What I Did on my Summer Vacation By David Cohn If you weren’t able to make it to RTC this year, don’t worry, we were on the scene to fill you in on all of the highlights. I’m a Geek. I readily admit it. While most rational people spend their summer vacations at a beach, or escape the heat by searching out cooler climes, I booked a flight to Phoenix so that I could attend the RTC North America (RTC NA) 2016 conference, held July 13-16, 2016 at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. Yes, you read that right. I intentionally went to Arizona in the middle of July, where the daily high temperature frequently exceeds 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43°C) and people actually die from heat stroke. So did more than 600 others, representing 41 states and 11 countries. We made that choice before the sun had baked our brains— and we were glad we did. RTC NA 2016 was held at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, AZ RTC NA grew out of the very successful Revit Technology Conference first held in October 2005 in Sydney, Australia. The vision of founder Wesley Benn, a Sydney-based architect, RTC conferences are now held each year in Australasia, Europe, and North America. The 12th RTC AUS took place May 12-14 at a resort two hours north of Sydney, while the 4th RTC EU will be held October 20-22 in Porto, Portugal, one of Europe’s oldest tourist destinations. Last year’s European event was held in beautiful Budapest. If you begin to see a pattern here, I am sure it is intentional. The RTC host cities are typically as attractive as the conferences themselves, and the events are usually held in first-class resorts. So why Arizona in July? One can only assume that the organizers sometimes forget that winter in Australia equals summer in North America. www.cadlearning.com 9