22-25 April 2026

Pushing the boundaries of data visualization on maps in Power BI

Proposed session for SQLBits 2026

TL; DR

Over the past few weeks and months, I've been publishing my observations on the possibilities of using core map visualization in Power BI. The limitations I faced are described in the documentation, but creativity and the search for possible solutions allow me to discover methods never before explored. Point limits, inaccessible levels of national administration, data optimization work, and additional, unexpected challenges I wasn't prepared for. This is a great adventure that has taken up the last few years of my exploration of Power BI's map capabilities. If you'd like to learn more, I invite you to join me. I'll talk about open data sources, licensing, data processing methods, and the results I achieve at the end of this challenge. Many people want to use maps in Power BI; many try, and the vast majority give up after a short time. I still hope that we'll find further ways to overcome these limitations. I invite you on this adventure.

Session Details

Over the past few weeks and months, I've been publishing my observations on the possibilities of using core map visualization in Power BI. The limitations I faced are described in the documentation, but creativity and the search for possible solutions allow me to discover methods never before explored. Point limits, inaccessible levels of national administration, data optimization work, and additional, unexpected challenges I wasn't prepared for. This is a great adventure that has taken up the last few years of my exploration of Power BI's map capabilities. If you'd like to learn more, I invite you to join me. I'll talk about open data sources, licensing, data processing methods, and the results I achieve at the end of this challenge.

Many people want to use maps in Power BI; many try, and the vast majority give up after a short time. I still hope that we'll find further ways to overcome these limitations. I invite you on this adventure.

3 things you'll get out of this session

Here you'll learn: Where to download map data? What methods to avoid? What options to consider for large data sets?

Speakers

Jacek Nosal

Jacek Nosal's other proposed sessions for 2026

Power BI Azure Map in 20 minutes - 2026