October 21-23, 2025

Isleta Resort,
Albuquerque

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Tuesday, October 21 – WORKSHOPS

(Not included in Attendee Registration)

(Lunch not provided on this day)

DAMAGE INVESTIGATION
TRAINING – $150

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Instructor: Roger Cox
ACTS Now Inc.

OK, you’ve had a damage, now what? Whether you are the utility owner/operator, excavator or the locator of record; the one thing you’ll have in common now is a need for a quality damage investigation. Just determining the facts about the damage is not enough. The objective of this workshop is to teach the participant how to conduct a quality damage investigation. If the investigation doesn’t determine clearly why the damage occurred, it is likely to reoccur. Additionally if the investigation itself is not clear, concise and complete, you are more likely to be responsible for damages and/or fines even if you were not responsible for the damage.

Attend this workshop and learn what makes a photograph a good photograph, learn the value of telling the story of the damage with sketches and photos and presenting your findings with credibility. This workshop is for anyone who has ever been involved in a damaged utility line and tried to identify who was “at-fault” instead of gathering the facts.

UTILITY MAPPING
WITH GIS
TRAINING – $150

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Instructor: Dan Bigman
Bigman Geophysical LLC

Using mobile GIS applications to build a geospatial database of assets in real time has powerful implications for reducing damages, improving the efficiency of utility locates, and streamlining decision-making. This workshop will cover the basics of mapping utilities with GPS and GIS through a practical application at the facility. First, the students will create a new project, create relevant feature classes such as gas, power, meters, manholes, etc. and assign appropriate feature types to each such as points, lines, and polygons. Next, the class will journey outside the classroom to collect actual data using a mobile GIS app. The students will build the database of assets at the facility while walking the grounds. They will also learn to document assets and locate marks. Finally, the class will reconvene inside the classroom to learn how to generate map outputs that can be used as deliverables for clients/managers, or which can be provided to locators prior to arriving on-site.