FAQ

Autodesk University attracts about 10,000 attendees each year from a wide range of professions and industries, including design, engineering, construction, manufacturing, and digital arts.

We offer a variety of session types, including:  

• Hands-on labs for practical product training  
• Industry talks featuring case studies, insights, and thought leadership 
• Instructional demos for more in-product learning 
• Panels and roundtables for peer-to-peer learning 
• Product briefings for new Autodesk technology 
• Keynotes that explore the future of design and engineering  

We suggest that you attend a variety of sessions to round out your AU learning experience. 

In recent years, we've offered nearly 700 sessions to choose from.

The 2018 conference begins Tuesday, November 13, and ends Thursday, November 15. It’s a 3-day event, with additional preconference events on Monday, November 12.

We hold several special programs and preconference events on Monday, including: 

• Forge DevCon–Join more than a thousand design and engineering software developers for a special day of sessions and labs focused on the Forge platform. 
• Connect & Construct Summit–Join other construction professionals for a special day of sessions for the building and construction industry. 
• Computational BIM Workshop - Beginner–Start building your BIM skills on Monday, before AU begins. Learn to combine Building Information Modeling with Dynamo, Revit, and other applications, data sources, and geometry tools. Basic understanding of programming and scripting recommended. 
• Computational BIM Workshop - Developer–Join us on Monday for the Dynamo Developer Workshop focused on extensions, a tool that allows Dynamo developers to create custom functionality based on Dynamo interactions and logic. You’ll learn extension basics during the first part of the workshop. The second part features a focused extension topic for learning, collaboration and exchanging ideas with other Dynamo community members.  

2018 will be the 26th year of AU.

We’ll make an announcement on our blog and via email when we've lined up the AU 2018 keynote speakers. In recent years, we've heard from Autodesk executives and special guests.

Yes. This year’s theme is The Future of Making Things. We’ll explore the evolution of design and engineering technology, and how day-to-day innovations and efficiencies are our bridge to the future. The future is exciting, and it’s close.

The party will be on Wednesday evening at the LINQ Promenade, just a short walk from The Venetian and The Palazzo. Celebrate your position at the forefront of your industry as you enjoy a futuristic playground for designers, makers, and builders.

Guest Passes are available for purchase if you're registered for AU, so you can bring your guest to the AU party and evening events in the Expo. You can also buy a Party Only Guest Pass at the Customer Service desk, which allows your guest to attend the party. Guest Passes and Party Only Passes should only be purchased if you want to bring someone with you. All AU 3-day conference passes include evening events and the party.

Yes. Here are some of the ways we make AU as sustainable as possible:

• We’ve replaced paper conference guides with a mobile app guide.
• We hold the conference in a single venue, and partner with sites that already have sustainability programs in place.
• We provide exhibitors with guidelines on how to make their booth green, and encourage them to reduce or replace paper handouts.
• To learn more, watch this video on The Greening of Autodesk University.

Share a taxi from the airport with another AU attendee. AU taxi ambassadors will be waiting to help attendees connect starting Monday. You’ll save on taxi fare, plus start networking as soon as you arrive, so it’s an all-around win.

Check out the AU 2018 schedule to get an idea of the main conference offerings.

Yes. You can browse the course offerings in the AU class catalog before you register.

This year we’ve added waitlists for Instructional Demos, Industry Talks, and Hands-on Labs. When you try to add a full class to your schedule and the class has a waitlist, the system will ask if you'd like to add your name to the waitlist. If you select yes, you'll be placed on the waitlist and the class will appear on your schedule as a waitlisted class. If you select no, then that time on your schedule will remain open. Keep in mind, when you’re waitlisted for a class you won’t be able to enroll in conflicting classes. We’ll do our best to enroll waitlisted attendees into the respective classes before November 1, at which point all waitlists will be cleared.

For AU classes that don't have waitlists, you can use the mobile app to switch classes at the event. Class changes happen right up to and during AU. Add the sessions you want to monitor to your favorites and keep checking back for openings. You can also email the AU Registration Team to ask if a class will be repeated at a different time. REPEAT will appear at the end of the title for classes that are offered again due to popularity.

Handouts will be posted in the class catalog and mobile app approximately 2 weeks before the event, but speakers can update their files until AU begins. Other class materials will be available through AU online 2 weeks after the conference.

We record about 500 classes at AU each year. We increase this number every year, and we’re working toward recording every class. Room size impacts which classes are recorded. Since session locations can change up to the event, you can’t request that we record your class. We also can’t post a list of which classes will be recorded.

AU learning doesn't end when you leave Las Vegas. You can watch recorded sessions and keep learning all year long at AU online. Even if a class wasn’t recorded, many of our AU experts prepare detailed handouts, sample data sets, and other learning materials. These materials are available online year-round. At AU online, class is always in session, and always free.

All attendees and their guests from outside of the United States must have a valid passport to travel. Visitors from some countries also need an entry visa.

Contact your local U.S. embassy or consulate to check current visa requirements and find out how to obtain an entry visa. You may be able to fill out an electronic application form online.

