Advancing Prefab with Amy Marks, Queen of Prefab and VP of Enterprise Transformation Practice at Autodesk

Amy Marks joins Jaimie Johnston MBE to talk about Advancing Prefab, which is taking place in Phoenix from 14th-17th March. Now in its seventh year, it's fast becoming the world's biggest conference on industrialized construction. Listen in to learn more about why everyone in this space, particularly architects and designers, should attend.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Amy Marks - Advancing BEM Prefab Podcast
• 5:54 Marker
• 8:00 Marker

Transcript

0:09

Hello, welcome to Built Environment Matters, a monthly podcast brought to you by Bryden Wood, an international company of technologists, designers, architects, engineers, and analysts working for a better built environment. Bryden Wood believe in Design to Value, to cut carbon, drive efficiency, save time, make beautiful places and build a better future. Hi all. Thanks for joining this edition of Built Environment Matters. My name's Jaimie Johnston. I'm Head of Global Systems here at Bryden Wood, and I'm delighted to be joined by Amy Marks again. Amy's Vice President of Enterprise Transformation Practice at Autodesk, otherwise better known as the Queen of Prefab. So this is a special edition. We are doing ahead of Advancing Prefab, which is coming up in 13th of March in Phoenix, Arizona. So we are both dead excited about it. So we thought we'd have a quick chat ahead of the head of the conference. So Amy, thanks for joining again. I love hanging out with you Jaimie, so I would of course come on for this special edition. So anytime I get to spend time with you is good time, I think. But yeah, thanks for having me. Brilliant. So thanks for joining. For those who aren't familiar with it, do you wanna give a quick background on the event Advancing Prefab? We're gonna talk a, talk a lot about it, but obviously you've been heavily involved with this as an ambassador for a long time, haven't you? So do you wanna give us sort of a quick intro yeah, this is a labor of love. I feel like for me, I've been the ambassador of curate the content, like been involved in the chairperson for, I think it's our seventh year, right? So the show has grown to about 1200 people. We'll see this year it's getting bigger and bigger every year. But what's so great about this show is that it's about the real stuff people really learn. I think the thing that makes me most excited about it is that people always tell me they do more business at this show than any show they go to all year. But this year there's some really cool stuff that's new. And so there's always a workshop day and tours day on the first day of the conference. And during that day we're doing some amazing tours. We're also doing some great workshops, including a special vp C E. So that pre-conference day with those offsite tours, which I don't know if they're all sold out, but they do sell it pretty quickly, but you wanna get in on those if you can. And then just couple days of conference that we do, which has amazing tracks like the owner playbook and programming. There's a lot about pre-planning and design. For my architect friends, there's an entire track around building information, modeling data and digital workflows for the two days. Also prefabrication and facilities and manufacturing productization, all about project management and field management. And there's a whole separate section on structural, prefab and volumetric modules because this has a lot of heavy m e p and a lot of the big tracks. So it's great. And then the last day of the conference, which was our first time we did it last year. They did a we did a market application day. So there's like one day all about hospitals and data centers and manufacturing which went over so well. There were so many great people that were talking about the types of buildings that they build and they shared, there's actually a prefab 1 0 1 part this year, Jaimie. I think you and I always think that people are, you know, know everything that we know. So we decided to do like a bootcamp, prefab 1 0 1. This. On the pre-conference day as well. So it's got everything for everyone. And I think honestly, more architects are coming every year, but we really wanna push for, for architects to be in the room as much as possible. So this is a good talk with you, I think. Yeah, I was gonna say that's a new thing. The first day I was looking at the agenda, the different level. So there's like, level one is a bootcamp. Your brand new to this, up to level five, you are already doing it. How do you maximize it? I thought that sort of catering for people are at different levels on the journey. Right. And being quite inclusive, you are new to this and you wanna learn about the kind of first principles too. You are doing it now time to, to lever it and optimize it. That I thought was, was a really interesting sort way of organizing it so that everyone can, can pitch at the right level. That I thought was a, was a great addition. Yeah, and I feel like also like that's a, we've really been good about getting feedback every year and. Incorporating and keeping the things that people love. Like they love speed networking. We've always done it