June 18, 2008

And the AU Speakers Are...

Over the last six weeks, a large team within Autodesk reviewed the 1452 AU sessions submitted from 718 potential presenters. This team, together with votes from over 2200 customers, selected the 640 sessions that will be offered at AU.

Over the last few days, my colleague June Nakatani and I had the fun job of informing almost 400 presenters that one or more of their submissions were accepted. At the same time, we also had the unpleasant duty of telling over 300 presenters that we were not able to include their submissions in the AU 2008 program.

In some cases, we received a multitude of submissions for the same topic, and this made it especially hard to select the best session with the best presenter. To help us make a decision, we looked at the voting results from the survey to see if one session resonates better than others with folks who would actually attend. Next, we looked at information from past AUs that we have on the presenter and then checked with industry experts on the merit of each topic.

There was lots of back and forth between my team and the different industry groups to come to the final session catalog for AU 2008. Because of the large number of GREAT submissions, we ended up with 640 sessions, rather than the 570 we were planning to have.

In the most recent AU Quarterly Newsletter, we highlight some of the sessions that the AU community voted in. The entire AU session catalog will be posted to AU Online in late July. I plan to post a draft of the catalog to the BLAUG as soon as we are all done with scheduling and editing.

Almost 1/5 of this year's presenters will be from outside the US. We will have:

• 11 from Australia
• 25 from Canada
• 4 from Germany
• 5 from New Zealand
• 7 from the UK

 …and one or more from Brazil, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Poland, Sweden, Slovenia, Singapore and Switzerland.

I am very happy with the quality of the submissions we received this year, and am very excited with the great diversity of speakers signed up for AU. This will be the ninth AU that I am closely involved with, and I truly believe that this will be the best ever. Lots more to come over the next few weeks as the program develops. Stay tuned...

by Joseph Wurcher June 18, 2008 5:17 pm0 Comments | Add Comment

May 13, 2008

Our first ever Autodesk Experience Virtual Event!

On June 3rd, you'll have the chance to attend our first ever online Autodesk® Experience Virtual Event—without even leaving your office.  This event will help you find out about our new Autodesk 2009 software line and will include industry sessions with live Q&A, an exhibit hall, virtual networking, and a chance to win a 16GB iPod touch!

The AU team will have a booth in the virtual exhibit hall, and AU conference personnel will be there from 7am – 5pm. Yours truly is scheduled to be “in the booth” from 1pm – 5pm. Other AU staff will be there, including Cheryl Romero, AU Conference Manager; June Nakatani, AU Speaker Manager; and Lura Flynn, Communication Manager for AU. Stop by and we'll be happy to answer any questions about AU 2008, 2009—or AU Online.

by Joseph Wurcher May 13, 2008 10:25 pm5 Comments | Add Comment

May 9, 2008

AU Taking Shape

Yesterday was Day 4 of the AU team being locked in a room at Autodesk headquarters, where we poured over session proposals.

Today, we'll be looking through proposals for General Design, Visualization, and Data Management tracks, and hope to have a first draft of all tracks ready by next week so we can start circulating it for review and approval by the different divisions. The quality of proposals has been outstanding this year—which makes it both hard and easy to select classes. It's easy in the sense of putting together a strong track; hard in the sense of what to reject because of logistical limitations. 

Customer voting turned out to be exceptionally helpful. In most tracks, we ended up with one or two sessions that received high votes from customers that would otherwise have not been included. Again, our thanks to all of you who participated. I am not able to share results yet, since presenters have not been notified. Presenters will be notified by mid-June on the status of their proposals, and I will post the titles of sessions you voted for then.

Also, today we opened the AU Exhibitor website for AU 2008.  If you or your company is interested in participating, you may want to check out the details. You can view who was on the exhibit floor last year, and if you are planning to be at AU as an attendee, check out this high-level conference schedule.

by Joseph Wurcher May 9, 2008 10:27 am1 Comments | Add Comment

April 28, 2008

AU 2008: Help Us Select the Sessions!

Yesterday was the deadline for submitting potential session topics for Autodesk University this fall. The response to our “Call for Papers” has been fantastic, and we received 1306 submissions by the deadline.  A total of 606 professionals from all over the world submitted one or more topics, and 25% came from outside the US.

We're doing something new this year—we would like you to help us select the best 500-plus sessions. 

We have uploaded all of the sessions (that were submitted by the deadline) to AU 2008 Session site and we need your input. Topics are organized under 19 tracks, which are either an industry or a product.  If you are considering attending AU, please take a few minutes to vote for sessions that you absolutely want to see.

Over the next few weeks, we will review all those submissions and whittle them down to the number we can actually physically accommodate in the Venetian Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Registration for AU will start on August 15th, and one week earlier for AU members.  Class schedules will be available for review by August 1st.

Thank you in advance for helping us select the most interesting classes. The deadline for voting is Saturday, May 3, 2008

  for your AU 2008 sessions now!

by Joseph Wurcher April 28, 2008 4:21 pm13 Comments | Add Comment

April 17, 2008

AU 2008: Last Call for Great Presenters

Two words: submissions deadline. If you’re considering joining our outstanding slate of speakers at Autodesk University 2008, you’ll have to act by April 27, 2008.

Please submit your presentation proposal(s) online at the Call for Papers website as soon as possible.

Whenever we stop to analyze why Autodesk University has become so hugely successful, one thing is clear—the excellent presentations from experts like you are a huge factor. The time for us to assemble the AU 2008 faculty, who are without a doubt the most critical component of the overall AU experience, is nearly over. So if you have the following, we want to hear from you—now! 

