Autodesk University: A Personal Retrospective

After a long and hectic week, another Autodesk University has come to an end. Although the attendance at this year's AU was apparently down from previous years, it really didn't feel like it. This year's AU had all the energy and activity of earlier conferences and I would have been hard-pressed to tell you if it had less attendees.

I taught two classes ("How to Get the Most Out of the Action Recorder" and "All Things Layers in AutoCAD"), presented one of the new AU virtual product clinics ("Online License Transfer in Autodesk 2010 Products"), did an interview for AutoCAD Exchange with Heidi Hewett, met many of our Subscription customers while manning the Subscription kiosks, and enjoyed the chance to meet and chat with some of our Platinum Subscription customers over lunch. All in all, it was another hectic, yet satisfying, week at Autodesk University. My MacBook Pro performed admirably for the 3rd year in a row and, with the exception of a couple technical and logistical issues between my two classes (when you only have 30 minutes between classes, it's not cool to rush to your next classroom only to find the previous class hasn't been dismissed yet), things ran without a hitch.

I was reading the survey results from my classes this year and was amused to see the following comment from an attendee, "He did well - I understand it's his first AU." Although I wasn't completely sure how many AUs this was for me, I definitely know it wasn't my first in the 17 years of AU conferences. After digging through my old files, I confirmed that this was my 12th Autodesk University over the last 14 years.

My very first AU was in 1996, at Navy Pier, in Chicago, IL – two years before I would be hired by Autodesk. At that time I had been writing articles for the solid (but, sadly, short-lived) AutoCAD Tech Journal quarterly magazine. I was approached by Miller Freeman editors (who also published CADENCE magazine) and was asked to teach a class at AU. My first AU class was "AutoLISP Programming for Professionals" where I focused on how to write user-friendly AutoLISP programs that anticipated the unpredictable nature of end-user interactions. I just dug out the original handout (14 pages - even then I couldn't keep it to recommended page limit) and, with few exceptions, the concepts could still be taught today. Between then and now, I have only missed two Autodesk University conferences: 1998 (I was a new Autodesk employee that year and wasn't able to attend) and 2005 (my AutoCAD development schedule just didn't permit the time that year).

I always enjoy AU because I get to meet so many of our customers. Every time I see someone with an AU badge in an elevator or outside the hotel – when I just need to breath actual air that doesn't come from casino filtration systems – I ask how the conference is going for them. Invariably, I get a positive response that usually includes a statement like, "I didn't think there was anything else for me to learn in xyz area but I have learned a lot this year." Excellent! That's why you come to AU and that's what makes it all worth the effort for both the teachers and the attendees.

Another one of the best parts of attending Autodesk University each year is the chance to spend time with my AU friends: people that I only see – once a year – at this conference. These are friendships that have developed over the course of the last decade (or more) and they are an important part of my AU experience. AU is our chance to catch up, commiserate, and talk shop for as long as our AU schedules will allow. So … to my good friends, dave espinosa-aguilar, Scott McFarlane, James Wedding, Alex Lepeska, and anyone else I'm forgetting right now: It was great seeing you last week and I look forward to seeing you again next year.

Were you in attendance this year, either live or at one of the virtual AU sessions? Let me know how it was for you?

Comments

[Scott McFarlane]

It was great to see you again, as usual. I though it was a great conference, and I agree that despite the lower attendance, the energy was still there. Already looking forward to next year!

[dave espinosa-aguilar]

hi Tom! it was great to get in some visits with you again this year (and to see you in action in the Powertracks - i always learn valuable stuff in your courses). i liked the smaller attendence at AU this year. for me it made the classes more intimate and the pace of the event less furious and hectic. most folks i spoke with said they thoroughly enjoyed the event. by the way i loved the new (old) Brian Regan material you pointed me to. had a chance to listen to it all on the planes home and couldn't stop laughing. am also starting to get hooked on the music you pointed me to... very addictive! have a safe and relaxing holiday season and hoping you'll be able to keep up the great work you're doing here on this blog. it's a weekly ritual for me these days to drop in on it. see you at AU next year if not sooner!

[R. Robert Bell]

I thought it was sort of refreshing to have a somewhat smaller event since it made it easier to see and visit with friends, including you, this year. However, I did miss others that were unable to attend due to the economy. The networking is the best part of the event, IMHO.