since year one, so we keep doing that. You know, we, we always do. This year's new, oh, we have awards this year. Jaimie too. This is the first year we're gonna be giving out awards. I almost forgot there's, you know, team of the year, ic, champion of the year, diversity and Inclusion. Project of the year, we're giving about four or five awards out at an award ceremony that has amazing sponsors at it including Autodesk Construction Cloud. We gotta throw that in there, . But you know, we're one of the sponsors of the show and of the, and the awards night. I think the other cool thing is, you know, for all my UK friends and around the world, This year we're doing a charity tie-in. I don't know if you know that Jaimie for those of you who don't look, it's on my desk. You, and funny enough, this is my daughter's team. I'm a big rugby fan. My daughter plays rugby. I played 15 years. The US Women's Rugby Foundation is. A charity that's actually gonna be at the event because they want to connect all the women at college teams around the country, the local college teams in high school and kids teams with these contractors that are desperately looking for women in the space. So it's a great thing that the US Women's Rugby Foundation will be there. They'll be accepting donations, but more importantly, they'll be connecting our contractors with women and girls that are in the space local to them, so that they can start, you know, interacting and creating relat. Perfect. Yeah. Is my takeaway from last year. It was I mean you touched on this. It was much more collegiate than anything I've ever been to, so there was much more of a sense of. People being really brutally honest about what worked, what didn't work, the kind of interaction from the audience. The questions I thought was much more, it was much more conversational, sort of interactive than most conferences. There was a genuine feeling in the room of if you are here, you are here cuz you're trying to transform the industry. Yeah. We're all in this together and we can all learn from each other. So there's much more of a sense of, I thought, sort of properly sharing. And I remember one of the clients from Meta standing up and literally saying, right, stand up. If you are working with me, you, yeah, in the supply chain, should be talking to him over there. She should be talking to, and actually like, connecting people real time and, and making sure people knew who was working with you. I thought that was very, very different to the sort of normal industry thing where everyone's a bit secretive or just wants to show their the best thing they've done. People don't really want to kind of share in the same way. So that I thought was phenomenal actually, just the, the atmosphere over the three days. It's so different than any show you go to anywhere. First of all, it's the biggest show I think now around industrialized construction. It's massive. Yeah, it's massive. And aren't you amazed that everyone knows everyone in in that? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and it's really intimate setting. Like a lot of the things are very intimate in the settings. Like everyone's in one room, we start in one room, we end in one room, they go off into these tracks. But everyone really wants to help raise up everyone's consciousness and learning. I'll never forget the first year I say this sometimes there was like almost like, not a brawl, but like an outward, you know, . Well, contractors, you don't put like the, you know, they're talking about racks and they're like, you never put into our estimate the structure and you stick it to us and we have to do, and they have this big, and, and everyone looked around and I was like, no, no, keep talking. And everyone, and, and it's really kept that personality ever since, like, you would really help us if you did this then, you know, what's that fast up there on the screen? And people actually answer and, and they also talk about their failures here. And I think that's, you know, really special. But in a way that they wanna improve and help and grow and, and, and, and I, I honestly, I remember, I'm so glad you came last year, Jaimie, and we did that fireside chat and because it is so different and until you come and architects, you know, everyone's looking around looking for more and more architects. This year, I have to say, we have more architects than ever before. So if you're an architect out there and you're not even considering this show, there is still some seats left for you to go. And you can, you can use my queen of prefab discount just putting Queen of prefab at the discount because I think at the end of the day, We need architects there, right? They, they are the ones consuming this maker's information. Having to arrange it and disseminate it and get involved with customers early on and, and really, we, we really need you there. I'm, I'm making a plea to all my architect friends, although a lot of you're coming. We want more of you and more engineers. To show up and come to the conference and I think, listen, you'll never get a better place to learn more things about design for manufacturing and assembly than here. Right? So that's why we're really doing this special edition. Yeah, I