Don’t worry—AU can provide you with an invitation letter if you're attending the 3-day conference. After you register for AU and have paid for your 3-day pass, email the following information to autodeskuniversity@autodeskevents.com:

• First and last name as it appears on your passport
• Date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy)
• Passport number and expiration date (mm/dd/yyyy)
• Issuing country and country of residence

Note that we can only provide invitation letters for registered AU attendees.

If your country participates in the Visa Waiver Program and you have a machine-readable passport, you may be able to travel without a visa. For more information, please refer to the U.S. State Department website.

Visit the passes page for details about 2018 passes and pricing.

AU passes are available on the Autodesk Store and the conference website. AU passes can also be purchased through your local Autodesk reseller.

Note: Educator/student passes are available for purchase only through the conference website. The Discovery Pass, Exhibit Hall Pass, and AU Party Only Guest Pass are available for purchase at the conference or through the website.

Registration for AU 2018 opens Wednesday, August 8 at 8:00 a.m., Pacific time.

After purchasing a pass on the Autodesk store, you’ll receive a registration code to use when registration opens in August. During registration, enter your code when prompted to ensure that your prepayment is applied.

Follow these steps to apply your registration code(s) to your registration: 

• Step 1—Sign in to the registration site. If you don't have an account, you'll be able to create one from the site. 
• Step 2—Once you've signed in, you'll start the registration process. You'll be prompted to enter your code(s) into the text box at the bottom of the page.  
• Step 3—Enter your code(s) and proceed through the registration form. The package prices will reflect the discount(s) from the code(s). You'll be charged full-price for any additional packages you select that are not covered by the provided code(s).   
• Step 4—Complete registration. Once completed, you'll have the option to reserve your hotel room or proceed to the class catalog, where you can select your classes and activities based on the package(s) you have purchased. 

Please contact the Autodesk University Registration team via email at autodeskuniversity@autodeskevents.com.

The AU Leadership Forum is an invitation-only event. During registration, enter your invitation code and then choose the Leadership Forum package.

No. Each attendee must register themselves by signing in with their Autodesk ID.

Free additional passes are available for groups of 8 or more. Once 8 people from your organization have registered and paid for a 3-day conference pass, you can request your free additional pass(es) by emailing the AU Registration Team. Student and educator passes do not count toward this discount. If your organization has multiple subsidiaries, you must advise all of the affiliated company names to be included in your pass calculation at the time of your initial request.

You can purchase an AU Guest Pass when you register for AU. The Guest Pass only includes access to evening events.

No, hotel accommodations for AU Las Vegas are not included in the registration fee and must be paid at your own expense. If you’ve been provided with a hotel code by Autodesk, be sure to enter it during registration so that you are billed correctly.

When you request hotel accommodations during the AU registration process, you must provide a credit card, which will be charged one night’s stay plus tax to secure the reservation. You must pay the remaining balance at check-in. If the credit card you’re using is not in your name, please contact the AU Registration Team so they can help. 

You'll be prompted to enter your code(s) into the text box at the top of the page at the beginning of the hotel registration process.

Sorry, but no. All AU Las Vegas attendees and their guests must be at least 21 years of age.

You can purchase AU passes using all major credit cards (American Express, MasterCard, and Visa), checks, and wire transfers. Payments by check and wire transfer must be remitted within 15 days after registration is completed. To ensure that your payment is quickly applied, include a copy of your invoice or reference your name and invoice number with the payment.

If you’re already an Autodesk member and are having trouble with your account, check out the Autodesk Account FAQ for troubleshooting tips or to retrieve your Autodesk ID or password.

Yes. You can purchase daily Expo Passes each day at the conference.

RFID stands for radio frequency identification. Each AU badge contains a small chip that signals sensors placed throughout the conference. We want to find out what people are most interested in and how traffic moves through the conference. Don’t worry—we only track the Exhibit Hall, keynotes, and a few other areas within the conference venue. We can’t tell when you go to the restroom or where you go outside of the conference venue. If you want to opt out, please tell us when you check in at registration.

To cancel or transfer your AU conference pass, send an email request to the AU Registration Team. Fees may apply. Conference no-shows are ineligible for a refund. The person receiving the transfer must not be a current attendee in the system at the time of the transfer request. All transfer requests must be received in writing from the original attendee.

Yes. We live stream the keynotes and a handful of classes during AU.

Here’s the link—send it to your colleagues and be sure to bookmark it: http://au.autodesk.com/las-vegas/live-stream.

You’ll need a high-speed Internet connection and a web browser.

You can watch the live stream anytime after the session ends by visiting AU online.

The app is available for download on the website. You can alternatively look for Autodesk University on the Apple App Store or Google Play store.

The app is available for iOS & Android devices. We also have a mobile web version available. (HTML5, features are limited)

The AU 2018 Las Vegas app will be available in August.

Please note that the app is available to anyone. Registered attendees will have access to more features and information.

With the AU mobile app, you can manage your schedule, follow the attendee activity feed, get personalized class and networking recommendations, and much more. 

Be sure to use your Autodesk ID or the same login information you used to register for AU. For help with your login, visit the Autodesk Account FAQ. Only registered attendees can access the app.