Attending AU2024 in person is a blessing and a gift. Many may not realize how lucky they are to be able to engage in person, and others take this opportunity for granted. Come follow me on my recent journey to AU2024 in San Diego, CA. I hope you get a chance to see AU2024 through my eyes, especially those who could not attend in person.
Getting Ready
It was a normal work day here in Atlanta, GA. The busyness of "business" was hard at play, and I was focusing on developing my ACC content for my next class. As I was toiling away, I received an email from one of my Autodesk managers and good friend, Janice Miller-Kellerman. She asked if I wanted to be a Mentor again this year for AU2024, and I jumped at the opportunity to participate! I immediately responded, "YES!" without even getting approval from my place of employment. Being an AU Speaker Mentor was a blast last year, and I learned a lot. I also had the opportunity to grow with my Speakers and wanted to contribute again this year.
Getting approval to attend AU2024, however, was difficult. Like other potential attendees at other companies, I had to prove that attending was a positive ROI on doing so. Luckily, I was convincing enough based on my years of being a previous speaker, being a mentor, and providing quality work that led up to attending AU. I was on my way to San Diego, CA!
As I packed my bags and readied myself for the event, I thought about what was most important for attending...I wanted to provide a positive impact to the Autodesk Community, see my AU Speakers shine in their classes, make new friends, see old friends (some well over 15 years of being together), and give back my time to volunteer wherever I could.
Day 1 - Tuesday
The flight from Atlanta to San Diego was hectic but fun. I arrived in SD at 10 a.m. and immediately took an Uber to my hotel. I dropped off my luggage and walked to the event. As I walked excitedly there, I met my first fellow Expert Elite colleague, Kristina. We looked at each other and were immediately joyed at finally seeing each other. This was the beginning of what I call my "AU Community Connections." My AUCC is my way of building and continuing to grow my Autodesk Community and lifelong friendships with like-minded people.
Entering the event space, I went straight to registration and then to AU Orientation, where I volunteered my time until 4 pm. This gave me a chance to meet new friends again, help them get acclimated to AU2024 in SD, and allow me to ease into AU2024. From there, I jumped over to the Autodesk Community Booth Zone to see my fellow Expert Elites and the AC Team. Seeing everyone slowly trickle in was solidifying my "AUCC." As I acclimated to the new venue space (nothing like Las Vegas), I felt more at home seeing all the past and present attendees rushing to experience everything.
That evening, the General Reception was a great start to the week. It was fantastic to see everyone rush for food and drinks, meet others, and check out the Community Zone as a whole! Leaving this event, I jumped over to the AU Speaker Social at the Marriott Marquis. The list of speakers and mentors gathering for a relaxing evening felt inviting and humbling. I was able to see some of the speakers that I mentored for a couple of months prior at the event. The "first" day of AU2024 shaped out well, and we were anxious to start the official day 1 on Tuesday.
Day 1 officially started out well. Gathering with all of my fellow EEs before the General Session gave us a chance to see everyone together as a family once again. The connections we built over the years strengthened that morning. We all attended the General Session up front near the stage, and it was great to feel the energy and look forward to an awesome day and week.
As the day passed, attending some of my registered classes was easy. Getting around the venue with the AU App made it a breeze. Jumping from class to Expo to CZ made the day race by! Trying to fit all of the events, activities, etc., into 1 day was challenging. I was able to attend both the EE Welcome Event and the ACI Appreciation Event that evening, too. Getting to spend an evening with my EE colleagues relaxing, enjoying each other's company, and getting "schooled" by a magician was awesome. Even the photo booth, where we were "nuts" in front of the camera, made everyone laugh. With plenty of food, good times, and drinks, I was ready to take on Day 2.
Day 2 - Wednesday
Day 2, after having a quick breakfast, started with the AECO Community Meetup with Jonathan Hand and our extinguished guest of EE's...you all know who you are! We were able to learn from our attendees and had fun doing a bit of Revit trivia. The General Session event that day came immediately afterward, and before we knew it, lunch went by in a flash! I spent the good part of this day in the CZ helping out the CZ Booth, building cool Lego toys, exploring the CZ areas of interest, and helping attendees with questions. I also had a chance to enjoy the photo booth where crazy AI-based photos were taken.
Helping with Meetups, informal gatherings, and even interviews/photos with the Autodesk Team was a blast. The pets (puppies) were so cute to watch as well. As the evening came to be, dinner was a pleasant treat with friends, colleagues, and EE's. Getting a chance to explore downtown SD and the Gaslight District at night was cool...but alas, the hotel bed was calling my name, and I needed rest for the last day.
Day 3 - Thursday
Day 3 gave me a chance to see my fellow EE Kristina present a stellar class on ACC, join the Revit Community Meetup where we did trivia for prizes for attendees, have a relaxing EE Reunion Lunch with all of my EE peeps, and attend my remaining classes to see my speakers shine! Finishing the evening by attending Autodesk meetings, partying at the AU Design & Make Celebration, and even hanging out with my EEs afterward gave me the truest sense of Autodesk Community I could ever imagine.
Day 4 - Friday
Day 4 gave me the opportunity to have breakfast with some solid EE friends and Autodesk Managers. Jonathan, Shaun, Shelby, and Kristina—you all are the best! It was a proper way to hang out one last time before flying home.
Arriving home that evening, the feeling of "home sweet home" was palpable. My family was as excited to see me as I was to see them. The week blew by in a flash! I loved the week of intense learning, growing, relaxing, and giving, but I was glad to be home. And one more thing: AU2024 didn't end that week. It continued with EE conversations online, too!
As I reflect back on the event, I am reminded of how humbling an experience it was for me. To be able to attend a learning event with over 12,500 attendees, to give back to the Autodesk Community in all ways possible, and to use this experience to further my knowledge and all those I affect is a blessing.
Thank you to everyone who had a part in AU2024! I am grateful for the time spent there in San Diego. I look forward to attending the next one in Nashville, TN, next year.
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Please also feel free to enjoy some of the photos I took during the event throughout this blog! My full album of images from AU2024 can be found below:
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