17:30 - Arrival and Networking

Arrive early to network with other industry leaders before the presentations and formalities begin. Expect to see high representation from Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, Facility Management, Academia and all other forms of BIM industry stakeholders.

18:00 - Introduction

A rundown on the agenda for the evening and a word from our sponsor.

18:10 - Ensuring digital engineering and connectivity support the future of our infrastructure: Katie Kandelaars (DTP)

Synopsis
Victorian Transport Digital Engineering (VTDE) is a major transformation initiative aiming to modernise the transport sector through digital engineering powered by people, processes, and technology. Now in Horizon 3 of a six-year program (ending December 2026), VTDE is building a hyperconnected ecosystem for digital engineering and asset information.

This session explores what VTDE means, progress to date, and the road ahead as the program drives a revolutionary shift in information management across construction, engineering, and transport. You’ll also learn about expected changes from a project perspective and how this shift will transform asset management during operations and maintenance. It’s a long-term transformation—more of a marathon than a sprint—with big changes already underway.

Speaker Bio: Katie Kandelaars (She/Her), Asset Information Requirements Lead, Victorian Transport Digital Engineering, Department of Transport and Planning, hiKKup advisory pty ltd
Katie is passionate about public transport and improving asset management through better data collection. She has deep expertise in Victoria’s heavy and light rail operations, having worked on the State’s Metropolitan Train and Tram Franchise procurements in 2017 and again in 2024. Since 2022, she has played a key role in the Victorian Transport Digital Engineering (VTDE) Transformation Program, leading the Asset Information Requirements workstream. Through this work, Katie has developed a strong interest in digital engineering and its potential to improve decision-making across the asset lifecycle. She believes digital engineering is a powerful tool to enhance the way Victorian Transport assets are managed, operated, and maintained.

Social Media
Personal LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katie-kandelaars
Company Webpage: bigbuild.vic.gov.au/about/digital-engineering

18:35 - C’ing sharper; Taking the leap into Revit add-in development: Gavin Crump (Architectus)

Synopsis
Transitioning from Dynamo and Python scripting into C# for Revit add-in development can be daunting, especially if you’re not tertiarily educated in computer science (most of us, I’m assuming!).

Having taken the leap last year, Gavin’s keen to lower the barrier of entry for anyone unsure of whether it might be the right time for them to do the same.

• Reasons for making the switch to C#
• Where to begin, and what to expect
• Basic add-in project setup
• The anatomy of a command
• Examples of what we have built
• Tips to keep your add-in scalable
• Dependency management and ‘dll hell’
• Securing your add-in from external use
• Revit version management
• Deployment options
• Copilot and GPT recommendations
• Where you can learn more

Ultimately, you should leave the session with a deeper understanding of whether C# add-in development may suit your business, or tips and tricks if you’re already there.

It wouldn’t be a Gavin presentation without some free goodies, the following resources will help you take the learning further.
Aussie BIM Guru C# for Revit playlist: Link to playlist
Open-source C# Revit toolbar: github.com/aussieBIMguru/geeWiz

Speaker Bio: Gavin Nicholls (he/him), Senior Associate | Digital, Computation Lead
Gavin works at Architectus in the capacity of a Digital and Computation Lead. Beginning his career in 2012 on the New Royal Adelaide Hospital as an Architectural technician, he found an early interest and enthusiasm for applying BIM software and process’ to architectural projects. Across his career to date, he has worked at all levels of BIM management in multiple award-winning Australian practices and eventually launched his own sole trading BIM Consultancy (BIM Guru).

Gavin supports Architectus via the development of both company-wide and project specific solutions that automate and streamline productivity of teams. He also has a secondary focus and interest in supporting Rhino users via the development of ESD and feasibility toolkits. Gavin maintains the Architectus Rhino and Revit tooling at a managerial and authoring level and provides Architectus with his overarching expertise in future technologies.

In his spare time, Gavin acts as a public figure in the space of BIM via his YouTube channel (Aussie BIM Guru), openly developing and sharing his code via github, attending BIM user groups such as BIMSA, moderating the Dynamo Forums, and presenting whenever time allows him to a wide variety of audiences.

Social Media
Personal LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gavincrump
Company Webpage: architectus.com.au
Youtube: youtube.com.au/aussiebimguru
GitHub: github.com/aussieBIMguru
BIM Guru: courses.bimguru.education

19:00 - AI in AEC - An Update: Jeames Hanley (FK Australia)

Synopsis
Jeames will provide an update on the AI space, what's real, what's not? What can you do to get some quick wins on the board and how can you prepare for a larger business shift toward this AI era and disruption.

Speaker Bio: Jeames Hanley, CTO, FK Australia
As a CTO technologist and strategist, Jeames combines strategic vision with technical expertise to propel organizations toward true digital transformation. Jeames’ work is centred around supporting people in an era shaped by exceptional technological advancements.

19:25 - Industry Update

Get the latest BIM news about upcoming BIM events, industry developments and general musings from the MelBIM Committee.

19:30 - Networking: Food and Drinks Thanks to Our Sponsor

With the formal part of the evening over, it’s now time to get social. Thanks to our event sponsor, enjoy some complimentary ‘BIMbeers’, wine, or soft drink and a casual bite to eat whilst striking up conversation with industry peers and colleagues.