The Ups and Downs at CorelWorld '01

By Bill Needle

It started off looking like it was going to be really quiet in and around Boston at the annual CorelWorld Rickfest September 9-14th, 2001. The first hint was the measly three other people along with Tom Anzai who boarded the direct flight from Ottawa to Boston. Heck, the solitary flight attendant didn't even bother with an official emergency speech on the intercom. Instead, he cozied up beside the few passengers and whispered about this air mask and that safety latch (right beside the wad of chewing gum under the seat). After our paltry snack of a healthy granola bar (ingredients included glucose, fructose, corn syrup, modified sugars and...oh...actual healthy stuff) and a bag of pretzels we landed at Boston's Logan airport on time and without incident. We would have no idea that 72 hours later there would be a totally different atmosphere at Logan.

Try getting this close to a plane on the tarmac at Logan today. Don't even think about it!

From baggage claim to the airport Limousine with passengers and fellow CorelWorld presenters Bill Blinn and Steve Rindsberg. The destination? The Conference hotel, the Sheraton Ferncroft Resort. But where the heck is Danvers, Massachusetts? As the bird flies, it's claimed to be 19 miles north of Boston. As the car drives, take the tunnel out of the airport, get on I-95...or is that the McClellan Hwy 1A?...take the 60 to route 1...where is the Northeast Expressway anywise?...go past the Sheraton Ferncroft Hotel...what? go past it?..come back south on I-95...or is that Hwy 1? After all, Boston is the site of the Big Dig (the largest municipal project in the country's history at a cost of $1 billion per mile). Geez, just follow the dang Ferncroft hotel signs and you'll get there. Maybe even on your first attempt...

Follow the signs! Just follow the signs! You'll get there. Eventually.

The hotel is located on a hill near the Ferncroft Country Club (as in golf, Trent Jones circa 1969 style). With nothing else in sight. It reminded us of Alcatraz on a hill. The Virgin airlines crew (more about them later) who regularly stay at the hotel call it the Betty Ford Clinic. You ain't escaping unless you have a car or are patient enough to tell the cabbies how to get to the hotel from Boston. Was that the I-95 north they're supposed to take again?! Oh well, at least no one will be skipping out during the conference sessions...unless they play golf.

Attendees and staff started to arrive throughout the weekend with Crash Courses on CorelDRAW, Ventura, Photo-Paint, and Corel Painter being offered on Sunday. Tom diligently conducted two back-to-back crash courses on CorelDRAW and Photo-Paint. Talk about crash, this was the start of a total ten seminars Tom was to do...come Friday, that's exactly what Tom did...crash.

Day One Starts With a Bang

Was he IN, or was he OUT? Was it to be 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. or 9:15 to 9:45 a.m.? Would he mention the “V” word as in Ventura? Well, after much anticipation Corel's new CEO, Derek Burney, honored his commitment admirably by delivering an upbeat speech to the almost 200 conference attendees. To the delight of Ventura-ists, he mentioned the “V” word a total of seven (!) times. Exactly seven MORE times than was mentioned at last year's conference. Burney went on to explain the revised focus on Corel's graphics applications, the buyout of Micrografx's graphics suite, the new Procreate Macintosh vision, and he even answered questions during a 20 minute plus Q&A. The consensus? Burney came off as a genuine and personable person who seems to have a clear vision to the future and stability of Corel's products. He gets to stay on the island for another round or two.

Clean-shaven CEO, Derek Burney, addresses the CorelWorld audience. And pleases many with a the “V” word.

Tom followed up with two sessions “Crown Jewels in Version 10” and “Making Arrangements with Combine, Weld, Trim, and Intersect”. As for the latter presentation, who knows what the heck the Target and Source objects are anyway?! Tom, himself, had to duck out of that one. “I dunno, just do it and see what happens”, answered Tom to that question. After Happy Hour at 4:30 p.m. and the Grand prize draw at 5:00 p.m. patrons were either milling about the small Bogey's Bar or en route to the Boston Harbor dinner cruise. Word was that the cruise was very entertaining with musicians and skits but too bad is was too dark to see...Boston! Word also got around that Bogey's Bar triple-bogeyed with only one bartender on staff. Heck this was the so-called Betty Ford clinic after all! Pssst, avoid ordering the portabello mushrooms from the menu too.

