22-25 April 2026 
James Dales
iconmappro.com/blog
James is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and the Azure Data Platform and Visualisation Practice Director at Altius Consulting. Author of the Icon Map Power BI custom visual.
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SQLBits 2025
Geospatial Meets Big Data: Transforming Location Intelligence
Discover how modern data platforms like Databricks and Microsoft Fabric can revolutionise geospatial analytics with cloud-scale processing, AI, and open data standards like GeoParquet. See cool demos and actionable insights to make location intelligence part of your wider data strategy.
Location data is everywhere—yet many organisations still treat spatial analytics as an afterthought. In this session, we will uncover how modern data platforms like Databricks and Microsoft Fabric are revolutionising geospatial analytics through cloud-scale parallel processing, advanced frameworks like Databricks Spatial SQL and Apache Sedona, and growing data-sharing standards such as GeoParquet. Expect cool demos, light but impactful code examples, and insights into integrating geospatial into your data strategy.
You will come away understanding how to weave geospatial analytics seamlessly into your data platform, and how the addition of AI-enhanced interfaces will make location intelligence easier to adopt than ever before.
What will we cover?
- Why geospatial data is still under-utilised and what opportunities are being missed
- How data sharing initiatives like OpenStreetMap, Overture Maps, and GeoParquet are transforming interoperability
- How Spark-based technologies (Databricks Mosaic, Databricks Spatial SQL, Apache Sedona) enable parallel processing of large-scale spatial data
- The current state of spatial capabilities in Microsoft Fabric’s SQL, Kusto, and Spark engines
- AI-driven approaches that reduce the complexity of geospatial analytics
- Real-world examples of industry use cases where location intelligence has delivered tangible benefits
- Visual demos in Databricks and Power BI to bring concepts to life
- Short code snippets demonstrating the ease of implementing spatial queries at scale
- Best practices for integrating geospatial into your overall data platform strategy
This 300 level session is intended for data professionals, architects, and anyone interested in leveraging geospatial data within a modern data platform. Familiarity with Spark or SQL is helpful but not required. We will begin with high-level overviews and gradually dive deeper, ensuring both technical and non-technical attendees can follow along.
You will come away understanding how to weave geospatial analytics seamlessly into your data platform, and how the addition of AI-enhanced interfaces will make location intelligence easier to adopt than ever before.
What will we cover?
- Why geospatial data is still under-utilised and what opportunities are being missed
- How data sharing initiatives like OpenStreetMap, Overture Maps, and GeoParquet are transforming interoperability
- How Spark-based technologies (Databricks Mosaic, Databricks Spatial SQL, Apache Sedona) enable parallel processing of large-scale spatial data
- The current state of spatial capabilities in Microsoft Fabric’s SQL, Kusto, and Spark engines
- AI-driven approaches that reduce the complexity of geospatial analytics
- Real-world examples of industry use cases where location intelligence has delivered tangible benefits
- Visual demos in Databricks and Power BI to bring concepts to life
- Short code snippets demonstrating the ease of implementing spatial queries at scale
- Best practices for integrating geospatial into your overall data platform strategy
This 300 level session is intended for data professionals, architects, and anyone interested in leveraging geospatial data within a modern data platform. Familiarity with Spark or SQL is helpful but not required. We will begin with high-level overviews and gradually dive deeper, ensuring both technical and non-technical attendees can follow along.
