The Autodesk University Sessions That Could Have the Biggest Impact on Your Business

Build Your Strategy, Don’t Just Fill A Schedule

Every year, Autodesk University offers hundreds of classes, labs, keynotes, panel discussions, customer presentations, and more. It’s impossible to attend everything, and trying to do so often leads to information overload. To help you decide which sessions to attend, consider asking yourself the question:

Which topics will have the greatest impact on my career and my organization over the next two to three years?

Whether you’re responsible for technology, BIM, CAD management, design, digital delivery, or workforce development, here are six themes worth paying close attention to during this year’s conference.

1. AI-Assisted Design and Intelligent Workflows

AI will undoubtedly be one of the most talked-about topics at Autodesk University. From generative design and design assistance to automation, predictive insights, and data-driven decision-making, AI continues to become more deeply integrated across Autodesk products.

As you attend AI-focused sessions, look beyond what the technology can do.

Think about:

• Which tasks are being accelerated by AI?
• Where is human expertise still essential?
• How will AI affect project quality and consistency?
• What skills will employees need to use these capabilities effectively?

The conversation shouldn’t stop at AI features. It should include how your organization prepares people to use them responsibly and effectively.

2. Digital Delivery

Digital delivery continues to reshape how projects are designed, documented, and handed over.

Whether your organization is focused on BIM, infrastructure, manufacturing, or multidisciplinary collaboration, look for sessions that address:

• Improving project delivery
• Reducing rework
• Connecting teams
• Streamlining information exchange

Technology is only one part of digital delivery. Equally important are the processes and people that support it.

3. Data Management and Connected Information

Many organizations have made significant investments in digital tools, yet project information often remains scattered across multiple systems.

Sessions focused on data management, cloud platforms, and connected information can provide valuable insight into:

• Improving data quality
• Reducing duplication
• Increasing visibility across projects
• Supporting better decision making

As data becomes more connected, the ability to establish consistent standards and trusted sources of information becomes increasingly important.

4. Automation That Improves Everyday Work

Automation is often discussed in terms of efficiency, but the biggest opportunities usually come from eliminating repetitive work that prevents employees from focusing on higher-value activities.

As you explore automation sessions, think about where your teams spend unnecessary time today. Look for ideas that can help:

• Improve consistency
• Reduce manual effort
• Minimize repetitive tasks
• Support quality control
• Simplify common workflows

The most successful automation initiatives often start with a well-defined business problem rather than a specific tool.

5. Collaboration Across Teams and Projects

Projects continue to involve larger and more diverse teams than ever before. Architects, engineers, contractors, owners, consultants, manufacturers, and specialty partners all rely on accurate information and consistent communication.

Sessions focused on collaboration often reveal practical ways to:

• Improve coordination
• Reduce information silos
• Support distributed teams
• Strengthen project communication
• Create more consistent project outcomes

The technology enables collaboration, but shared processes and aligned teams are what make it successful.

6. Workforce Development and Technology Adoption

New technology creates opportunity when people know how to use it effectively.  As Autodesk continues to introduce new capabilities, workforce development becomes an increasingly important part of every technology strategy.

Look for sessions that explore:

• Technology adoption
• Change management
• Workforce readiness
• Knowledge transfer
• Learning strategies
• Organizational best practices

These conversations often provide practical ideas for helping teams move beyond implementation toward consistent execution.

Featured Presentation

Presentation Title: Right Knowledge, Right Time: Transforming Scattered Training into Scalable Learning

Presented by: Mary Forbes, Customer Success Team Lead, Eagle Point Software, and Joshua Bradshaw is Director of CORE Delivery at Thornton Tomasetti

Session Description: Engineering firms struggle to scale technology training beyond one-off classes and static PDFs, especially when teams are fully billable and tool stacks evolve quickly. At Thornton Tomasetti, the CORE technology team is using Pinnacle Series alongside Glean, the AI-powered enterprise search engine, to turn scattered standards, peer knowledge, and vendor content into structured, role-based learning journeys. This session shows how workflow-based training and enterprise search work together to connect staff to the right guidance and training at the right time, while supporting adoption, consistency, and future competency paths.

Attendees will learn how to build a role-based technology training strategy that brings together company standards, internal workflows, vendor content, and AI-powered search into a single learning experience. The session will demonstrate how enterprise AI and applied learning work together to connect users with the right guidance at the moment they need it, improving software adoption and reducing time spent searching for information. Presenters will also share practical approaches for creating workflow-based learning that supports billable project teams while establishing a scalable foundation for long-term competency development, career progression, and professional certifications.

Build an Agenda That Supports Your Business Goals

It’s easy to fill your calendar with sessions that look interesting. Before the conference begins, take a few minutes to identify the challenges your organization is trying to solve over the next year.

For example:

• Improving adoption of Autodesk technologies?
• Preparing for AI-enabled workflows?
• Standardizing processes across offices?
• Strengthening collaboration?
• Accelerating onboarding?
• Supporting digital transformation initiatives?

When you start with business priorities instead of product features, it’s much easier to identify the sessions that will deliver lasting value long after Autodesk University ends.

Final Thoughts

The best Autodesk University schedule isn’t necessarily the busiest one. It’s the one that gives you practical ideas you can bring back to your organization, adapt to your environment, and turn into better ways of working.

What makes the conference valuable is understanding how the new innovations you discover at AU can support your people, your processes, and your projects.