Arc-US 2011

It has been a couple of weeks since attending Arc-US in Boca Raton, FL. I think I recovered, or nearly so.

I was not sitting on the beach enjoying the southern sun. The weather was dreary, rainy, and windy, very windy - certainly unusual for Florida, except perhaps for hurricane season.

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings
I was exhausted after two days of non-stop meetings with product manufacturers and attending educational seminars. Arc-US is described as speed dating between architects (including specifiers) and manufacturers. The meetings are one-on-one. Okay, sometimes the manufactures had more than one. They are allowed since they finance the event. Architects attend free.

As a result of 24 meetings, I met the most senior manufacturers' representatives handling national and international accounts. What a blessing since we work for clients and projects across the US. Now I have reliable contacts when the local support is not enough. And I had an opportunity to comment on new and upcoming products. What a great way to interact.

I was looking forward to the dinner cruise, but remember the wind? The boat never left the dock. Oh well maybe next time.

First Time & Hopefully Another
This was the first time I attended the invitation only event. Thanks to Mike Hoffman, the Sales Manager Eastern Division at Bradley Corporation for making certain I had a chance to attend. I will gladly attend again, if invited. The experience was great.

CSI Members Abound
What struck me about the group of 104 architects was the abundance of CSI members. I recognized so many from attending the CSI national convention and region events. It certainly reinforces how influential CSI is within the industry. Here are the top architects in the country, representing CSI well.