Autodesk University 2017

By Nick Harris

I have been fortunate to attend Autodesk University every year since 2008 and I still look forward to the event with a huge sense of anticipation. Autodesk University or AU is a user conference, organised by Autodesk, originally located in the US but now held in cities around the world. It normally runs over several days, revolving around educational sessions, main stage keynote presentations and hands-on technology labs. The reason I enjoy the event so much is that there is an opportunity to experience cutting edge technology and workflows; and to be amongst the first to hear significant announcements directly from Autodesk. It is also incredibly informal and it is not unusual to find yourself in conversation with the people who are shaping the technology that we will be adopting in the coming years. Indeed, Autodesk takes the social aspect of the event very seriously and actively encourages its employees to mix with its customers and share insights about its inner workings.

However, until now the draw back for most Europeans has been the need to travel to Las Vegas to experience the event in English.  There are versions of the event in Russia, Germany and Turkey but they are delivered, in the main, in the local language. Las Vegas is certainly worth a visit and I would recommend that anyone should spend a few days there, but for AU the journey and the time difference tend to make an already packed few days exhausting.

Happily, Autodesk University is coming to London this June and we are playing a big part in it. Autodesk is taking the best bits of its global events and delivering them at this two-day event, starting on Wednesday 21^st June. There will be the normal mix of large scale keynote presentations, technical classes, hands-on labs and networking sessions. Our technical specialists are delivering four of those classes and I encourage you to consider coming to AU London and attending one of them. Autodesk has a rigorous selection process for its AU classes and prospective presenters are required to provide a detailed proposal outlining content and learning objectives. Classes are chosen based on relevance and how innovative and topical they are. The classes you should not miss are as follows.

21^st June

2:10PM - InfraWorks and Civil 3D for House Builders and Developers Trevor Clayton and RWO Associates.

22^nd June

2:10PM - AutoCAD Drawing Productivity – Martin Phelps

3:50PM - Simulating Reality with FEA– Clint Brown

5:00PM - Bridging the Gap: A BIM for Manufacturers Workflow – Peter Maxwell-Stewart

The other must see at AU is the exhibition space. Here you have the opportunity to meet with a wide range of Autodesk based technology providers in what is effectively a market place for businesses to promote their software and services. We are emphasising our position as Autodesk’s most diverse European partner by hosting stands dedicated to the core industries we support. On each of the three Manufacturing, Building and Infrastructure stands we will have industry experts, specific technology previews and some free tools to take away that will make you more productive.

If being immersed in all things Autodesk appeals and you are prepared to be inspired by your peers and industry thought leaders, then AU is for you. Everyone who attends returns to their offices with fresh ideas and an appreciation of best practice in their respective industries.