Autodesk University (AU) 2020: Event Overview

From November 17-20, Autodesk University (AU) 2020 hosted the first global digital conference for Autodesk. It began on November 17 in the United States of America and November 18 in all other regions. AU has always been about learning through the community, and this time the community was much bigger than ever, with 109,000+ professionals from 130+ countries coming together to learn, connect, and explore new ways as part of the first global digital conference.

As part of the event, attendees watched 42,000+ hours of on-demand learning content and joined hundreds of live sessions, including panel discussions, roundtables, meet-ups, and live class, all curated around the AEC (architectural, engineering, and construction) industry. To enhance the reach of the event, all sessions were taught in seven languages at AU 2020—Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.

With 750+ new sessions, AU 2020 was a multi-day interactive digital experience that kicked-off with eight hours of continuous live programming on Day 1. It started with the General session followed by Architecture, Engineering & Construction Keynote, Design & Manufacturing Keynote, Forge Keynote, and Media & Entertainment Keynote.

It ended with The AU Theatre and Technology Trends. Days 2 to 4 saw 350+ live class QA’s, virtual meet-ups, roundtables, panel discussions, industry meetings, and more. The Industry Keynotes, the General Session, and industry talks and live panel discussions ensured a better perspective on what’s happening today and where things are headed for the AEC industry tomorrow.

Andrew Anagnost, Chief Executive Officer – Autodesk, said, “Our vision for construction is nothing less than to connect everything from the very early conceptual design phases, all the way to the final handoff to the owner, and everything that goes in between.”

All the sessions were packed with innovative ideas and concepts that can change the way the AEC industry presently works:

The AU Theater talks had 15-minute sessions from thought leaders exploring big ideas, from real-time rendering for visualization to the possibilities for digital twins in architecture.
The Technology Trends segment in Day 1 had top tech firms sharing their thoughts on how we can adapt to the realities of the new normal work-from-home era.
Design Slam: Master Class had experts in infrastructure and building design work their magic and solve real-world design challenges. We could share our thoughts about the products we use every day in the Idea Exchange.
The Expo had teams and partners that formed an evolving ecosystem to help work smart.

The AU experience is more than classes and keynotes—it’s also an opportunity to connect with Autodesk. With the global digital experience, things were a bit different than at an in-person conference, but the essence remained the same. Nothing replaces gathering in person, but a digital conference brings new possibilities—and global reach is one.

Key announcements from AU 2020:

Autodesk Construction Cloud extends its portfolio in project management, quantification, and design coordination products. Autodesk Docs, which is additionally being added to the AEC Collection, is vital to this development: Cloud-enabled data management. BIM 360 and Autodesk Construction Cloud will now operate in a common development environment (CDE).
Autodesk Build joins the strengths of PlanGrid and BIM 360 and adds new usefulness for field and project management solutions. It likewise incorporates the PlanGrid Build, a versatile application with extra new capacities for field laborers.
Autodesk Quantify looks to be a powerful tool for estimators, with rules-driven automation for quantification in a single platform. While this can be used in a 3D environment, it is encouraging to see that there is a nod to those who are just getting used to the transition from 2D to 3D or are required to still work in 2D environments. There is a high degree of automation in both.
Autodesk BIM Collaborate (and Pro) builds off of the existing BIM 360 Design offering and makes connections from BIM-centric design to the construction cloud—a long-desired (and needed) handshake.

From Day One inspiration in the keynotes to on-demand learning to live class Q&As and topic-based meet-ups, there was a lot to choose from. AU 2020 was the place to learn new workflows, refine old ones, and see what processes others are using to solve common everyday challenges.

Hands-on labs and instructional demos give you a chance to walk through it with an instructor, and if you missed a click or want to see how to apply a workflow to your own project, join that speaker for the live Q&A associated with their class. At AU, everyone’s a learner, and everyone’s a teacher. Attending AU is an investment in yourself and your future—and the future of your industry. And with no cost this year, it’s an investment that everyone could afford to make. Lastly, AU 2020 is a unique opportunity to network with professionals around the globe.

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