SolidWorks World - What Would "Make" you Attend?

"Richard Doyle" wrote in news:2snlgiF1n8103U1@uni- berlin.de:

How about an insuffrable tightwad employer?

I would require some obvious benefit to my employer, such as job leads, guarantee of productity increase, etc. Notice, I said "obvious" benefit. Otherwise, it looks like a junket. It might actually be easier to attend in North Dakota.

I would love to attend but financial/time restrictions are very real.... :(

Anytime a confrence is held at a location with "Resort" in the name, it will be hard to convence managers to go. I think a 'Motel 6' in North Dakota would easier to stomach :) Not to mention probably as fun if not funner than a Disney theme park... CJ

Zander, I agree - time=money, and money spent on "training" usually counts against the bottom line. But have you ever tried making a business case for attending? Would your employer consider productivity gains money well spent. How about yourself personally, would you consider a compromise - burn a couple of vacation days in exchange for the company footing the fees? Would the opportunity to attend the conference (especially the sessions and the exhibits) be worth that to you?

And I have to ask again - taking in to account the money and the time, is there ANYTHING that would make your employer say "Fill out a req, because you have to attend this conference"

I haven't considered if perhaps you are an independant. If so, are conferences like these a good place to make contacts and pick up some work?

Dale, I think you can make the case that your productivity will improve. Take a look at all of the sessions offered (a really good look), and maybe you'll find something that could result in even a 2% increase in productivity. Over a years time, that translates into money - maybe not enough to cover all of the costs, but it certainly comes close.

As far as picking up job leads, I've gotten several over the years. They don't all pan out, but some of them do. Plenty of the attendees (and even some of the exhibitors) are in a position to at least talk to you about it, and after all, isn't networking one of the ways we can get some business?

Nothing in business is 100%. And yes, Disney World is a tough sell. But presented in a business like manner, with some data to back it up, just might get you there.

Richard

What if I already know everything? har har.

I was actually going to mention that in my original reply. Maybe the SolidWorks sessions aren't as beneficial to long-time users as they are to new users. But if you look at the session schedule, you'll see that there are more than just CAD sessions offered. There are opportunities for learning about add-on or partner products as well. Maybe not a direct increase in your own productivity, but perhaps a tool that could be useful to the company. The exhibits offer a uinique opportunity as well, the chance to see many products/services in one shot. Most of the booths are manned by people that really know the products, can answer very technical questions, and are very knowledable about the industry.

I also talk to a lot of users that tell me "The company will never pay for it". When pressed, some will admit that they don't even ask. Geez, by all means ASK. What could it hurt.

Richard

If you cant convince yourself of the cost-benefit how are you suppose to convince your boss? If you take 4-days away from work (even assuming you dont take any vacation in the year) you have already lost over 1% in your productivity that you have to overcome. Not to mention lost oppuntunity cost. Now tack on fees, airfare, hotel (Resort), car rental, food...

Sorry, now I would look like an idot to my boss...which is also a cost :)

CJ

Honestly, I've looked at the list of sessions, and I'd love to go to a lot of them. Even the stuff I think I'm strong on. It never fails that there's something I'm missing.

What I really want to get in on is the round table discussions. i think that would be an excellent place to discuss SW with the people who make it.

Okay Craig, you win. I won't be trying to convince anyone to go to the conference anymore. But I will go back to my original question (slightly revised):

Is there ANYTHING that would make SolidWorks World worth attending?

Richard

The roundtables are great. Funny though, I've attended several and each time I walk out with more issues than when I walked in. Most attendees bring a top ten list to the discussions. As we go around the room reading them off you can see people scratching notes, and every now and then someone will say "Hey, you're right, that is a problem".

Honestly, some really good discussion takes place in the roundtables. And they aren't the only place to talk with the folks at SolidWorks. Everyone of them is very accesible during the conference, and they are genuinely interested in hearing from us.

Many companies offer tuition reimbursement. That was how I was able to go last year. Going to SWW is just like being a CSWP, I negotiate it at hire/review time.

Matthew A. Bush

Richard,

The first thing that I see is the extremely large cost to get in the door. I am used to attending many machine tool trade shows and kind of see this as similar. I always get free tickets for myself and all my three employees. But, then, if we had to pay - the price is only $35. Nobody I know would consider spending the amount required to get into SWW. You can call me cheap if you want to - but I'm not. The hugh price actually makes me somwhat angry just to see it in print!

Sincerely. Jerry Forcier

Richard Doyle wrote:

I know that. They had one in Vegas just a few years ago. That's the closest they ever got to the west coast, and probably ever will. I was unable to go for several reasons.

Mark

What precisely is the purpose for going to such an event? The obvious reason to me is seeing some extra "tricks" that would make my job "a little easier." The company I work at has four full time designers that use solidworks and we also do quite a variety of machine building. From turbopumps for rockets to small power plant design. The pace is impressive and small tricks don't affect much. We are in Denver where the conference never is and never should be looking at the number of dwindling mechanical companies out here... So there is a guarantee that I would be spending money on airfare, tickets, and hotel and maybe even a rental car. I would love to see the bloated corporate pig of a company that can afford all of these for a few tricks and not to mention that I can post stuff on the newsgroup and gleen the information that way?! Maybe I am way way off base but it doesn't seem to me that it requires a "tightwad" employer just an intelligent budgeteer. Please list the benefits of going to solidworks world if I am understating them.

Free attendance..... I won't pay for dog's & pony's.

It's a "Glamified" dog & pony for SWX and the partners.

Corporate is laughing all the way to the bank.

Yes, make it free to all "valid license wielding" SWX owners/users. Malcontent