• Have the communication skills, technical expertise, and relevant experience
• Want to share your knowledge of a favorite topic—from tips and tricks and sales techniques to new business opportunities such as sustainable design
• Are motivated to bring success to design professionals and their organizations
• Want to demonstrate your expertise to several thousand Autodesk customers, partners, and employees, thereby promoting your business success

By the way, a speaker honorarium is also provided.

by Joseph Wurcher April 17, 2008 4:42 pm2 Comments | Add Comment

April 3, 2008

AU2008: PowerTracks

This year’s AU will feature close to 600 sessions, divided into 20 tracks. We will also have 6 (maybe 7) PowerTracks. PowerTracks are designed to focus on specific aspects of each of the products or industries they cover and to give attendees an in-depth learning experience. Most PowerTracks will have 10 to 12 90-minute sessions and each PowerTrack will be managed by a PowerTrack lead. PowerTrack sessions have different requirements and deadlines for presenters and as a group will provide more than an individual session does—both onsite and on AU Online after the event.

PowerTracks we are considering for AU 2008 and topics we are looking for include:

AutoCAD

• 3D—Create, Modify and Visualization
• Customize—CUI, Action Recording & Scripts
• Programming—AutoLISP, AutoCAD .NET, VBA
• Intelligent Annotation—Tables, Fields, Data Extraction & Annotate Scaling
• Managing Content Standards—Dynamic Blocks & Tool Palettes
• Sheet Sets

Industrial Design

• Technical Surfacing
• AliasStudio Workflows
• High-end Visualization

Inventor

• Assembly Design—Adaptivity, Content Center and iAssemblies
• Digital Prototyping—Design Process, Downstream uses, Integrating AutoCAD data
• Extended Capabilities—Simulation, Routing Systems, Sheet Metal, Skeletal Modeling

Revit

• Revit Architecture 
  • Component Creation—Advanced Geometry Macro & Micro
  • Design Analysis—Sustainability, Graphic Rendering Techniques
  • Workflow Solutions—Design to Delivery, Real-Time Collaboration 
• Revit Structure 
  • Creating Structural Content 
• Revit MEP 
  • Creating MEP Content

Geospatial

• Map 3D Foundation—Geo-referencing, AutoCAD drawings for GIS, Classification, and Drawing Cleanup
• GIS Skills for Engineers—Topology Creation, Geospatial Analysis, Metadata and Querying
• Beyond the Box—Map 3D for Emergency Response, Natural Resource, Environmental, Utility Implementations, and Workflows

We are also considering a Civil 3D and a Structural Engineering PowerTrack.

On April 28th, all proposals that were submitted will be posted to AU Online—and you are invited to vote on what classes you would like to see at AU.

by Joseph Wurcher April 3, 2008 12:52 pm1 Comments | Add Comment

April 2, 2008

Your Feedback Now

A few weeks ago, we asked for your feedback on AU (the Event) and AUOL (AU Online).  The survey is still open but will close this Sunday, April 6.  Please submit your feedback now. 

As a thank you, anyone completing the survey will receive a CD with all AU 2007 handouts.

I will post some of the highlights of this survey to the BLAUG next week.

by Joseph Wurcher April 2, 2008 11:59 am0 Comments | Add Comment

March 26, 2008

The Autodesk Experience Tour

Global Launch Day on March 25th officially marked the launch of more than 40 Autodesk 2009 products. Information about these new products can be obtained from 28 local websites across the globe. 

In North American, the Autodesk Experience Tour kicks off in Miami on April 22nd.  The tour will have 18 stops in the USA and 3 in Canada.  Lynn Allen, Autodesk Technical Evangelist, will present AutoCAD 2009 Tips & Tricks in every city, and she will be joined by many great presenters—most you may already know since they are also present regularly at AU.

Sign up now for the Autodesk Experience Tour event near you and tap into the latest features of Autodesk 2009 software.

by Joseph Wurcher March 26, 2008 6:44 pm0 Comments | Add Comment

March 20, 2008

More Learning on AUOL!

Some of the most popular classes at AU last year were in the PowerTracks.  PowerTracks are a group of classes were one session builds on the one before and takes and delivers a more focused learning experience.  AU featured a total of seven PowerTracks, including Revit, Civil 3D, Advanced AutoCAD and others. We recorded most of those sessions and screencasts, handouts, and presentations and they can be downloaded from AU Online. 

Recently we added additional learning materials, including tutorials, to those sessions.  Working with the Autodesk Learning Team, we reviewed the sessions posted to each PowerTrack and looked for studio-produced tutorials that match the topic covered.  In some cases, very close content matches were found. These additonal e-learning materials can provide anyone who has already reviewed existing session materials with an even better understanding of the topic.  In others, like the CAD Manager PowerTrack, no additional materials were available.

Anyone with an AU Online account has access to this additional learning content. To find it, log in to AU Online, go to the Sessions page, select the PowerTrack from AU 2007. Under the Session Materials column, confirm that E-learning content is available for the session.  If so, then in the Session Name/Track column, click the session name to access the content.

The current plan for AU 2008 is to offer six PowerTracks, and I am working with Autodesk Learning to make them better than ever.  PowerTracks we are currently considering are for Advanced AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, Industrial Design (NEW), Inventor, and Map 3D (New).

by Joseph Wurcher March 20, 2008 5:31 pm0 Comments | Add Comment