SolidWorks World 2010 Presenter Spotlight: Phil Sluder

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Sluder_image Back in February, I sat in one of Phil Sluder's presentations recording it for this blog. There were several hundred people waiting to get into the room, and once Phil started, all of the seats in the very large room were taken, with dozens of people standing against the walls in the back. I heard that even more were turned away at the door. Suffice it to say, Phil is a popular guy. We caught up with him recently for a quick interview.

For SolidWorks World 2010, Phil has two scheduled presentations: “SolidWorks
Tips, Tricks, and Traps” on Monday 2/1 and “Ten
Essentials You Must Understand to Use SolidWorks Effectively” on Tuesday
2/2/10.

Stay tuned for more spotlights.

Q: As a presenter, what do you enjoy most about SolidWorks
World?

A: Besides the free passes? I’d say I most enjoy the thrill of
presenting; the sessions are always pretty crowded, so it’s nice to have that
feeling of anticipation right before you go on. It’s exciting and something you never forget.

Q: What do you anticipate to be the hot topics for the 2010
show?

A: Well, SolidWorks 2010 is likely to be a major topic—the
latest versions of the software always are. Everyone’s excited about jumping into the 2010 version, there’s lots of
talk about its implementation and how to get it installed as soon as possible.
Now seems like a good time for people to make the move to 2010.With Windows 7 out, it’s the right time to
switch rather than wait.

SolidWorks World is specialized training that you cannot get
anywhere else. User Group meetings come
close, but in Anaheim you’ll get to listen to world class presenters discussing
topics like industrial design, sheet metal, high end simulation, as well as the
fundamentals of using SolidWorks proficiently. The hot topics are the ones you need to take
you to the next level. Make the most of the
conference and strike up a conversation with everyone you meet.

Q: Out of the two sessions you’re leading at SolidWorks World
2010, which are you most looking forward to presenting?

A: I’d have to say the 10 Essentials of SolidWorks. I’ve been
working on it all year. It’s very thorough, and I hope informative.

As for which sessions I’m looking forward to attending, it’s
hard to say. I’d honestly say the hardest thing about SolidWorks World is that
you never know which sessions to attend, because several are happening at once,
sometimes during my own presentation.

Q: You’re one of the few people who has the distinction of
having attended and presented at every SolidWorks World. Which year stands out the most as your
favorite?

A: Probably the year the show was in my hometown on San Diego
in 2008.Not only was the weather great,
I felt like a sort of de facto host; I’m familiar with the area and local
trivia, so it was a lot of fun.

Matthew West

SolidWorks alumnus. I like plate reverb, Rat pedals, Thai curry, New Weird fiction, my kids, Vespas, Jazzmasters, my wife & Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not necessarily in that order.