NASCC: The Steel Conference organized by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) is the premier educational and networking event for the structural steel industry, bringing together structural engineers, structural steel fabricators, erectors, detailers, and architects. This year, approx. 4,500 industry experts and engineers took part in the event.
And, we were proud to be one of the exhibitors and also a SILVER partner of the event.
After two years of attending online, it finally felt like old times with many people in attendance from not only around the US but the world. if you haven't attended the conference before it is well worth the trip. The schedule includes many tracks for engineers, fabricators, detailers, erectors, etc. It is a great opportunity to get all of your continuing education credits in one location. In addition, the trade show has exhibitors from software to fabrication equipment and everything in between. If a product is related to steel construction, you will find it in the trade show.
Moreover, the event was the first big gig for our brand new US team and they proved to be the "dream team"! This was my 14th NASCC, so I am familiar with it and the pace of the week. It was great for some of my colleagues who were attending for the first time to just see the shear size and variety of the conference as this is one of the largest conferences for structural engineers in the US.
The IDEA StatiCa team enjoyed the opportunity to speak with our users face to face and learn more about their work and how IDEA StatiCa helps them save time and money. We also spoke with many structural engineers that didn't know about IDEA StatiCa but were curious about what we can do for their projects.
It is always a busy week but it was a great pleasure on Wednesday morning to have a joint workshop with Autodesk in which we showcased the interoperability of IDEA StatiCa with Revit, Robot, and Advance Steel. The trade show opened at noon on Wednesday and there was real excitement from everyone about being able to see people in person again. There was a conference reception that evening in the trade show, so people could decompress from the first full day of the conference.
The next day (Thursday, March 24), we also did another workshop focused on IDEA StatiCa solely with the main focus on how we are helping progress connection design in the 21st century. IDEA StatiCa sponsored the afternoon coffee break. That evening was the conference party (bar hop) near the baseball stadium which was a great opportunity to network with colleagues and friends that you haven't seen for a few years.
Friday was the last day of the conference and was the last chance to get some CEUs or have discussions with other attendees before many people leave for home. Some attendees were still recovering from the party the night before. Overall, it exceeded our expectations as being the first NASCC through the pandemic.
If you missed the event or our workshops, they should be available in May 2022 in the NASCC official educational archives.
Next year, the conference takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina on April 12-14, 2023. We are looking forward to seeing you all in there!
