SolidWorks World is Mandatory

Man, SolidWorks World was amazing. I think everyone who is designer should go at least once in their career. It doesn’t matter what kind of designer you are. If you make stuff in any way shape or form, SolidWorks World is your mecca!

I attended for the first time this year, travelling all the way from Australia. I managed to get my employer to fund the majority of the trip. My conference entry was free because I was a presenter. These two things really sealed the deal for me.

I had to make a pretty strong case to my employer to send me. Last year I was really keen to go, but I missed out on being a speaker, so it would have been too expensive. So without too much more rambling, what did I get out of it?

The biggest thing; I was inspired. Hugely, hugely inspired. Australia has a pretty tiny manufacturing industry compared to America and seeing the biggest and the best was just amazing. it was like a a wildlife safari of manufacturing! 3D printers galore. Virtual reality. CNC monoliths. It took a good three days to finally visit all the stalls, and I still feel like I could have seen more! So, send your employee to SolidWorks World and they will come back inspired.

Secondly: contacts and networking. My gosh, do Americans love to talk! Every time I paused for more than a few moments, the person next to me would tell me what they did and how they did it. This is pretty crazy. It can lead to some rather insightful discussions. I had VARs telling how well the software sales were, which gave me a lot of enthusiasm for getting more work when I got back home.

I made a great impression on the developers and users and came back with a wallet bursting with business cards. I’m currently using these contacts to help me understand the market back home in Australia and target our business to the same markets categories that are growing in America. Because I met the developers in person and I made such a good impression with my presentation, that has built the relationship. Having any kind of working relationship with the developers of SolidWorks is a valuable thing. I can suggest new features and get help and tools from the people who actually write the code!

So in short, ask your employers to send you to SolidWorks World. You will not regret it!