KCC 2017: Global Architects Convene in Kyoto for GRAPHISOFT Key Client Conference

Architects from all over the world have convened this week in Kyoto, Japan. The event—the GRAPHISOFT Key Client Conference—aims to bring together the BIM software maker’s most vibrant and important users into one event where they can learn from each other, network, and talk directly to the software developers responsible for their most important digital practice asset—their BIM authoring platform.

For two days conference sessions from key customers will showcase both how ARCHICAD is used in architecture workflows as well as in construction workflows. Additionally, on day one nearly a dozen third-party developers and vendors also presented their technology solutions, while another dozen vendors round out an extensive hall of exhibitors immediately adjacent to the main conference hall.

01 – The GRAPHISOFT 2017 KKC launched with a welcome reception at Kodai-Ji Temple & SODOH Restaurant.

Companies like fellow Nemetschek Group sister company Bluebeam and dRofus were exhibiting and presenting while both HP and Dell are here discussing their desktop and mobile workstations. HP has a new mini workstation we will be discussing in a future report which makes setting up a VDI simple for the small firm—something badly needed in the market. The beauty of that solution is that it supports Macs.

Following on North American BIMCON 2017

This event follows less than two months from a similar event held in the United States but that one involved specific lecture-style learning sessions and for professional continuing education credits. This event is different, more formal, and the first time press have been invited to attend and thus Architosh has the pleasure of being here in Kyoto to report on the various presentations by some of the largest AEC companies in Japan, as well as major and often very large architecture offices from around the world who have based their BIM workflow around ARCHICAD.

02 – At SODOH Restaurant the nearly 300 attendees were treated to Geisha performances along with good eats and drinks. Attendees seem to very much enjoy the atmosphere.

Some of the objective goals of our reporting on this event include:

• Learn in more detail specific game-changing features in the latest ARCHICAD 21
• Gain an insight into future directions with both ARCHICAD AND BIMx
• Gain additional insights about common Nemetschek Group directions and contextualize that around other industry players
• Learning about the many Japan and Asian market BIM and AEC tools working with ARCHICAD
• Meet and learn more GRAPHISOFT’s key customers both from Japan and elsewhere

Finding out how some of the Asian region’s major players are utilizing GRAPHISOFT’s solutions to accelerate the Asian market’s BIM transformation is also important to Architosh’s reporting this week.

Highlights Coming

On the first day of the conference GRAPHISOFT’s CEO led the introductory talks with some fascinating comments and details about the Hungarian BIM software company’s ambitions and where Bluebeam fits into these plans and those of the whole Nemetschek Group. The premier of ARCHICAD 21 was also more extensive than anything shown thus far on the company’s website and there were additional comments about research underway about BIMx and ARCHICAD.

Stay tuned this week for additional reports. Architosh has a special section just for this event’s reports on the home page.