What does participation at a SAWE conference do for you?

For me, the recent SAWE conferences have given me renewed drive to go back to work and continue to earn my paycheck, but with increased personal investment in my career, my company, and my SAWE Family. Getting to listen to very interesting technical presentations, network with a like-minded group, engage our Exhibitors, and see growth of our profession first hand is an opportunity worth the personal investment of time and finances. You might be surprised by the response of your management when you build a solid business case for why they should invest in their future by promoting your participation in the SAWE. Resources for this exist on our website. Use The Welcome to the SAWE pitch as a baseline, https://www.sawe.org/system/files/Welcome_to_SAWE_Company_0.pdf. Use the 2018 SAWE Industry Survey results at https://www.sawe.org/blog/2018/08/12/sawe-survey-results/. Review tips for justification of attending a conference at https://www.sawe.org/conferences/conferencetips. INSPIRE the future by digesting Rod Van Dyk’s article in the 2018 Fall Journal, https://www.sawe.org/members/journal/fall_2018.

I encourage everyone who reads this to post at least a one liner answering the subject question.

Thanks,

Clint.

Author: clintds01

SAWE member since 2003.

3 thoughts on “What does participation at a SAWE conference do for you?”

  1. For me as President of SAWE, attendance at this Regional conference validated that what we are doing collectively as a society for academic students, mass properties professions, vehicle industry, and service providers is on point, and perhaps needed now more than ever recognizing the massive exodus of professionals on the near-term horizon. It’s been a while since I have witnessed within a 3-day period such fine examples of leadership, professionalism, interaction, mentoring, knowledge exchange, diversity (in attendees and topics), and camaraderie.
    The SAWE Hampton Roads Regional Conference co-chairs and host committee demonstrated strong leadership, committee commitment, and project planning and execution skills. Traits that they learned from their predecessors, mentors, collaborators, prior experiences, and the SAWE Executive Committee. The committee provided the conference participants the venue to engage each other in an effort to learn each other’s affiliation, expertise, experiences, passion and quest for knowledge regardless of whether that attendee was a student, young professional, veteran, or retiree. The technical program offered at this Regional conference captured everyone’s attention, no matter if the topic dealt with uncertainly, metrology, rockets, space vehicles, mining trucks, America Cup racing yachts, or exhibitor products and services. Training in developing basic parametric methods continued with the necessary knowledge exchange and professional learning.
    Capping off each day of planned events were impromptu gatherings by the conference attendees at restaurants which allowed the engagement and relationship building to continue. It was at the last night of our Regional Conference that I looked down the sizable table assembled by the restaurant staff observing everyone fully engrossed in multiple conversions that I turned to SAWE’s Executive Director and said: “Are you seeing this? The diversity and engagement of mass properties retirees, veterans, young engineers, and academic students? We are clearly doing the right thing and having a positive effect.”

  2. I participated and presented at the last international conference in Erving.It was my second time, before it I presented in Valencia,LA at 2006.I must to ne honest I was quiet desipointed for the low participation at the last conference.I work as a mass property engineer for about 22 years and I care alot about this field in general and the society particulary.I hade the pleasure to meet high proffesional engineers as well as very good people which are willing to help and contribute for thare enormous knowladge.For my experience at my current company I meet countries which there knowladge are so poor in this area and I believe that the place which the society should put her effort to spread her knowladge and skils.
    I wish you all happy new year,happiness,good health and all yours wishes become to reality

  3. Since there is no specific formal curriculum in college for Mass Properties, you have to learn the ropes primarily on the job. Mentors are absolutely essential to this knowledge transfer. Mentors can be of all ages and backgrounds, i.e. the grey-beards can point the less experienced in the right direction, but they can also learn from the younger engineers as well. SAWE conferences provide a great forum for exchanging ideas, and finding some guidance from others.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.