The Power of Connection: AU 2021 Kicks Off

What if you could connect everything—your people, your data, and your workflows? What if you could use AEC data for manufacturing, and vice versa, without translation? What if the right people always had the right data at the right time on the right device and the project lifecycle never really ended?

We learned new answers to these questions and others like them as AU 2021 got underway. The first day of the conference has been incredible. From big ideas to better workflows, the AU community came together to learn new skills, explore new approaches to shared challenges, and step into the new possible. And there’s much more ahead. There's still time to register and join us for what’s to come.

Here are a few highlights from the first day of AU 2021:

The General Session Part One kicked off this year’s conference, as Autodesk President and CEO Andrew Anagnost discussed Autodesk’s platform strategy, which will make the capabilities of Autodesk software available through the Forge cloud platform via APIs. This means you’ll be able to combine capabilities from various Autodesk products to create your own workflows, sharing only the data you want to share. It means Autodesk data will be compatible with more tools. It means independent developers can create solutions that can change the industry. And it means that we can combine technologies, converge processes, and share best practices from every industry. Every business is a data business now. Watch the first part of the General Session now.

The AutoCAD Keynote followed, bringing news of features that will simplify automation and improve insights. From a new tool that turns hand-drawn markups into AutoCAD geometry to an insight engine that analyzes how you work while you work and suggests ways to work smarter and build your skills, the focus is spending more time designing with data, and less time searching for, moving, and managing it. Watch the AutoCAD Keynote now.

Next up was Tech Trends: The Impact of Digital Transformation on the Future of Work, a panel discussion featuring experts from Intel, HP, Unity, and Autodesk. They shared perspectives on how companies and professionals in AEC and manufacturing are approaching the challenges of the past two years both in the workplace and in training and education. Watch the first part of Tech Trends now.

Throughout the day, attendees learned new skills with classes, connected with speakers through live Q&As, explored 10-minute solution demos in the Solution Marketplace, shared perspectives in meetups, connected with peers in 1-on-1 meetings, and much more.

And it’s all just getting started. The ideas, insights, and innovation continue tomorrow. Join us for the General Session Part Two at 9:00 a.m., Pacific time, followed by Industry Keynotes at 9:45 a.m., and the Construction Keynote at 10:15 a.m. That will be followed by more featured content and classes, more meetups, and more opportunities to connect. We’ll see you tomorrow.