Happy Holidays from DBEI

Congratulations!
As you read this, 2020 (the year that we all wish wasn’t….) is drawing to a rapid close. You made it!
This year really has had it all: disease, fires, floods, economic disruption, political unrest, black knights and more. I hesitate to suggest what hasn’t happened, because 2020 would probably respond with “Ahah! I still have two weeks!”

2021 for many of you will begin mother of all hangovers, but also with encouragement, and hope. The approval of several vaccines to combat the SARS-COVID-19 virus should start to impact transmission and infection rates, global lockdowns and restrictions should begin to ease, and we will see a gradual opening up of travel and the resumption of ‘normal’ (and hasn’t that word become clichéd?) activities. The true longer-term impact of this experience may take a few years to be widely understood, and absorbed into our work practices and collaboration methods, but we are already seeing a surprisingly rapid uptick in domestic travel, and, at least in Australia where I am, many social venues look and feel almost like they did in 2019.
How many of you, like me, are desperate for the resumption of international travel, and the chance to meet face to face once more?! I have joked with people that if you gave me a plane ticket I would not even bother checking where it is going before getting onboard ……… I’m not entirely sure that I was joking…

While we do not see much happening in the first quarter of the year, we do believe that opportunities will occur shortly thereafter, beginning in Australia & New Zealand and Asia, and opening up from there. We have plans for gatherings in 2021 and we are very excited to share them with you early in the new year. Further, in 2022 we are hoping to have a full event schedule.
As you are hopefully aware, this year we also opened up our membership platform, and have had nearly 2,500 industry members join to date. If you haven’t joined I urge you to do so! It is FREE to join for access to events, forums and connecting with other members BUT if you’d like to access even more benefits, events and webinar recordings, previous event materials and more, you can sign up as an Associate or Professional member. You can find information (and a link to become a member) via the DBEI website.
DBEI is a global not for profit committed to fostering and supporting improvements in productivity and sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle of the built environment and the AECO industry. While we are here to support you, we need your support to continue. Please do consider becoming a part of the community and helping us make it through these tough times.
After you join, please reach out and let us know what you need from the community and a global support network to help you excel in what you do. Together we can leverage the collective genius embodied in this community for the benefit of each other, of our industry, and of our planet.
In the meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah (just past), and Happy New Year! Have a great break, gather your energy, and we look forward to entering 2021 with you, and with 2020 in the rear-view mirror!
All the very best to you and yours,
Wesley Benn
Executive Chairman
Digital Built Environment Institute
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