Free Autodesk Certification exams have been one of the most popular additions to AU in recent years, and this year the enthusiasm for taking them was greater than ever. In 2010, attendees took 2,600 exams at AU. This year, we topped that number on Wednesday, with still more testing available on Thursday. A lot of people also caught on to the fact that they can take exams on Monday before the conference starts, leaving the rest of their week for classes and other AU activities. More than 600 exams were taken by the end of Monday. READ MORE >

Last night’s Gallery at AU Designer’s Forum was a delightful opportunity to see how all the fantastic designs on display in the Gallery at AU in the Exhibit Hall were created and to find out what these same designers are working on now. Each presenter was allotted 6 minutes for his presentation. Here are some top hits: READ MORE >

This year, Autodesk University introduced a new series of Innovation Forums. These TED-like events are designed to inspire and energize all of us to think more creatively and in entirely new ways. The Creativity 2.0 session did not disappoint! READ MORE >

We may not know it yet, but we’re all surfing 5 waves of disruption—the theme of this year’s General Session. Opening the session in front of one of the biggest screens I’ve ever seen, Autodesk CTO Jeff Kowalski addressed “something near and dear to our hearts”—our concerns that the world is more chaotic and our uncertainty about the future. These waves of disruption are headed for all of us, but as Jeff said, we can ride even the biggest wave with the right mindset and the right skill sets. AND it can be an exhilarating ride. Here’s what’s coming at you: READ MORE >

Last night’s well-attended AU Speaker Reception took place at the exotic nightclub Tao in the Venetian. In a darkened oriental-themed setting with multi-armed goddesses, loud rock music, and spinning lights, the speakers enjoyed themselves with lots of conversation and laughter. Servers wandered around offering drinks, 4 types of sushi, spring rolls, coconut shrimp with mustard sauce, grilled asparagus, and pork dumplings. Old acquaintances reconnected, and many made new friends. READ MORE >