SOLIDWORKS User Group Spotlight: London

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.

User Group: London SWUG

Group Leader: Kirby Downey

When was your group established?
I started running the London user group in February 2017 and had my first meeting in May 2017. There was a previous London user group around before however, it fizzled out a few years before I started it back up again.

Why did you choose to become a user group leader?
When I moved to London I looked for any user groups and didn’t find any. I had no clue I could start one until I went to Boston for User Advocacy day in 2016. After seeing the SWUGN Summit and meeting the other leaders, they gave me the inspiration to start up the London User Group again.

What is your goal as a user group leader?
To help educate, inspire and create a space where like-minded people can get together and network.

Who inspires you?
All the other user group leaders. Seeing what some of them are achieving makes me want to do more. It pushes me to do better and increase the quality of my content.

What is your fondest memory of your group?
After the first UK user group summit, myself, Jonny Harrison (Northeast SWUG leader) and Luke Frost (Midlands SWUG) were hanging out in a pub. This was early December so many companies were out for their Christmas party. A group spotted us with our SOLIDWORKS user group leader shirts and asked about them. It turned out they were a local engineering firm who use SOLIDWORKS. We joined them for a drink and chatted about the user group network, SOLIDWORKS and swapped some tips and tricks. We even challenged them to some pub quiz questions we had used for our Summit earlier in the day.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in starting a user group?
Even if only one person rocks up, make it the best meeting they have been to. If they bring their friends or work colleagues, that’s how your group grows.

What’s the best piece of advice you have been given?
Even if you don’t have a presentation, still set up a meeting, this will force you to find that presentation as you have promised a meeting.

How can people learn more about your group?
They can go to SWUGN.ORG and find groups in their local area. My group is hosted on meetup, that’s where I post the latest meetings coming up.

SOLIDWORKS User Group Regional Event, UK

This year we are excited to be working with Kirby to host the SOLIDWORKS User Group UK Regional event at DriveWorks HQ.

This is the second SOLIDWORKS User Group UK Regional meeting and we can’t wait to welcome SOLIDWORKS users to our HQ in Warrington.

It’s a chance for members of the SOLIDWORKS community to get together, share knowledge and network.

During the meeting, there will be technical presentations and hands-on demonstrations, and we’ll be welcoming some special guests.

It’s also a chance to meet the DriveWorks team, see our offices and explore our technology.

See what’s on the agenda and save your space here.