Some might say that being a member of the Autodesk Expert Elite (EE) program involves answering and solving user questions in the Autodesk forums and wearing an EE-branded jacket at conferences such as Autodesk University (AU). Nope. It is WAY more than that. As an EE, you are an ambassador for Autodesk. You are an advocate for Autodesk’s ethos and their respected world-class presence in the Design & Make industries. From their first hero application, AutoCAD, that is now over forty years old, to second-generation and cloud-based applications such as Fusion and Forma, with Revit and Inventor in between, the experience and expertise the Expert Elites offer are second to none.
Autodesk Expert Elites are the top guns of the CAD and BIM world. Whether providing high-level consultancy, instructing in an Autodesk ATC, or answering questions at the Answer Bar at AU, Expert Elites are there as an extension of Autodesk, providing an essential service to all Autodesk users.
What does being an EE mean to me? You may ask this question, thinking that I might comment on how cool the EE jackets are (especially the blue one) or how many questions I answered in the forums that week. Yes, I do like the cool EE jackets, and maybe I will reply to the number of questions answered if asked. However, I see my role as an EE as so much more than providing technical support on Autodesk applications in the forums.
The last month or so has been insanely busy. I have represented the EE program at two events: -
- Being the host of the first AutoCAD User Group (AUG) meetup in London, UK.
- Speaking at the second virtual AUGI conference, AUGICON25.
I take great pride in mentioning the Expert Elite program at any event I speak at, as it is a big part of the overall Autodesk Community. Both of these events were volunteer events. I was not paid to organise or present. That volunteer ethos forms the backbone of the EE program.
The first AutoCAD User Group (AUG) Meetup – 23 April 2025
The first AUG Meetup was held at the Autodesk office in London, UK, on April 23rd. Thanks to Autodesk providing us with a meeting space, we were able to hold what was a successful (if not highly attended) group meetup. As the Autodesk Group Leader for AUG, I worked closely with Autodesk to make sure this event went ahead, and we had a great afternoon, with an AutoCAD 2026 presentation from me, followed by a superb presentation from Oli Cooper from OCTheatrical, talking about how he works with AutoCAD, developing stages for some of London’s biggest theatre shows. The Autodesk office is located slap bang in the middle of London’s theatreland, and it seemed right for Oli to join us for our first face-to-face AUG meetup!
During the meetup, one of the attendee’s (Sarah Medley) won a copy of my new AutoCAD book “Mastering AutoCAD”, recently published by Packt in January.
You can get 20% off of the list price of my book on Amazon, if you use this link: https://packt.link/7mnNb
The meetup was followed up by informal chats over pizza and soda, where we were all able to talk about our respective careers and how we use AutoCAD for our daily work.
You can join the AutoCAD User Group (AUG) LinkedIn group here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13741031/
You can also join the AutoCAD User Group (AUG) over on Meetup.com here: https://www.meetup.com/autocad-user-group-aug/
AUGICON25 – 1 & 2 May 2025
AUGI holds a special place in my heart. Between 2010 and 2016, I served on the AUGI Board of Directors, and as a volunteer, I helped AUGI at Autodesk University, and acted as the liaison between AUGI and Local User Groups (LUGs) worldwide. It was a fantastic time, and the AUGI ethos of “users helping users” aligns with my personal ethos of being an EE. I am still an Autodesk user, and I will always make sure to help other users using my EE role as a platform to do just that. Teaching my AutoCAD class at AUGICON25 was great fun, and it was good to connect in the AUGICON Conference Lounge with many friends, colleagues, and new connections.
My AUGICON25 class was loosely based on my recent AU2024 class I held in San Diego. You can find my AU2024 class here, on the Autodesk University webpage:
AUGICON25 classes will be available soon, and you can join AUGI at www.augi.com.
Conclusion
I have been involved with AutoCAD since 1988. I have also been around Revit since around 2002, and both products have evolved dramatically over the years.
I was honoured to become an Expert Elite in 2017, and it has not only enhanced my career dramatically but also given me the confidence to become a changemaker in my particular role. Launching the Not Just CAD podcast is just a small part of that. The podcast is my way of offering a window into the amazing people that I work and collaborate with in the Design & Make industries.
You can find the Not Just CAD podcast here:
- Apple: https://apple.co/3YO3ZEX
- Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4fOdfin
You all know how much I love teaching others how to work smarter with AutoCAD. Without it, I would not have a career or a company. It has provided me with job satisfaction since 1988, and long may that continue. Being an Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI) and LinkedIn Learning [in]structor allows me to give back the experience and expertise I have, and being an Expert Elite takes my contribution to the industry to the next level.
You can find my AutoCAD 2026 courses in the LinkedIn Learning library here: -
If you want an AutoCAD tip and trick or two, check out my AutoCAD Tips & Tricks series.
You can also read the Not Just CAD blog at https://www.cadfmconsult.com/not-just-cad, and the Not Just CAD newsletter on LinkedIn is here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6780454168873201664/
There is a lot more to come from Not Just CAD, so please stay tuned! I promise you will hear all the Not Just CAD goodness here first!
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