remember you and I talked about this at the end of the last one. I remember talking to the organizer well and saying it was really notable. I thought, so I think a few times you did a sort of, everyone hand up if you're a contractor, if you are a manufacturer client. It was really noticeable that the lack of designers in the. And you go that you're gonna get squeezed out the conversation. Actually, I, one of the things that came across really clearly, you got these massive clients who were very, very engaged trying to talk much more directly to their supply chain, who are sort of trying to meet them in the middle. The, the GCs, the tier one contractors were there because they're going, if I don't have a better value proposition engaged with this, I'll get squeezed out the middle. And the, the voice that was missing was the designers. And you, I was sort of thinking, I remember saying to you, Yeah. If they're not careful, this will happen in, in the background. Their role will be diminished or changed in some way without them having a seat at the table. So yeah, I thought it was noticeable. There was probably me, I think Stan Ju was there. There was probably a couple of other designers, but there wasn't a huge number of people. Yeah. And again, this is the opportunity and Yeah to be able to talk and they want you there. Yeah. And they want you there. All those makers, all those GCs, all those big owners want you at the table. So they're all looking around saying like, where are these great architects? And I probably 50 times a day somebody asks me like, who's the right architect for this? And who really knows . About this? And, and honestly like there, you know, there are some to point to, but it's not like when you, somebody asks me who does the best multi trade racks? Who does this around the world. So I think that's a real opportunity for, you know, people that wanna make sure they state their claim. I, again, you'll be surprised this year Jaimie, there's a lot more of the, all the bigs, a lot of the big architecture firms are coming now and they're presenting, as you've seen, we have some of the best speakers in the world. You can't get better speakers than we have. And thanks for speaking at it as well. And . I think, you know, it's just, We don't want you cut out of the conversation. And I think, look, you're actually recognizing that that show is mimicking potential, a potential trend, right? So I think if you're not careful and you're not there in the conversation, if you're not at the table, you're the lunch. Right? So let's not make you the lunch. Let's make sure you're there at the table. Interacting. Communicating. And again, you'll see more trade contractors, more generals, more huge owners. Yeah. Like the huge owners are there. That's it started out, by the way, Jaimie, the first year we had all owners and all M E P. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was literally like, that's where the show's grown from. And you can see the trend now has been to, to grow it outward, but you will certainly get your money's worth for coming. If you were an architect engineer, you'll, you'll, you'll be like the homecoming queen in some of the rooms. I think , you'll have a big star in your chest as you raise your hand. You know who you are, but. But also, yeah, the, the, you mentioned the, the scale of it. I think I remember talking to organizers and they were saying it started out as like 200 people and it was, was it 1500, 600 last year? It was massive. It's crazy. I mean, its like, I think, I don't, I lose count, but it is like between like usually like 12 and 1500 people in the last year or two. But it started out, the first year we ever did it was 225 people, and that was only six years. Like this is our seventh year, I mean, we have big general contractors bringing like 40 people to the show. Yes. We have architecture first six people to the show, so people don't come in like onesie, twosies to the show. They come in like twenties, like, you know, like they're, I look down the list and I see just the same company until I'm halfway down the page, you know? Yes. Yeah. I noticed that some of the contractors I was talking to, But yeah, all some of them were there. They, they was, I remember talking to DPR, they were saying some of their people are there to learn, some of them are there to kind of network. Some of them are there to present. I'll give a shout out to Charlie Dunn from DPR did a phenomenal was great. Explanation of lean via getting people to do like interactive things and play board games and things. Yeah. And you totally understood the principles. By the end of it, you're going, oh, it's so obvious now that he's explained it. Right. But the way he did that session and the kind of, yeah, it was, yeah, fun, but you were kind of learning stuff in the background. So yeah. I haven't been to a conference where there's things like that where, Yeah, it's great. Right? You're sort of turning up to play as much as you are to I I described it as like Glastonbury, like there's too many stages, there's too many things you want to go and see. Exactly. I was literally running around last year between the different bits of the conference. So yeah, we, we've got a couple of