on some of those key best practices. This all-day event on Wednesday preceding the main conference is focused on process and practical mapmaking across all formats and mediums. Questions about PCD? Email [email protected].

Types of talks you can submit for Practical Cartography Day:
* Standard Talk: 15-20 minutes
In-depth discussion of a cartography or GIS-related topic. Presenter(s) may use their entire allotted time to present their project or paper or may choose to present a shorter paper followed by a brief discussion with the audience.

* Lightning Talk: 5-10 minutes
Quick description or discussion of a process, collection of quick tips and tricks, behind-the-scenes peek at a project, or highlights of an academic paper.

Workshops and Field Trips

Submission deadline: May 15, 2024

Interested in organizing a post-conference workshop or field trip around Tacoma? Email [email protected] with your ideas!

Practical Cartography Day, workshops, and field trips require registration separate from the Main Conference.

Map Gallery

Submission deadline: August 31, 2024

Show off your latest projects, best cartographic designs, research, or experimental or avant-garde techniques in Tacoma! Questions about submitting to the Map Gallery? Email [email protected].

Student Print and Dynamic Map Competitions

Submission deadline: August 31, 2024

Students entering their maps in the print or dynamic mapping competitions are eligible to win cash prizes. Questions about submitting to the competitions? Email [email protected].

Travel Grants

Travel grants are available to support the attendance of students and professionals alike. Learn more about travel grants here. Grant applications will open for NACIS 2024 this summer. Check back later for more details.

Code of Conduct

All attendees are encouraged to review the NACIS Code of Conduct.

Hotel Reservations

Book your hotel room early as our room block often sells out quickly! The annual meeting will convene at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, Washington. Take advantage of the NACIS conference rate by clicking this link: