EN
Hello to everyone in the international Community from Japan!
Today, I would like to introduce USERFEST, an Archicad user event in Japan that has now reached its 8th year.
USERFEST began in 2019 as a meetup event “by Archicad users, for Archicad users.” From the very beginning, Graphisoft Japan has supported the event by providing the venue and operational environment, while the content planning and on-site management have been led by an organizing committee made up of volunteer Archicad users.
This year, USERFEST2026 was held in Tokyo for the first time. Archicad users gathered from all across Japan, from Hokkaido in the North to Okinawa in the South, and we welcomed our largest audience ever, with around 300 participants spending a Friday afternoon together.
The program included 26 sessions, held in one-hour time slots, as well as a Modeling Challenge, where 10 teams competed to complete a task announced on the day within a 55-minute time limit.
Throughout the venue, people learned, talked, and connected through our shared language: Archicad. The session topics covered a wide range of themes, from beginner-friendly content to how Archicad can be used for Japan’s new building confirmation application process, which started this April, as well as construction workflows, design workflows, and of course AI.
Each session was prepared by users based on their own experience and interests, making USERFEST a place for practical learning and genuine knowledge sharing.
Before the event, the venue layout was also published in BIMx, including information about the session topics at each booth. On the day of the event, BIMx was used to support navigation and communication throughout the venue.
In the Modeling Challenge, 10 teams took on the task of modeling Tokyo Tower. Each team’s screen was shared on a large central display, allowing everyone in the venue to follow their progress. The energy of the room was also captured by drone footage.
Even our group photo required a different approach this year. There were too many people to fit into an iPhone wide-angle shot, so the photo was taken using two drones.
After the main event, around 160 participants joined the networking party and continued their conversations. In the post-event survey, more than 90% of respondents said they were positive about joining again next year, and the overall event rating was 4.4 out of 5.
On the back of the Edo-purple uniforms worn by this year’s organizing committee, there was a phrase: “Constructing Our Fourth Place.”
A Fourth Place expands the idea of a “third place” — somewhere that is neither home nor work — into an era where online and real-world connections come together.
In Japan’s Archicad community, we are nurturing USERFEST as a place where connections born in the Community grow into real-life encounters, and where people can learn, talk, and share their passion for Archicad.
Next year, USERFEST will be held in Osaka. We would be happy if you can join us in Osaka next time!
Rumiko Shimo
Community Manager, Japan