Day Two Starts...

Tony Severenuk (just call him “Several...”) was the Keynote on Tuesday. Goodness gracious me. I don't know if I had more fun listening to him speak at warp speed or watch the sign interpreters sprain their wrists trying to keep up with him. Brings to light new causes of carpal tunnel syndrome other than by extensive use of a computer mouse. Tony gets the nod for delivering the longest run-on-sentence...while maintaining the audience's interest. Tony, he the man when it comes to talking about CorelDRAW. After all, he is the Lead Program Manager for CorelDRAW at Corel Corporation. In his spare time, he conducts presentations called “My Name is Tony, and I'm a Geek” where he unleashes his trademark “cone of silence” secrets regarding CorelDRAW. I gather he did alright as the Request Line posted on the conference bulletin board gushed “Anything with Tony.” Couldn't tell if Tony wrote that request on the board himself or not...

Tony the Geek modeling the new Corel corporate shirt along with the new...um...logo.

And Then Terror

When did we first hear of the news? During Tony's keynote speech Wacom sales rep, Kimberly Elko's cell phone rang with her husband in New Jersey shouting the news. Was it a commuter plane? A helicopter? What the heck is going on? Immediately after the keynote speech, Help Center staff Jim Hart and Wayne Kaplan get busy hooking up the projection unit and TV feed onto the big screen while the day's first seminar sessions get underway.

During the first morning break, the mood dips from the high of conference adrenaline to one of shock and disbelief. Attendees watch the horror, some in silence, others gasping at the vivid sights of the plane's impact and damage of the WTC and Pentagon. CNN becomes the main attraction in Conference Central. Forget about Geeky Secrets and Fabulous Fractals. Or do we? Rick and staff gather hurriedly to decide what to do. How could anyone have contingency plans for this type of event? Should they cancel the conference? Should they take an extended break? Should they have the guts to continue? Sue Blumenberg, Seminar Manager, recommends that people came to learn and should be given the opportunity. A decision to continue was made.

The horrific NYC skyline during the terrorist attack as seen on TVs around the world.

Ironically, the next three sessions slated for the morning were presented by three non-Americans—Tom Anzai (Ottawa), Bob van Duuren (Amsterdam), and Paul Huntington (Toronto). Even so, the terrorist attacks did not isolate one country rather it affected the entire world (over 60 countries lost people in the WTC tragedy). Tom found it extremely difficult to focus and start his “All the RAVE, Part II” session. Everyone was stunned and literally going through the motions, struggling to maintain the fervor that is common at the start of a conference. The conference was heading into an aura it has never experienced before. One of unimaginable grief and disbelief.

The Show Must Go On

And on it went. After much discussion and little debate, the decision made by the conference brass was to continue with the show. As Sue Blumenberg, said in a post-conference email:

“200 people had come to Boston for instruction and, to the best of our ability, we would continue to provide it. Not only because it was our responsibility to do so, but also because it would be so important for all  of us--staff and patrons alike--to have some kind of framework for holding the many thoughts and feelings that would arise during the week.”

Note: To read Sue's entire email describing her thoughts and decisions, click here.

Not all patrons decided to stick around. Take for example fellow presenter Sharon George who hitched a compact car rental ride with attendee Pam Delaney and her fiancé back to San Diego, California. Said Sharon in an email:

“I arrived in San Diego last night around midnight. Thoroughly tired, but very fortunate I saw America in four days, literally coast to coast. I was so aware of the disparity in my heart. Sorrow and beauty. We live in such a wondrously beautiful country. I am so blessed to be home again, with my family, and my hopes extend to everyone for peace and love to flourish on this Earth.”

Note: To read Sharon's candid email account on the drive, where they slept (when they could), and the general notes, click here.
Note2: Can you believe it that Sharon road cross-country in the back seat of a very small car with luggage all the while recuperating from severe bruising from an earlier car accident? Unbelievable.

