Live from SolidWorks World 2008

Day 1:

Saturday Jan 19

This year's event is being held in San Diego, Calif., a city I have not visited before. I've heard many stories about its beauty, especially the colored neon lights lining the top edges of highrise buildings. An 11 pm taxi ride from the airport to the hotel showed off the cityscape at night, and the view is as neat and colorful as was described. I'm sure daylight will bring even more delights.

The next few days should be interesting. A bit unusually, the conference starts on a Sunday. Event materials say that keynote speakers will discuss topics ranging from "human-centered design" to "the design of submersible cameras." A Product Design Showcase will display more than 200 SolidWorks-designed products, with many of the designers on-site to explain the problems they solved in the course of their designs.

And, a SolidWorks Block Party is to be held one evening. It should be great: The company cordoned off part of the waterfront district for a private party for all event attendees. A flyer promises "unlimited food and drinks... live music...pool halls... nightclubs... and plenty of surprises..." Hmmmmmm!!