What good BIM looks like: Round-up of #tbim2016 Spring Conference

On Wednesday 23^rd March we brought our thinkBIM Spring Series 2016 to a close with our sold-out half-day conference at WSP Offices in Leeds, looking at the best of BIM over the last five years and where the industry is in relation to the BIM Level 2 mandate. The event attracted over 60 people representing architects, clients, consultants and contractors all at various stages of their BIM journey and was chaired by long time thinkBIM ambassador, Stephen Hamil at RIBA Enterprises. Stephen has done his own excellent summary of the day over on his blog Construction Code which you can read here http://constructioncode.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/think-bim-spring-conference-2016.html

Our first speaker was our UK keynote, David Philp. He was of course meant to be at the conference in person but his BIM duties took him overseas unexpectedly, so he did his presentation over the web, seamlessly (well almost), from a busy airport lounge in Perth. Dave gave a whistlestop overview of the last five years, reviewing the level 2 journey and the benefits it has brought to date. Dave will be making a recorded version of his presentation with slides which we will share on the blog as soon as we receive it.

James Austin, Then and now. From our scoping event in 2011 (left) to the present day (right).

Next up was James Austin, Product Manager at Autodesk and an original founding member of thinkBIM. James was also a speaker at the inaugural thinkBIM event nearly five years ago to the date of the conference. James delivered his personal overview of BIM over the last five years highlighting the landscape that BIM came about in, the development of the UK BIM task groups and its journey in line with policy and Construction 2025. Full of good stuff, you can watch and listen to the full presentation at the following link,

https://autodesk.box.com/s/rqr9ecf2c0nasa708huklqebib3rh69m .

Adam Matthews: EU BIM aim is to have a European digital single market for construction 2020

Following James we then welcomed Adam Matthews, Chair of the newly formed EU BIM Task Group who presented on the innovations that UK BIM has created and how that is now feeding into European BIM Strategy and EU guidelines on publically procured projects. It was clear from Adam’s presentation that BIM is an area where the UK has the potential to lead the rest of Europe. Adam’s full presentation can be viewed at the Issu link below.

After the presentations the groups convened for roundtable sessions, notes of which will be posted on the blog shortly. After our two roundtable sessions, the conference was brought to a close with a Q & A session featuring James and Adam and joined by Jason Richards from WSP and Tom Oulton from the Yorkshire and Humber BIM region. The Q & A raised a couple of reoccurring issues; i.e. software competition and compatibility, sharing and IP issues. However the consensus of the panel was that we need to share and get our information out there… principally because it’s probably out there anyway. Attendees were then treated to a well-earned BIM beer and curry provided by the excellent Friends for Dinner in Leeds. Thanks to our event hosts, WSP, network sponsors, Trimble Tekla, and our series sponsors, Exactal for all their support making Spring #tbim2016 a success.

 with thanks to our sponsors and supporters

Our storify summary of the best tweets and images from the day can be found at the link below. In the meantime thinkBIM will return on 4^th May with our summer series on FM and Operations. This series will feature twilight seminars on 4^th May and 1^st June as well as our half day conference on 6^th July. Mark them in your diary now!