SWUG Spotlight: Sydney
Supporting the SOLIDWORKS Community
With the support of our resellers, customers and partners, we have attended SWUG meetings, provided sponsorship and helped group leaders to find presenters with interesting presentations since 2015.
Over the years we have supported lots of group meetings by attending as SOLIDWORKS users ourselves, presenting on a technical topic or providing prizes and giveaways.
We love being a part of the SOLIDWORKS community and working with an amazing network of users.
As part of our role in the community, we wanted to put a spotlight on just some of the user groups across this network and showcase their dedication.
Join us as we shine a spotlight on SOLIDWORKS user groups and their leaders.
SWUG Spotlight
This week we are putting a spotlight on Sydney SWUG
User Group: Sydney SWUG
Group Leader: Michael Lord
When was your group established? June 2006
Why did you choose to become a user group leader? In 2013 I took over the leadership of the group, as it had been dormant for a few years. I had been fortunate to have been a guest of Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS at SOLIDWORKS World for the previous couple of years, and I was at an age that I believed I needed to give back a little more to the community. The user group was a good place to do so.
What is your goal as a user group leader? It’s pretty simple, to provide a place for those who want to exchange ideas, discuss, learn and connect with people in the industry who can mutually benefit from the meetings.
Who inspires you? I don’t have too many individual people who inspire me, but I marvel and I’m in awe, at the achievement of many engineers, designers, architects, and builders who have created so many things around us.
Our Sydney Harbour Bridge, many early sandstone buildings, the blending of the new (glass & steel) with the old (sandstone) to recreate buildings for modern life.
I’m a child of the Apollo era, and as a child, I was truly excited at the time, but now I understand the huge, incredible achievement of science and engineering which went into making that a reality. Every time I travel by plane, I understand the principles and science behind why planes can fly, however whenever I’m in a plane accelerating down a runway, I still marvel every time when it breaks contact with the ground. Engineers and scientists (and the youth of today) will solve many of the issues created by my generation!
What is your fondest memory of your group? Every meeting, there is always something to take away from it. I never fail to learn something! There is no such thing as a bad presentation. It matters little if you have 5 or 500 people attend, every meeting is unique, and every meeting is an opportunity. Of course, we have been very fortunate to have representatives from DriveWorks, on business in Australia present at our group, they are always good presentations!
What advice would you give to anyone interested in starting a user group? In the words of that sporting/marketing company …. Just Do It! There is plenty of help and advice out there, your SWUGN committee rep is there to assist. The wider SWUGN community is there to jump in!
What’s the best piece of advice you have been given? I’m not sure I was ever told this, but I give this lecture to all the youngers who start at a job. It goes like this: unless you are going to receive a substantial inheritance, you are going to have to work for a living. You are going to spend more time at work than you are with friends and family, so you may as well enjoy what you do. If you are not enjoying what you are doing, then create a plan and work towards where you want to be! Don’t waste your time or the companies that you are working for time.
How can people learn more about your group? On our meetup site.
Would you like your user group to be featured?
If you are a SWUG leader and would like your user group to be featured in this series – get in touch!
Please email Heather Hasz at heatherhasz@driveworks.co.uk