About 20 attendees never got to experience CorelWorld 2001. People like Andrea Zuercher from Lawrence, Kansas were disappointed at having to miss the event. But she was extremely glad to have been home with her loved one at such a time (although she did mention that the Ferncroft would have been a good second choice).

For those who stayed at the conference it was an attempt to continue on through the week. Said Rick Altman:

“The most difficult part of the entire week was trying to simultaneously gauge the mood and direct the mood of 200 people. Who am I to say what to feel and when to feel it? What right did I have? But that was my job, for which I was wholly unqualified.”

Note: To read Rick's article describing the conference, go to “An Unforgettable Week”.

The CorelDRAW trivia continued, the dinner at the Country Club was held, and the seminars were conducted as scheduled. Heck, even the planned Keynote speech on Thursday by Graham Brown, Executive VP, Business Applications (hey that would be Ventura!) went on in spite of Graham not being able to fly down to Boston from Ottawa. His body was transformed into a black speakerphone on the presenter's table in the Main Hall. The official word? Ventura is not dead. In fact, there are plans for a Ventura 10 to undergo beta testing shortly. Look for a new CARM, direct to PDF, CorelDRAW engines, a CorelDRAW 10 filter, better overall stability, and color management tools. For that, a standing ovation was in store. Not all news that week was of despair...

What to do In and Around Bah-stun

Beantown. Home of the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics. Campus for Harvard, MIT, and Boston College. Boston is arguably the most historical city in America where it was founded in 1630 nearly 150 years before the colonies formed a new nation. Its been the site for notable national events including the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere's famous British alarm. If you like walking the Freedom Trail, offers a three-mile tour that follows a red line on the pavement. Keep your head up though once in a while. The pedestrian crossings are known to be one of the worst in America rivaling those in Europe. A street sign said “Over 3 pedestrians are seriously hurt in Boston every day.” Careful now.

The summary list of sites that the CorelWorld attendees visited (that we knew about) were:

House of Blues Good food, good practice session, not enough time to take it all in. Unfortunately, our bus left at 10:30 so things were just starting to roll. And, hey, who was that guy hangin' around the group? A groupie? ;)

Harvard Square Boy does your IQ fall down the Bell curve while walking around here. “Say bahnie, can I borrow your slide rulah?”

Fanueil Hall Built in 1742 as an open forum and meeting hall hosting speakers Samuel Adams to current Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy and now is the city's most celebrated hub of commerce. And probably the most misspelled Boston landmark...

U.S.S. Constitution “Old Ironsides” withstood cannonball fire from HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812. The Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the world. Keep swapping those decks maties!

Blue Man Group Totally tubular multimedia theater performed by a bunch of...blue men. With versions of its show running in four cities across the country, this troupe drums on PVC piping or buckets of paint and provides commentary on runaway technology. But does anyone “get” it?!

Closer to the conference, many attendees chose to drive to closer venues such as Salem, Massachusetts where in 1692 19 innocent people were hanged during the witchcraft delusion. More than 150 men and women were accused of witchcraft by friends and neighbors who were said to be tormented by their shapes or specters. Eventually Governor William Phipps appointed a new court that did not allow spectral evidence, ending the tragic chapter in Salem's past. Today, celebrating its 375th anniversary Salem is one of America's oldest cities as a result of the first English settlement in 1626. Attendees visited the Salem Witch Museum, The House of Seven Gables, and the many witch-related craft shops. But don't go there after 5 p.m. as all stores are closed. Bobbe said so. Scary, very scary there.

Now one of the strategies Tom uses is one of “do as the locals do, go where the locals go.” Patsy Ames from Ipswich, MA (“almost too close to Danvers,” said Patsy) played tour guide when she foolishly posted a sign that said:

“Anyone interested in going to a local beach then to a local seafood, clambake restaurant? I have a van.”

