Today Autodesk announced a special opportunity (see the AU Blog post below) for those still considering attending Autodesk University. I don't know if the state of the economy has impacted registrations, other than mine, but this offer makes a good deal even better.
Since 2004, with the exception of 2006 when the "AU Plane thing" was generously rewarded with an Autodesk Scholarship, I've attended AU thanks to some company support - mainly time - and investing a salary bonus which arrived about the same time. This year that bonus didn't happen, the economy again, and I won't be attending.
I think, even at the standard rates, Autodesk University is exceptional value. In comparison a local (non-CAD) Tech event had a similar fee, but was a day shorter and didn't include accommodation, or Vegas, or even parking! However, getting to AU from New Zealand means the additional travel cost isn't trivial. The current state of our dollar, recently plunging from US$0.8 to $0.55/NZ$1 (and falling), also means the US has recently gotten a whole lot more expensive for Kiwis. It's that darn economy again!
Why should you consider attending Autodesk University anyway? Simply, it's the best place on the planet to learn and meet fellow users of the applications you use. I've written a lot about it over the years (the Wordle below summarises hundreds of posts) but in a sentence;
If you can get to Autodesk University, GO, it's worth the investment.
AU Buddy Passes - The Autodesk University Blog
Some of you may have seen today’s announcement that we are starting an AU Buddy promotion today. Starting on November 5th, anyone with a non-discounted AU pass can request a Buddy Pass—the first 100 are free. After the first 100 are distributed, Buddy Passes will cost $595. A Buddy Pass includes everything a regular pass includes but It does not include hotel (hence “buddy” to share a room with) and classes cannot be preselected. Still... it truly sounds like a great deal and an easy way for attendees to get twice as much out of their conference budget.
A Buddy Pass can be added to any new registration or any previous registration. We will start issuing Buddy Passes at 9:00 am (GMT -8), and they will be issued on a first come, first served basis.
Not registered yet? Then do it now to avoid delays on Monday.
Questions? Learn more about the Buddy Pass.
