Esri Community Contest 2026: earn an Elite, Rising Star or Newcomer prize

Eligibility includes employer-policy checks

• Be an Esri Community member and the legal age of majority in the country of residence.
• Live outside the specifically excluded countries and Quebec, and comply with any applicable national or local restrictions.
• Use only one Esri Community account for contest activity and review employer rules on gifts or prizes.

Build qualifying activity throughout 2026

1. Choose the track that naturally matches account history: Elite, Rising Star or Newcomer.
2. Publish helpful questions, replies and solutions while using one account consistently.
3. Continue through December 31 and keep the account email current for January winner notification.

The three levels measure different kinds of progress

Elite is designed for advanced members and emphasises the number of accepted solutions authored during the year. Rising Star is for existing regular-rank members who are not MVPs and combines a minimum contribution threshold with at least ten authored solutions.

Newcomer of the Year is limited to members whose account began on or after January 1, 2026 and focuses on the volume and value of their posts and replies. A participant does not improve their position by trying to merge activity from multiple accounts.

Elite and Rising Star include conference registration

The top three Elite winners choose registration for either the Esri User Conference or the Esri Developer & Technology Summit and also receive an ArcGIS for Personal Use licence, a selected Esri Press publication, a winner badge and a swag box.

The three Rising Star winners receive the same conference choice, publication, badge and swag, and are considered for MVP rank. Their package does not list the Personal Use licence included at Elite level.

Newcomer recognition remains a real prize tier

The three Newcomer winners choose an Esri Press title and receive a contest badge and swag box. Although this package is smaller, it creates a separate path for people who could not reasonably match a full year of established-member activity.

Prizes are based on contribution quality and the published thresholds, with additional value assessment available to the Esri Community team. This is not a lottery, and raw posting volume alone is not a guarantee.

Conference travel is the winner’s responsibility

Registration can be redeemed during calendar year 2027, including the US or EU Developer & Technology Summit where applicable. The winner may in some cases send another person from the organisation or donate the registration to a nonprofit.

Flights, hotels, local transport and other attendance costs are excluded. Government employees and people subject to strict employer gift rules should resolve approval before relying on the conference component.

Track criteria and expenses outside the prize

• Elite focuses on accepted solutions; Rising Star requires substantial contributions and at least ten authored solutions; Newcomer is reserved for members joining in 2026.
• Travel, accommodation and related expenses are not included with conference registration.
• Winners are planned to be announced in January 2027, and unreachable recipients can be replaced after three email attempts.