5 Days ON the Sun: #RTCNA Recap

"It's a dry heat", they say... I don't care what they say... 120 degrees feels HOT with or without humidity. 

Two weeks ago I attended my fifth Revit Technology Conference North America (RTCNA).  I can't believe it has already been five!  For a look at my recaps and posts from the last 4 years of RTCNA's click here... 

This year the conference was held in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Kierland Westin Resort and Spa. The venue was fantastic with lots of great amenities including a beautiful golf course.  In fact, my buddy Steve and I decided to get up early Saturday morning and play a round before the conference started....  After all, the hotel does a great job at supplying amazing views of the course everywhere you turn... It makes you want to play...


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The Revit Kid Featured on BIM Thoughts Podcast

After a year or so of "Yeah, we have to do an episode together", Bill, Carla, and I got on a call and chatted a bit!  If you have not listened to the BIM Thoughts podcast yet, what are you waiting for?  Bill interviews all of the "Revit-Stars" you can think of on an array of different topics.   

I remember thinking about podcasting years ago and I told myself "You can't talk about BIM without video!"  Well, 40 episodes later, Bill has proven me wrong.  In fact, Marcello and Steve are also creating information packed podcasts of their own!

So, if you want to hear what Bill, Carla, and I talked about be sure to check out episode 40 here...  (Hint, I talk a bit about my upcoming presentation at RTCNA 2016!).

Bill and Carla, thanks for having me on!  I hope we can make this a more regular event!

#RTCNA 2016 - Will You Be There?

Phot of a bunch of Revit Bloggers from last years RTCNA...

It's that time of the year again!  Registration for Revit Technology Conference North America 2016 (RTCNA) is open!  Will you be attending?

I thought about going through the motions and telling you why you SHOULD attend RTCNA... But then I remembered I have a bunch of posts from the last four years about WHY you should attend.  If you are trying to decide whether RTCNA is right for you (and the photo above wasn't enough of a convincing factor) click here to view my reviews and recaps from previous years. 

Oh, and if you are attending make sure you sign up for my session (Session 2.5 on Friday at 5:15PM).  The session is titled "How are Contractors Using My Models?"... I plan on taking my experience at Turner Construction and sharing with attendees how your architectural and engineering models are used down stream... Using real-world examples and demonstrations, I plan on demystifying the scary abyss that architects call "handing over your model".

So, will I see you there?!  Click here to register for RTCNA 2016 today!

My #RTCNA Top 8 : Recap and Afterthoughts

Revit Bloggers on a Selfie Stick

I attended my fourth North American Revit Technology Conference last week.  I don't want to make as bold a statement as declaring this years the best of the four but it sure as hell was a great event.  As I write this my mind is still in a blur and recovering from the brain overload last week.  I wanted to take the time and review some of my personal "Top Eight" topics or takeaways of the conference.


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7 Things I Learned at #RTCNA 2014

1. Chicago has some serious thunderstorms.

Many of you may have seen the numerous tweets about cancelled flights, delays, and overall travel annoyances.  I, too, had to deal with some issue getting to the conference on Wednesday night.  Fortunately, thanks to perfect timing and the power of Twitter I hopped on a plane with a fellow RTCNA attendee and made it on time.  To quote Jay Zallan, "these are first world problems.."

2. Schaumburg is NOT Chicago

Similar to RTCNA 2012, RTCNA 2014 was marketed as being in the big city of Chicago but ended up being about 31 miles away.  Ultimately, the conference was a hit regardless of where it was located (the only time I would have had to get outside would have been late at night anyways).  I have always wanted to go to downtown Chicago... Maybe one day I will.

3. Revit is STILL gaining traction...

I have been blogging for over five years about Revit, BIM, and technology as it relates to architecture and construction.  Talking about Revit everyday, working with Revit everyday, and blogging about Revit everyday may have caused me to lose a bit of perspective.  I've assumed that Revit (and BIM in general) had become the new norm and had been accepted as the new norm.

I was wrong.  When I saw all of the new faces at this years RTCNA (apparently there was a very large percentage of first time attendees) they reminded me that BIM is still on the rise!  This was an encouraging thought that will motivate me moving forward with the blog and BIM After Dark. 

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