Going, going…gone! 2019’s XCON is officially over. If you haven’t heard of it before, that’s Bluebeam’s annual conference, where over a thousand customers and Bluebeam employees gather in one place to learn, talk shop, trade tips and network. This year’s conference was in Washington, D.C., and we were delighted to see so many familiar faces, as well as plenty of new ones.
In case you couldn’t make it, here’s a small sampling of what happened this year:
1,095 attendees
64% first-time attendees
409 unique companies
49 states represented (We’ll see you next year Montana!)
16 countries represented
22% of attendees are part of a Bluebeam User Group (BUG)
6,200 cups of coffee served
90+ customer speakers
80+ sessions
50+ AIA approved courses
17 years Bluebeam has been making processes better
And here are some comments you might have overheard:“Only thing we know will happen is change. If you’re on the tech side or in construction you have to embrace change.”“We fear change but we don’t fear staying the same. We don’t put a cost on doing nothing.”“We get so distracted with innovate, innovate, innovate. It’s still about your people. It’s important to provide meaningful recognition.”“You can have all these technologies but if we’re not communicating and leveraging our people, it means nothing.”“We were spending $1.6 million in paper and ink every year. We’ve reduced that by 85% using digital workflows and Bluebeam.”“I love Bluebeam tech support! I don’t have to use them often, but when I reach out, I’m always amazed that I hear back within 24 hours or so. Better than any other tech support out there!”“What do you think happens when you click on a thumbnail in the Batch Summary? Hyperlinks to the drawing – thank you Bluebeam!”
To open the conference, CEO Jon Elliott, VP of Strategy and Partnerships Todd Wynne, and VP of Global Insights Joe Williams, took to the stage to offer announcements and insights into what is driving Bluebeam now, and what will propel the company into the future.
The latest version of Revu, Elliott announced, will be released in late October and will feature the quickest rendering engine yet. That means shorter load times, seamless zooming and panning, and just an all-around better experience. As Elliott told the attendees, “you are using the flexibility of Revu to discover and invent new ways of working. That aha moment when it’s you, not the software. You find a new and better way to build.” In today’s environment, it’s not enough to have the information you need at your fingertips; you need to be able to share it, too.
And as Wynne pointed out, in a nod to where Bluebeam is headed over the next several exciting years, “not everyone has been able to participate in this digital transition equally. Despite all the advancements, only a select few are actually getting to benefit from that value. Meanwhile, most of those who are actually putting the work in place are not getting to experience the value. And the crazy part is, this is where the rest of the world measures our productivity, at the worker level. Isn’t this where our focus and investment should be? Shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to make sure that the worker with the wrench in hand has everything they need to do their job effectively?”
This year’s conference was a great opportunity to meet with and hear from folks who are bringing productivity to a new level, and Bluebeam is committed, as a company and as individuals, to supporting that level of innovation and improvement.
There are plenty of reasons to attend XCON (next year’s will be in San Diego!), so we hope you’ll find a way to join us.
