Bluebeam XCON 2021 Conference Post Event Summary Report

What a great time again this year at Bluebeam’s XCON 2021 conference. The team at Bluebeam always does a fantastic job planning and executing the best possible event. Of course, this year was no different. The event platform and all the presentations ran smoothly without major technical issues. The vibe I felt, it was evident the industry missed gathering together last year, seeing what’s new, and hanging out with the unique community Bluebeam has fostered over the years.

What an amazing honor it was to present again this year. To start with, there are over 2 million users, and experts around the world, submitting a course. Being selected is extremely difficult because there are only so many tracks to fill. This doesn’t hit me lightly in the least. My heart jumps when the call for proposals comes out. Next, days of thought go into designing the perfect course the users need. Finally, the acceptance emails go out, and you’ll see me jump and rock out and probably use it as an excuse to bring my wife and two boys out for ice cream. On event day the nerves are at their highest. Each time feels like the first time, I simply can’t believe Bluebeam would share their platform with me, and pray I can continue my streak for many years to come.

Anyway, enough with my Oscar speech, the music started.
Let’s get to my XCON wrap-up including a few takeaways from some of the courses and some things I’m excited about. Besides attending live classes, you better believe I spent the rest of the week binge-watching all the rest of the presentations. In no particular order, here we go.

Executive Welcome Keynote:

Advanced Use of Bluebeam for Constructability Reviews, Construction Planning & Site Logistics – Juan Romero

1. Great use of Overlay Pages combining a shoring plan with a civil existing conditions survey drawing.
2. 3D models of crane and temporary elevator structures, rotate crane reach in 3D pdf

Agile Project Management for the AEC Industry – Erin Brayley-Werkema

1. First perform project planning in smaller achivable goals. Think of them as sprints rather than major milestones, his allows smaller pivots along the way rather than major reactionary changes.
2. Kanban Method task completion workflow. Pick & choose what’s next, everyone jumping around
3. Scrum – uninterrupted short, focused times, Assigned tasks

Beyond Revu: Technology Synergies and Innovation Networks to Overcome Physical Boundaries – Erin Khan & Forrest Gardner

1. Intentionally disconnect from Wi-Fi connection to avoid constant syncing. Avoid crashing, work offline. Turn off Wi-Fi on iPad to avoid automated reconnection.
2. Create an innovation culture.

Bluebeam and JavaScript:
Linking Data and Automating Processes – Liz Larsen

1. Freecodecamp.org
   • Basic Java Script
   • Basic Algorithm scripting
   • Regular Expressions
   • Intermediate Algorithm Scripting
2. Studio Project 010-441-739

Bluebeam and Autodesk Revit Workflows – Ben Byrnes

1. Import/Link in PDF markups into a Revit Sheet view allowing synchronized coordination between platforms.

How to Use Bluebeam to Provide Rapid, Accurate Facility Assessments – Dan Warren & Peter Nilson

1. Great idea to set up custom statuses to indicate the severity of the issue on site.

Prepping Your Documents for Usage in the Field – Dwane Lindsey

1. Always great to have an expert in the field echo all the highlights in my courses.
2. Dwane concluded touching a little on Rover toward the end.

Tips for Being a Good Studio Session Host – Rebecca Yu

1. Rotate pages, DON’T rotate view
2. Arial is corupt, use Helvitica as your default font in markups

In addition to the course takeaways, there are some things I’m excited about from the conference in general:

• The connections I made in the BUG Buzz virtual user group calls.
• The tips & tricks and expert viewpoints I get to build into my content and courses.
• A new release of Revu in the first half of 2022. (No specific date was given)

Mark your calendars for August 23^rd & 24^th 2022

Bluebeam XCON 2022 is aiming to be an in-person in San Diego, California!

If you already registered for XCON 2021
View full sessions on-demand at the XCON event page.

2021 Extreme Awards

I hope you enjoyed this Bluebeam XCON 2021 Summary Report
If you have ideas for courses you’d like at XCON 2022, let me know!