Category: ADDA

I’m in Kansas any more

I’m currently on my way to Kansas City, MO for the 52nd Annual Technical and Education Conference, organized by the American Design Drafting Association.

I had to get up early to get to the San Francisco airport for my flight to Kansas City.  This means I had to feed and walk my dog earlier in the morning.  He didn’t complain.  The morning air was crisp and refreshing.  A couple of ducks were waddling down the middle of the road as if they owned it.  My dog tried to run them off.  He didn’t see the jack rabbit sprinting across a grass field in a nearby park a few minutes later.  I’m still amazed that I get to see all this wildlife even though I live within of the vast Silicon Valley metropolis.  I haven’t yet spotted any larger animals, like mountain lions.  At times, the roving gangs of raccoons are the near second to that.

Anyway, I’m flying into Phoenix on my way to Kansas City.  There aren’t many direct flights from the San Francisco bay area to the heart of America, despite the fact there are three international airports within driving distance of my home.

I’ll be reporting on my trip to the conference here and on twitter at hashtag #atec11.  I’m sure that the ADDA will also be posting comments to hashtag #adda for their own updates.

If you happen to be at this conference, please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to me.

 

Early-bird special for ADDA conference ending soon

ADDA’s 52nd Annual Technical & Educational Training Conference in 2011 is coming up quick.  To save on registration, the early bird special is running until March 18, 2011.  The conference days are from April 12 to April 15.  It’s billed as “4 days of training, educations, professional development, learning sessions and certification”.  As I mentioned in a previous article, there are a wide variety of sessions, with ASME and GD&T education being prominent features of this conference.

There is a two part session on GD&T.  Part one is available on the 12th, and part two is available at various times on the 13th.  Several ASME sessions cover drawing standards and stack-ups.  There are also numerous CAD sessions for the mechanical and architectural fields.  Several sessions may interest civil designers too.  Digital design sessions on several Adobe applications are also in the plan.  A preliminary list of sessions is available on the conference website, though no times are yet on display.

Follow ADDA on twitter @adda_intl, and on Linkedin at the ADDA group.  As noted previously, I’ll be posting tweets (follow me on Twitter) from the conference with hashtag #atec11.

ADDA’s Annual Technical & Educational Conference

The American Design Drafting Association (ADDA) is hosting its 52nd Annual Technical & Educational Conference in Kansas City, MO on April 12-15, 2011.  ADDA is heavily focused on the professions of drafting, design, and graphics.  ADDA has a certification program for drafters (mechanical and architectural), civil design drafters, design technicians, and digital designers (which include imaging and editing).  Not everyone has heard of ADDA, and that may be intentional.  Olen Parker, Executive Director, states,

It [ADDA] is small, yet sets the stage for many changes within the profession.  We don’t make noise, we don’t promote ourselves, we are the best kept secret in the profession.  ADDA is very involved in the standards and regulations related to our industry.

Best kept secret?  Well, maybe not anymore. 🙂  Parker also mentioned that ADDA made final reviews to ASME Y14.5-2009, and has members that are involved in a number of national committees and organizations.

The conference

This year’s Annual Technical & Educational Conference will have sessions that cover ASME and GD&T fundamentals, CAD and drawing standards, building codes, graphics, etc.  In particular, they will have sessions for CAD and graphic art applications such as PhotoShop, SolidWorks, Pro/E, AutoCAD, Revit, Sketch-Up, Illustrator, and several others.  Other sessions of note will discuss sustainability, BIM, and even workplace ethics. 

I’m also presenting a talk on establishing company CAD procedures at this year’s conference.  Though this presentation will be similar to my breakout session at SolidWorks World 2011, it will be more applicable to the broader audience at the Annual Technical & Educational Conference.

I will write about many aspects of this conference on SolidWorks Legion, including special attention to the quality and depth of several presentations.  I also hope to have a least a couple of interviews.  I also plan to post tweets on hashtag #atec11 during the event.

This will be my first year attending ADDA’s Annual Technical & Educational Conference, though I’ve been looking for an opportunity for several years.  Please note that ADDA is non-profit.  Although ADDA is giving me full conference access (including some meals) at no cost, I am sorta earning my keep by being one of the presenters.  I am personally paying for all other costs associated with my attendance, including airfare and hotel.

If you are interested in the ADDA, their certification process, or the Annual Technical & Educational Conference, please visit their website for further details.