The 3 big topics we’re still thinking about from AU 2017

The BuiltWorlds team ventured to Las Vegas before Thanksgiving to attend Autodesk University 2017. Here’s what we learned.

---

Doing more, better — with less.

At first glance, this line of thinking seems counterintuitive. But the phrase, first introduced by Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost in this year’s Autodesk University (AU) opening conference keynote, quickly became a mantra that set an optimistic tone for the rest of the event.

This year, more than 10,000 attendees flocked to The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas on November 13-16 in search of new business and peers, but even more importantly, to learn about the latest software and technology rocking the built industry.

If you haven’t been to AU, we can boil it down to three words: Fun, educational — and exhausting. Fun, thanks to the many social events and hundreds of old and new tech-avid industry connections. Educational, with hundreds of classes, sessions, keynotes, and limitless information. And exhausting, due to all of the above, wandering around the massive exhibit hall, and staying up late with your new, like-minded friends and business partners, despite an early wake-up call the next day (it is Vegas, after all).

But back to the theme of doing more, better — with less. Our industry’s future, Anagnost said, will be defined by creating more products, launching more projects, and employing more people, but using fewer resources and with better outcomes and profits for AEC companies.

We heard that phrase again and again throughout the conference, and after the three days,  there were three big topics that continually rose above chatter.

1. Automation and robotics — they’re in full force

2. Data collaboration: A requirement in today’s industry

3. Creating a sharing culture with platform accessibility (coming on 12/1)

Click on the links above to dive into each topic.