SolidWorks World 2010 - Call for Papers

"It's right around the corner" - "It snuck up fast" - "What??  We just got back from SWW."

Okay, so it's still more than six months until SolidWorks World 2010 opens in Anaheim, California.  It's a big deal though, and a lot of effort, planning, and people are required to produce the best CAD conference on the planet.  We all know that Kerri and her team have been working on this since the fifties, but for the rest of us, our work starts now.

The official call-for-papers has gone out, so it's time for you to start thinking about the session you will be doing this year.  The CFP site provides a comprehensive list of topics, a few requirements, and the same phrase in CAPITAL letters twice (hint...it has to do with not selling stuff).  Here are a couple of other hints to get your proposed session to the top of the list:

Present at a local SolidWorks User Group meeting
This one tops my list for one reason - it's the first question you'll have to answer when you submit your proposal.  Local user group meetings (or SWUGN Summit events) are a great way to practice, refine, and get input on your session.  If you're not yet a member of a local user group, check the SWUGN website for one in your area.  Any presentation that has been seen by user group members gets special consideration.

Have a clever title (and don't be surprised if you're asked to change it)
There are hundreds of abstracts submitted each year, and we look at each and every one of them.  But sometimes a catchy title will draw immediate attention to yours.  One of last year's submissions came through with the words "duct tape" and "bailing wire" - straight to the top.

Fill out the submission form completely
You would be amazed at the number of proposals that have incomplete information.  There are a lot of boxes to fill out, but it's all critical information.  Remember - your proposal will be seen by a bunch of folks that may or may not know that you're the best - use the submission form to convince them.

Use "Beginner", Intermediate" or "Advanced" wisely
Nothing frustrates SolidWorks World attendees like sitting in on an advanced session that isn't so advanced.  Make sure that the presentation level you have indicated is accurate.

Talk to someone who has been there before
The SolidWorks Community is full of past and present SolidWorks World speakers, and they're easy to find.  Use the SolidWorks Discussion forums, or your favorite SolidWorks information outlet to ask questions of former presenters.  I know that most of them will be glad to help.

It's not too early to get started.  We will be looking at and approving sessions in the coming weeks.  There's usually room for late entries, but you never know.  Better safe than sorry.

Comments

[Adrian Velazquez]

Hi Richard,

I had the pleasure of meeting you at SWW09; I brought up the idea of presenting in an alternative language (Spanish in my case). We’ll my idea (or offer to present) is still in place, I’ve lucky be very busy the first half of this year so I haven’t made much progress on the SolidWorks Spanish Speaking community, but it’s high on my to do list. I think the new SW Forums will help me achieve this faster if I get benefits like groups and/or Blogs, well just wanted to say hi anyways; see you in Anaheim.

Adrian V.

[Chris MacCormack]

Hey Richard,
I cannot wait for SWW2010. My problem over the last 2 years is that my presentations have been set up for the EDU track about how I have been using SolidWorks to teach non-CAD courses but the attendees have mainly been industry professionals that are looking for USER Content.
You know how hard it is to present in general, but the extra weight of knowing your audience is in the wrong room wears me out even more.
Any ideas of how to get the appropriate audiences to the appropriate presentations any easier?
Your team has always done a good job of catagorizing, labeling, color coding but I still get the wrong audience.
Chris MacCormack