Celebrating the Top-Rated Classes of AU 2021

Great AU classes don’t just happen—they’re carefully conceived, crafted, revised, rehearsed, and presented. The process takes months—from initial submission in the Call for Proposals through mentorship, feedback, and execution. And the action continues even after the presentation, as many speakers continue to respond to comments and questions on their class pages on the AU website.

"It can take 30 to 40 hours on average to create the class, including planning learning objectives and creating the class handout and presentation slides,” Autodesk University Content Manager Janice Miller-Kellerman said. “And many award-winning speakers spend far beyond 40 hours to craft their content.”

The Best of AU awards celebrate this commitment to excellence, recognizing the classes that are rated highest by attendees. And with this year’s global digital conference, we’re spotlighting a total of 80 winners. Awards are grouped by industry in eight categories, with awards given for sessions in all languages supported at AU 2021. Check out this year’s top-rated classes.

It’s worth noting that more than half of this year’s winners (54%) were first-time AU speakers. That’s an impressive and inspiring statistic, given that the AU Call for Proposals is competitive. Many experts submit multiple proposals over the years before they finally get one accepted. It’s great to see attendees recognize the work of first-time speakers in their class ratings this year.

Remember that the AU 2022 Call for Proposals is just around the corner. Whether you’re a returning speaker or submitting your first proposal, it’s not too soon to start planning. We’ll have details in the new year.

Until then, congratulations to all our Best of AU 2021 winners!