Favorite User Group Subjects?

I like the occasional visit from SolidWorks employees, but I think the biggest hits at our local user group are the meeting where members present (not necessarily on what we are creating). Tips & tricks, add-on, or fringe functionality always goes over big!

I think multiple short presentation s on a variety of topics (maybe related) make the most sense. It keeps the audience interested and can allow for almost everyone to get a useful tip out of the meeting. The shorter and more pointed a topic is seems to get the best response in my experience.

Besides pizza and soda? How about pizza and beer?

But otherwise location location location. I'm there more to network than I am learn about CAD. I prefer meetings at businesses that use the software (and have ample space to hold the expected number of guests comfortably). Start with a tour of the facility, what they do, then get to the presentation on how they do it with CAD. Finish it up with some tips & tricks.

If the user group was good, I will leave with at least one new contact as a potential supplier or project partner. Even better, a customer!

At our user group meetings we usually have some time for meet-and-greet. Then there are generally two presentations given on various topics (sketching, animation, sheet metal, etc.). Sometimes we have someone in the area who uses the software give a short blurb about how they use it. Once a year we do a stump the chumps session. We also sometimes have a Dr. Hour where people can bring their questions or models, and we work through the issues live. My favorite are the modeling challenges where everyone on the mailing list gets a pic of something and some guidelines, and we have to try to hit the spec (fastest rebuilds, fewest features, prettiest picture, etc.) Lately, we've been trying to hold the meetings at local businesses that use SW and have enough room for 40-50 people. This gets the word out about local businesses, and it's always interesting to tour someone's facility and see how they play with the software.

At our user group meetings we usually have some time for meet-and-greet. Then there are generally two presentations given on various topics (sketching, animation, sheet metal, etc.). Sometimes we have someone in the area who uses the software give a short blurb about how they use it. Once a year we do a stump the chumps session. We also sometimes have a Dr. Hour where people can bring their questions or models, and we work through the issues live. My favorite are the modeling challenges where everyone on the mailing list gets a pic of something and some guidelines, and we have to try to hit the spec (fastest rebuilds, fewest features, prettiest picture, etc.) Lately, we’ve been trying to hold the meetings at local businesses that use SW and have enough room for 40-50 people. This gets the word out about local businesses, and it’s always interesting to tour someone’s facility and see how they play with the software.