people coming this year cuz it's so good. You gotta split up, that's the thing. You gotta cover it. Yeah. There's too, too much for one person to, to see. How do I clone myself? I wanna clone myself. Yes. Cause I wanna be in everything too. It's, you know, it's funny, I don't know if you know this, like when the show first started and we didn't know who some of the speakers were, we do this still today, we do a pre-show, re a check of their presentations, and we coach them on the presentations for the speakers that we've never met or we don't know, or have never been to the conference. So that we can explain to them you know, what the audience is and how they should start, and so that the, that everyone starts in a good way. So that either I, I feel like there's not one presentation there that's not the best one I've ever seen, like at any show. So we put a lot of effort, the organizers and myself, and into really making sure that. Each one of those presentations, it, you know, wherever you go to, is gonna be a fantastic presentation. So it is a real labor of love, Jaimie, and I, and I so love that you're there and that you're supporting the show because it really, we need this show and we need, we need more people to come from, from the architecture, engineering community. And, and I think it's, it's just, it's growing. So we wanted to make sure that we got this in there and I can't wait to see you. Yeah, I got roped into a few things last year actually, which was, again, it was quite, quite nice. There was sort of planned things. There was things that just sort of happened and yeah, the Dave Cooper thing we did and the, the fireside chat turned into a bit of a q and a about various things. So I like this sort of a level of unplanned to some of it that's quite a little bit like, especially know, they're like, Hey Amy, we want you to get up and do this q and a by yourself last year. And I was like, I'm just gonna bring Jaimie. We can just talk like it's better that way, . You know, like, and then we did, we did that live takeover of Dave Cooper's Show and I was like, come on Jaimie. You did that live. Well, you were, you were with us. I was there,. But I, but I do like that about it, right? It's like we're not, there are some things you can get involved with. And by the way, we have the best exhibitors on the planet there if you wanna know about software and technology or machines and tooling and consulting. And, you know, I, I just, everything contract, I, I, there's so much out there in the exhibit hall. We have people coming from all around the world for this show. I've got guys from Singapore again coming this year from Australia. I just got a call from a friend from New Zealand. He wanted to know if I wanted Whitaker's chocolate on the way, or, or new all black, you know, black French jersey on the way up. But like we have people from all around the world, the best of the best that come to the show, obviously, including you at Bryden Wood. So we're happy to have you and happy to have you as a friend of the show. Yeah, I was gonna say that exhibition hall's really interesting. So sometimes you go to these conferences and they've got typically a robot doing some 3D printing or something that's. Kind of far state, but you can't see the practical application. I really liked most of the things in the exhibit hall. I mean, there were some of the kind of far out stuff. Yeah. But most of it was kind of, this is practical, real world technology. Here's how you might use it today on your multi trade assemblies, on your superstructure, on your cladding. So again, it was much more yeah, much more practical, much more kind of real world and things that you're going, yeah, I could definitely use that on a project. I can't think of a reason to 3D print things necessarily for some of these things. Yeah, I could definitely use that bit of technology though. So again, that was quite refreshing in some ways. And yeah, everyone's sort of super approachable that you can help and ask questions and everyone's happy to, happy to demonstrate stuff. You know, that's the best part about the show. Honestly, people are super approachable, myself included in you and all of us, right? So what, what's great about the show is I've had people been coming since the beginning now, but every year they come back and they tell me stories about what they learned last year and what they did this year. And now we get them on stage and they build these relationships with each other. But, so one year, funny, this is a perfect example. One year we did the show on Super Bowl Monday. That's a giant, obviously, you know, you guys lot, you in the uk you know what Super Bowl is. But like I thought to. No one's coming to this show this year on Super Bowl Monday, and we decided, you know what? Let's throw a Super Bowl party on Sunday, just in case like people, and we had more people at the Super Bowl party that wanted to see each other and hang out that we had to like bring in more food that night. it was like everybody decided to come and hang out with all of their. Friends from the show for Super Bowl Sunday like that one year. Then I thought, oh my God, I thought I was gonna be sitting by myself like in the room and like, no, it, the