The good news: It was in Vegas.
The better news: Being from Chicago, I was snowed in for an extra day with the 2011 Blizzard.
The Bad: People - you have to get on your vendors about providing Revit Content!!! Most have no clue!! I mean, really, NO CLUE!
First of all, understand the Las Vegas Convention center is HUGE! (and I've done this show at McCormick place in Chicago). I walked into the main floor, and was impressed. As I walked kiosk to kiosk, I was really surprised that I'd only seen half the show - as there was a section just as large, beyond the next wall.
Being dehydrated from what I can only assume was *ahem* my intense morning workout at the spa, I went to get a water at the concession stand, only to find a THIRD room of equal size to the first two!
My point being: HUGE show.
So, why did I walk through 70% of the floor, having to explain the entire paradigm of BIM to a lot of these representatives/engineers before I found one that knew what I was talking about?! I was starting to get a bit panicky, as if I were in some alternate universe. After all, our industry has been doing BIM for 3-5 years, depending on your location and discipline.
However, panick subsided when I got to the southern edge, as several pump manufacturers not only heard of Revit BIM content, but were featuring it at the show. (Thank you Weinman and Taco!!!)
Why is this important?
Well, if we're going to get the most out of this BIM paradigm, we need to leverage IPD (Integrated Project Delivery). That means more decisions will be made up front, rather than in the field. Which in turn means, selections. So.... (listen up vendors!!) the more available your product is to your consulting engineers, the more likely it will be incorporated into the initial design. Into the BIM model. Into the front end of IPD!! Its a HUGE opportunity!
If this doesn't make sense, or you're a visually oriented person, google the MacLeamy curve. A picture is worth a thousand words.
So - Vendors - provide good revit content to your AEC consulting engineers. Is this plea self serving? As a BIM manager, YES! as a provider of BIM content creation services, even more so!
But regardless of choosing us, or someone else to build your BIM content, or even doing it in house... get it done! It really is for the greater good for all, and will allow us all to develop a better system, a greener system - more efficient and cost effective for all involved.
We can all win with BIM.
