For Autodesk enthusiasts, the annual Autodesk University Conference and Exhibition is the place to be for topnotch training, networking and keeping up with the latest in design technology. It is the largest gathering of Autodesk design professionals worldwide. Although I was geared up to attend, my plan didn't turn out the way I wanted it to be. Here's the story:
I've almost forgotten about this conference till Holman's of Nevada emailed me a reminder three weeks before the conference. Holman's is the premier Autodesk reseller in Las Vegas, Nevada, where I live. Having purchased my Revit license and subscription from them, I was provided me with a free one day all-inclusive pass for Tuesday's events (Nov. 30, 2010).
Unfortunately, I was a little bit late in registering. Most of the Revit classes I wanted to attend were filled up. I ended up choosing classes in Alias Sketch, Alias Design and Inventor. In case you didn't know, Autodesk offered free Certification exams this year. They also offered free online Assessment test so you can evaluate your knowledge of Revit. With the assessment test in mind, I spent the next few weeks reviewing Revit. Four days before the event, I took the Assessment test and only made a couple of mistakes out of 30 questions. Inspired, I spent the next three days studying Revit intently. My original plan was to attend the classes and take the Certification exams during the break periods. Come November 30, the first item on my schedule was the Welcome Address and General Session Keynote. At the last minute, I decided to skip it so I can take the Certification exams. In short, after passing the Associate exam, I immediately took the Professional exam and passed it too! As we all know, the Autodesk Certification is the only way we can validate our knowledge and skills in Revit. Here are the logos I can now use with my business cards, resumes and letterheads:
It was almost 11:00 am when I got out of the testing room. I had enough time to make it to my 11:30 class. This is when I deviated from my plan and decided to just go home instead. On my way home, I bought a 6-pack of beer and celebrated the rest of the day!
AUGI Breakfast: December 2, 2010
As a member of AUGI Volunteer group, I got invited to the 2010 AUGI Volunteer Breakfast held at the Tradewinds room at Mandalay Bay Hotel. This is the another AU event that I was looking forward to. It was my chance to meet the people behind AUGI organization and AUGI website.
In this event, I got to meet the Revit experts I look up to. The highlight for me was meeting Steve Stafford, a well known Revit guru who runs Revitoped.com. He is also the current editor of AUGI AEC Edge. For years, I've always read and learned from his great blogs and articles. I also got to meet Mark Kiker, editor of BLAUGI; and David Harrington, technical director of AUGI World. In this breakfast event, David Harrington presented and explained the features of the newly redesigned AUGI.com website. Here are a few photos from the event.
Breakfast Buffet
Steve Stafford
(L-R) Ed Jobe, Steve Stafford, Mark Kiker, Steve Bennett
David Harrington presenting the new look of AUGI.com website
Bill Adams and Dario Passariello
Karen and Carla
Here are the goodies you get when you register!
What's not shown above is the $75.00 Mandalay Credit Card which I already spent! Lastly, here's another item you get when you pass the certification exam:
