Great innovation begins with inspiration, which can strike at any time. We all know iconic inventor stories like Sir Isaac Newton’s falling apple and Benjamin Franklin’s electrified kite. You may remember last year’s AU Las Vegas Innovation Forum, when Roman Mars told us the incredible story of Almon Brown Strowger, the Kansas City undertaker who invented an automatic telephone switching system to outsmart his rival—whose telephone operator wife was sending all the funeral business in town to her husband—and revolutionized the telephone system in the process. But have you heard about Nike co-... READ MORE >

Every year, more than 2,000 class proposals are submitted for AU during the Call for Proposals (CFP). And every year, roughly 600 are selected for the event. That leaves about 1,500 quality proposals behind. For those wondering why their proposal wasn’t chosen, we thought it might be helpful to explain how the decisions are made. Hopefully we can provide a little insight into how we do things and what we’re looking for, and empower you to create a proposal next year that hits the bull’s eye.     What’s hot, what’s not? After the big event in Las Vegas every year, you might thi... READ MORE >

Our panel of judges is hard at work reviewing and rating each and every 1 of the nearly 2,300 class proposals we received. Thanks again to everyone who took the time, thought, and energy to submit a proposal. You guys rule the school. Next week we’ll give you some insight into how we go about narrowing down this highly competitive field to the 600(ish) classes we’ll offer in Las Vegas this November. In the meantime, here are some quick stats and fun facts about this year’s CFP submissions. (If you want to compare apples and oranges, take a peek at last year’s CFP stats blog and see what a dif... READ MORE >

Technology is increasing efficiency and making more possible in construction, but there’s a catch: people have to use that technology for it to work. And in the construction industry, where people have spent decades perfecting processes using pen, paper, and spreadsheet, getting buy in to try something new can be a challenge. That’s a challenge that Wendy Tam and Victoria Chua have faced head-on as assistant project managers at Plant Construction Company in San Francisco. Both work extensively with Autodesk BIM 360 Field construction field management software to track punch lists, issues, and... READ MORE >

We’re excited to announce the AU International 2016 world tour, kicking off with our first event this month: AU ASEAN will be held on June 16 in Bangkok. Design and building professionals in Southeast Asia, join us for a day of learning, connecting, and exploring the future of making things. Learn new software skills, explore industry trends, and expand your professional network. You can even get certified while you’re there. What are you waiting for? READ MORE >