Last week I was in Wellington for the BIMinNZ conference – an excellent one-day event which showcased BIM in the digital built environment, providing a forum where New Zealand’s most exciting and emerging BIM professionals gathered to meet, learn and engage with industry innovators.

Billed as an industry “game-changer” for New Zealand, this event packed a pretty good punch in the international BIM stakes.

My involvement at the conference was two-fold, beginning with a breakfast session, where I kicked off the day with a discussion on the positioning of BIM globally and what this means for New Zealand, as well as the UK, China, USA and Australia in particular.  Digital Node has a unique position in the industry with its knowledge of many international markets and the level of BIM adoption and delivery in multiple regions.

Secondly, I facilitated a panel where we discussed BIM in the design process, fees, procurement and the importance of standards, more importantly how to use standards when it comes to BIM. I gave my views on how BIM in New Zealand is succeeding in delivering a consolidated approach, supported by a culture where private organisations are working with, and being supported by government.

New Zealand is in a good position globally when it comes to BIM and in some ways is ahead of many other countries and this level of advancement. This is due to its focus on developing new skills and innovation within the industry, an initiative which is Government led. Hon Jenny Salesa, Minister for Building and Construction spoke early in the day about government plans for change and the future of buildings and infrastructure, with a direct emphasis on the value of BIM and digital construction methodologies.

The first keynote of the day was from David Rendall, an acclaimed speaker and author. Aside from being utterly brilliant, David spoke about weaknesses versus strengths and how, as an industry well known for being risk averse, we need to understand the importance of change and the influence this has positively on our businesses. David’s book, The Four Factors of Effective Leadership ,combines ancient philosophies with modern day management techniques to form a clear roadmap for success, and it was this very ethos that David instilled in the BIMinNZ audience. He was an inspiration.

Some of the other standout presentations were Brett Naylor and Glenn Jowett – both from Beca – who discussed the impact of BIM on projects as well as the importance of well defined information requirements front end.

It was also great to see the launch of a new version of the New Zealand BIM Handbook, which has just been updated to incorporate ISO 19650.

It was a day filled with insight and ingenuity led by pioneers of industry, leading the way for New Zealand and a sheer joy to be a part of.

by Rebecca De Ciccio
Founder and Managing Director of Digital Node