Well, I’m discovering something new everyday. Someone has set up a SolidWorks World 2013 countdown widget. Looks like I’ll be using this tool for SolidWorks World 2014 countdown in a couple of weeks.
Category: SolidWorks World
Meet the SolidWorks Product Definition Team at SolidWorks World 2013
SolidWorks has a team dedicated to finding out how SolidWorks products can be improved and expanded to suit the needs of existing and potential customers. This team is Product Definition. This is what I do at SolidWorks. We work hard to communicate with our customers via various means. We are the team that answers your Enhancement Requests submitted through your SolidWorks Customer Portal. We don’t take a break during SolidWorks World. In fact, this is one of our busiest times.
If you are attending SolidWorks World 2013, be sure to stop by our booth to talk to us about how we can improve SolidWorks products for you. If you want to talk about large assemblies, the new electrical product, costing, drawings, parts, features, missing functionality, etc, feel free to tell us. We utilize customer feedback to help decide how best to improve and expand SolidWorks products. Our booth will be in the Northern Foyer for the Hemispheres Ballroom at the Dolphin Hotel.
Smartphone and laptop strategy at SolidWorks World 2013
I wrote an article last year on the topic of keeping charged up and linked while at SolidWorks World. I’ve updated this for SolidWorks World 2013. There are unique challenges at the Swan and Dolphin. Also, SolidWorks World is a big event with thousands of tech savvy attendees with tons of mobile and portable devices that hunger for power and connectivity. Christmas being so close to SolidWorks World this year may further contribute to the number and variety of mobile devices at the conference.
Power
If you are using your smartphone to keep your schedule (like I do), you’ll be accessing it more often than you might on a normal day. In addition, you’ll likely be text messaging and using other social media communication more frequently, too. Normally, your smartphone’s battery charge may last a day or two without any worries. No day at SolidWorks World is normal. Even on the most battery efficient devices, you are likely to need power to recharge at some point during the day.
Have a spare battery or extended-life remote battery on hand, whether you are using a laptop, smartphone, tablet, or any combination thereof. Wherever you happen to find yourself, be sure to scope out power outlets. This is particularly important at the Swan and Dolphin because breakout sessions and events are split between the two buildings and you find yourself spending more time walking between the two hotels. This applies while you are at the conference, and more so also after hours while you are out and about and when your device is most likely to be low on power.
During the day, if you have a smartphone and a laptop, you can charge your phone from the laptop via the normal USB connection. Finally, the most obvious thing of all, don’t forget any of the charging cables. Make sure they are on your checklist!
If you are plugged into a random outlet or loaning your charger temporarily to another attendee, don’t forget your charging cable by leaving it behind! You will likely never see it again, for various reasons. This particularly applies to breakout session speakers who may get distracted at the end of their presentation by people rushing up to the podium to introduce themselves and ask further questions. Am I speaking from personal experience? Maybe.
Staying Connected
Staying connected is the whole reason we carry around smartphones and tablets. That means you always need an awareness of WiFi hotspots. Those of us with smartphones may not be as tethered. However, don’t rely on cellphone carrier signal for data connections while in a conference room. Even smartphones on a free data plan may need to switch over to WiFi to access the Internet at some point to Facebook, Foursquare or Flickr. SolidWorks provides several WiFi hotspots throughout the conference. One of the main locations will be near the Partner Pavilion. (Side note: Product Definition booth will be near the Partner Pavilion a hotspot, so feel free to stop by and tell us how we can improve SolidWorks.)
All this means that you’ll need to scope out the locations of these hotspots a head of time so you aren’t left without data connection at an inconvenient moment. Keep in mind that there will be many other people accessing WiFi at the same time, so please avoid downloading big files or streaming videos. I always recommend hitting the hotspots for specific connectivity needs, then quickly moving on.
Good luck and I hope to see you at SolidWorks World 2013!
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The author of this article is an employee of Dassault Systemes. However, the material of this article is not representative of Dassault Systemes, nor is it reviewed by them. Please see the FTC notice in the right side bar of this webpage for further details.
Richard Doyle and the General Session Rush
Check out Richard Doyle’s take on the rush into the General Session for each day of every SolidWorks World:
Gupta reviews the SWW13 floor plan
Due to priorities, there is no SolidWorks World 2013 app for smartphones. Even still, there is an interactive floor plan link available for the Partner Pavilion. I am able to use most of the functionality of the link on my Android 4.0 smartphone. Deepak Gupta has a quick review of the SolidWorks World 2013 floor plan link in his article:
Solidworks World 2013 Floor Plan
Richard Doyle talks about CAD Managers Bootcamp at SolidWorks World 2013
A regular fixture at SolidWorks World each year is the CAD Managers Bootcamp. This is a great presentation on how to get the most out SolidWorks from the CAD Manager’s perspective. Richard Doyle gives a brief history of this event on his blog and discusses what to expect when you attend this year. The bootcamp is held the day before SolidWorks World, so you’ll need to arrive a little early in order to attend.