BuiltWorlds hosted our 2017 Industry Night Industry night focuses on emerging technology

With 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring every day, and nearly 5.3 million vacant jobs in the skilled trades, the time is now to work smarter — not harder — in the construction industry.

During SMACNA Greater Chicago’s second annual Industry Night at BuiltWorlds on September 13, a number of industry vendors showcased their products and technology to members.

Featured speaker Aaron Salow, co-founder and CEO of XOEye Technologies, discussed the challenges faced in the industry today, and how investing in technology can be advantageous.

“There’s an inherent distrust in the trades,” Salow said. Couple that with fewer millennials choosing a career in the skilled trades due to a number of misperceptions, and companies are finding themselves in need of ways to stay efficient on the job.

XOEye Technologies, which provides wearable technology systems, partners with companies to identify opportunities for optimization. By equipping field techs with smart, safety-certified eyewear, communication is instantaneous via a cloud-based software system. XOEye Vision offers real-time video, audio communication and content sharing right from the jobsite — and delivers it to the people who need it most. It’s this kind of new technology that can help leverage the skills trade gap.

Attendance at this year’s event was around 60, with close to $2,500 raised to donate to the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans. “Each year we learn more about our industry through events like this. We want to improve on what we’ve done so far and offer more valuable information to our members. We already have some ideas for what we can do for next year’s event,” Tony Adolfs said.