The KOPE team attended Autodesk University last week at the Venetian in Las Vegas. This was our 3rd time attending but our first where we exhibited our work in the Expo Hall. As we have been building our platform, we always had one eye on getting feedback from peers at this event and it certainly delivered on that front.
In attendance from our team where two of our Founders, Mark and David alongside our DfMA Lead Charlotte. We asked them all how they found their week along with how their own particular goals for the event went.
David
I was tasked with running our stand in the expo hall while the others talked about how our industry needs to change and embrace new technologies. AU is attended by a wide array of designers from various backgrounds. We call this cohort Specifiers in our KOPE platform and that meant that I would be using a lot of visuals to show what we are building and how this would impact architecture, engineering and costing. Luckily our team delivered great content for me to show. I met with a wide array of people who already know us and also some we have worked with in the past. It was great catching up but what I enjoyed the most was the new interactions. I met people trying to build modular churches in far away islands, people who understand the complexities of our software and offered incredible insights, people stepping into offsite construction for the first time and those who see the industry exactly as we do and were on the lookout for a solution like KOPE.
I was also fortunate enough to collaborate with Autodesk teams discussing the future of offsite to groups who travelled from around the world to learn how to take their own next steps.
Mark
While Dave was holding down the booth, I was heavily involved with meeting a wide array of people, from existing and potential customers, to partners and investors. AU presents a great opportunity to connect with peers who are also building technology and given this was my 8th AU, there was also a lot of familiar faces to catch up with. Alongside that, I had many conversations with those looking for clarity on future KOPE capabilities as well as how we fit into the wider tech ecosystem.
On the second day, I presented our collaborative workflow with Andy Akerson from the MID (Manufacturing Informed Design) team at Autodesk. I have presented at AU before, but this was a chance to showcase the work of our team, as well as that of Autodesk. My presentation outlined a workflow allowing users to begin their design journey in Forma to complete site feasibility studies but then utilise KOPE and MID to connect directly to product fabrication content in Inventor. This approach allows early stage design to interact with highly detailed manufacturing models of real products. All the while benefitting from the instant application of those products directly into design models along the way. This concept of bringing products into projects early is where the industry is heading and it was great to see my session packed with many prominent voices in our industry in attendance.
Charlotte
Attending Autodesk University in Las Vegas for the first time offered me valuable and encouraging insights into the current and future state of innovation within the AEC and digital technology space. The event served as a fantastic opportunity to build upon existing relationships, whilst also creating new connections with industry leaders and innovators.
A significant moment for me at AU, was being invited to speak at the AU theatre, alongside industry partners Azim Jasat, Fopefoluwa Bademosi, Magdalena Kowalczyk from Autodesk and Katie Rudin from Akerlof on the topic of ‘Industrialized Construction.’ We delved into the progress and innovations within the UK’s offsite construction sector, focusing on the challenges we are facing, the innovative approaches we are taking and the necessary next steps for continued progress. Speaking to a large and diverse audience was an exciting new experience for me, offering a great platform to share knowledge alongside our partners, demonstrating collaboration and innovation together.
This year marked a milestone for our team, as we hosted our first booth at the event. The booth became a hub for engaging conversations, gaining further insights and a deeper understanding of various perspectives within AEC.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first AU, it was an excellent platform for sharing knowledge, networking and learning, which is vital in advancing our industry. I hope that I will be invited back again to participate in this event, aiming to further contribute to and learn from the AEC community.
Overall, it was great to bring KOPE to an audience like those at Autodesk University as well as seeing where the industry is in general. Next year, we intend to make an even bigger splash.
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