relationships and the business that gets done at this show is better than, and, and the, and people you meet and you know is better than anywhere. I go around the world literally, and there's nothing in it for me to have you come to this show other than I love. This show and have put so much passion into it, literally nothing in it, but for you to learn and want everyone in this industry to grow. So it's a great show for everybody. I hope, hope we get more and more architects every year as we are, but I'd love to get even more. Let's see if I can get my architects to out, you know, outnumber some of my other, the other categories that are there. But we really need you there and, and we really appreciate you coming Jaimie. So, yeah, no, I've, I've been Mailing. Lots of people I know who I know will be there, and I've had a number of people say, I presume you're going this year. So we'll, we'll catch up then. So yeah, I'm, I'm already sort of swamped with people we'll be talking to, but yeah, no, it's, it's, it is the anyone who's in this space, community world should be attending that, that show. So you know what's so good about it too, we're not even mentioning which we should. Every night there are parties, like I'm quadruple booked, invited to seven parties every night. Like, it's like you can't, after all the activities are over, somebody else is having a drinks thing, someone's having a get together. You know, we're having an impromptu like, you know, women's get together on Thursday night. This year there's gonna be like this dinner that Autodesk is throwing in and this contractor every night after the show, it's like the show begins again. Yeah. You know, like people just hang out and, and get to know each other and have a, you know, a drink up or have a coffee and it's, it's so amazing. Like, even that part, the socialization of this show is like, get your sleep before you come. That's what I, that's what I gotta tell you. Sleeping on the plane, sleep on the plane. Cool. So just, yeah, just looking at time, I think we'll, wrap it up there. Final question, is there anything, I mean, maybe you can't even answer this. Is there anything you are particularly looking forward to? Any sessions, any topics, any new things this year that you think are most exciting? Yes. Well, I'll be a little self-serving if that, if you don't mind. Every one of the presentations is amazing. I'm looking forward to everybody. But this year we are doing something different than I happen to be involved in. We're gonna do a one hour live research session. On stage on Thursday morning where we're actually gonna teach some things about different types of today's solutions and tomorrows like things like integrated factory modeling, things like embodied carbon solutions, things like material circularity. Things like energy analysis and common data environment. And, you know informed design actually is one of them that we're gonna teach about in productization. So we'll do a little bit of teaching and then we're gonna ask questions to the audience on their phones with some live research and with all those people in the room, getting them to, you know, identify who they are and what their thoughts are. Why are they doing certain things, what's holding them back? I actually think that's very unique. So we wanna take that sharing component and get., you know, people to put it out on, on, on digital form and some of these questions so that we can share it out to the audience, you know, and then share it out after the show. So that's a really unique thing that we're doing this live onstage sort of teaching. And by the way, you know, we read these re reports and we're like, well, what do they really mean by that? That answers seems so strange. That won't happen because we're actually gonna do some teaching around it and then ask some very. Simple questions about it. So everybody saw the same stuff. And I think what's great about that is you'll get some real answers and we'll see what's happening, what's holding people back, what's enabling them. So I am really excited about Thursday morning's live research session. Don't party too hard on Wednesday night make sure it's early. I think make sure you come to that research session cuz you'll learn a lot and you'll get to participate in the conversation. So that'll be great. So, but other than that, there's a million great presentations that people are doing from all around the world that are just fantastic. Perfect. Right. Well let, let's park it there. We'll pick up the conversation in a couple weeks in Phoenix. Yeah. So yeah, Advancing Prefab 13th, 14th, onwards March, Arizona, Phoenix. Fantastic event. And hopefully we'll see lots of you there. Yeah. Check it out and register. Use our discount, queen of prefab if you wanna come. We'd love to have you. Perfect. Thanks so much Amy. I will see you there. See you there. So thanks everyone for joining this special Advancing Prefab edition of Built Environment Matters. Please join us next time. Thank you for listening to Built Environment Matters, a podcast brought to you by Bryden Wood. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your favorite podcast, and you can follow Bryden Wood on LinkedIn and Twitter.