What to Expect on Day One at SOLIDWORKS World 2016

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This morning, over 5,000 enthusiast SOLIDWORKS users will gather at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas for SOLIDWORKS World 2016. These attendees have come to learn new skills with hundreds of hands-on tech sessions, network with peers to share ideas, explore new technologies, be among the first to hear about the SOLIDWORKS roadmap for the future and to gain a fresh outlook on product design.

Each morning’s general session presentation will provide inspiration from the leading minds in science, engineering, and technology. Let’s take a look at what attendees can expect to see and hear on Monday, February 1st for day one of SOLIDWORKS World.

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First off, Gian Paolo Bassi, CEO of SOLIDWORKS, in his welcome address will share a state of SOLIDWORKS including flexible capabilities that enable users to work on their terms.

In the first keynote address, Neil Gershenfeld, Director of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, will explore the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds and will speak to importance of fostering the efforts of entrepreneurs and the critical role that technology incubators and the right CAD tools help in bringing their designs to life.

The day’s second keynote speaker will be Yves Behar, Founder and Principal Designer of Fuseproject, an award-winning industrial design firm. Behar has created some of the new millennium’s most coveted new products, such as the Leaf lamp, the Jawbone headset, and the XO laptop for One Laptop per Child. Behar will discuss the importance of providing the right set of tools to empower the creation of innovative new products and to enable designers and engineers to be more successful by allowing them to innovate better.

Doors open at 8:15am CT. Be sure to arrive early for the best seating. Not in Dallas? Sign up for the live webcast here:

Here’s what else you can expect on day one:

Still need to register? Registration is open in Hall D from 7:00am to 7:00pm. Pick up your badge then start adding some flair. Located next to registration, you’ll find buttons where you can tell the world how you nerd.

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The Partner Pavilion is open from 11:30am to 4:30pm in Hall C.

A record number of partners are in Dallas here to showcase their best-in-class hardware and software offerings. Whether you’re looking for state-of-the art design, analysis, or manufacturing products, SOLIDWORKS partners are ready to provide the solution that best fits your needs.

Inside the Partner Pavilion, you’ll also find the Product Showcase that is full of cool products designed in SOLIDWORKS by users like you. While these products are fun to just look at, you can also try many of them out for yourself. Some highlights the we’ve seen so far have to be racing Axial Racing’s RC cars, ODG’s augmented reality glasses, and Stern Pinball’s Game of Thrones machines. [insert pinball picture from wordpress]

Model Mania, the SOLIDWORKS answer to sitting on the Iron Design Throne is back again for its 17th year. Model Mania is your chance to showcase your design skills to the SOLIDWORKS community. If you believe that you can model and analyze a part faster, more accurately and more efficiently than anyone else, get to the Model Mania booth and prove it.

While you’re in the Partner Pavilion, head over to the t-shirt station where you can choose one of three SOLIDWORKS World 2016 t-shirt designs and watch them being made live while you wait.

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Four blocks of technical training sessions are available today. Remember to use the SOLIDWORKS World 2016 app to plan your schedule and review sessions (Download here for iOS, download here for Android). Technical training sessions will take place during the following times:
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

17th Annual SOLIDWORKS User Group (SWUGN) Meeting

Join over 100 user group leaders and officers at the annual SWUGN meeting at SOLIDWORKS World at 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm in Ballroom C1. During the meeting, you’ll look back at some of the history and people responsible for creating the greatest user community in the CAD industry, and you’ll hear from some very special guests.

The day closes with the evening reception in Partner Pavilion. This takes place in Hall C form 6:00pm to 8:00pm. If you didn’t get a chance to meet with partners or play bubble hockey, take advantage of these extended hours.
Finally, whether you’re in the Bacon Brotherhood or the Coffee Clique, you’ll need to need to fuel up for full day of learning. Get to Hall B for breakfast (7:00am to 8:15am) and lunch (12:00pm to 1:30pm).

Barb Schmitz

Barb Schmitz

Senior Marketing Communications Manager at SolidWorks
Barb Schmitz is a Senior Manager in Marketing Communications with BA in Journalism and over 30 years of experience in the CAD software industry. She started her career as a journalist covering technology and served as an editor for several leading industry publications for over 20 years. Besides being a sleuth of tech, she is a loyal dog owner, travel bum, mom, lover of hoppy IPAs, red wine, and alternative music lover living in the great city of Chicago.