Ummm, we ran on all fours to line up at the start gate Wednesday night. In what was to be only one van, a caravan of seven packed automobiles ensued with more people meeting us at the restaurant. The fact that the planned Boston Theater district outing was cancelled due to the terrorist attack helped to increase the flood of people. Patsy took us down the winding road through Ipswich which in territory is huge, but Patsy warned us not to sneeze when we drove through the “downtown” section or else we'd miss it (two blocks worth). We arrived at the Crane Beach parking lot at 6:50 p.m. where the attendant graciously let us in for a quick look (closing was at 7 p.m. sharp). Well, we wished we had more time because the beach was beautiful. One of the top-rated beaches in the nation for its white sand, sand dunes, surf, and tall sand grass along with a boardwalk up to the beach.

Attendees craning for attention. By the way, how come the two people in the back are taking a picture...of the photographer taking a picture?. At least Bobbe (front center) knows better. Meanwhile, Colgate boy, Paul Huntington (far right), gets the most votes for having the whitest teeth.

After a quick stroll on the beach we headed over to Woodman's of Essex for lobster roll, clambakes, and clam chowdha. Mmmm, it was mahvelous. Grandpa “Chubby” (every heard of a restaurateur called “Skinny”?) Woodman, the inventor of the fried clam, started the restaurant and clambake catering business back in 1914. Today, two generations of Woodman's keep the restaurant going. Hmmm, wonder if they would cater eight hours north to Ottawa?

Ken Jurina from DEadmonton and Peter Hancik from Berkeley await in the Woodman's line. What to order, what to order. Next please!

You Gotta Talk the Talk

You gotta love it. When they talk, Bostoners like to drop their “a's” and the “r's” as in “Paul Reveah is way wee-id” (translation: Paul Revere is unusual). The following are excerpts of Boston talk available at Boston Online:

Bahnie Any geek from Havihd or Cambridge.

Cah A car.

Ca-ca Two cars silly.

Chowdahead Stupid person. Origins from way back when Bostonians froze a massive bucket of chowder and had to chip off head-like pieces to be warmed up on the stove.

How why ya? How are you?

Kegga A beeah bash.

Killa Wicked cool or funny.

Potty platta You go downa Supahmahket and order one of these when you're having a dinnah potty.

Shoe-ah Yes, as in: “Wanna go to P-town this weekend? Shoe-ah!”

Skeeve To be grossed out by something. Actual overheard conversation: “Ah youse gonna gowout wit Mahkie again?” “Ah youse plugged in? He skeeves me!”

Wicked A general intensifier. “He's wicked nuts!”

That's a Wrap Folks

This year's conference will not be forgotten for many reasons. In the midst of the WTC/Pentagon tragedy and the connection with Boston's Logan airport had impacted everyone at CorelWorld and abroad. We experienced several emotions during the week starting with the conference euphoria at the start of the week, to the stunned observance of the TV images on September 11th, to the emotional tumble for some of the exhausted staff at week's end. What it did bring, however, was the CorelWorld family closer together by dealing with the horror together. We really had no choice. Either face the grim news in solitude or join together and unite.

Perhaps we can sum up the conference by quoting what attendee Mark Doth of Grindstone Graphics and Marketing Services from Ruidoso, New Mexico posted in the Boston, CorelWorld forum:

“Three cheers for Rick Altman for keeping the conference together and moving in a positive direction! I seem to be more calm about things since last week. I don't yell ant idiot drivers when they cut me off in traffic. Life is too short. I refuse to let my computer upset me when it crashes. It's just a machine. It's just a machine. It's just a machine.”

Now before you go, the story doesn't end here. We still have to find out how Tom and others got home. Did he fly? Did he drive or hitch a ride with a travelling Polka band? Was he searched at the border? Was his family worried? Is this too? many? questions? To read the continuation story including how one attendee got to play Twister with a bunch of virgins, please go to CorelWorld '01 Part Deux.

And Lastly Some Great Late Breaking News

To make sure we leave on a positive note, Corel Corp. just recently announced third-quarter earnings of one US cent a share for a net income of $500,000. This is Corel's third straight profitable quarter. Chief financial officer John Blaine said this can be attributed to the company's stronger fiscal discipline over the last year. Expenses were 33 per cent less than the same quarter in 2000. In addition, Burney said Corel would contribute 20 per cent of its third-quarter earnings to help with relief efforts in the United States, in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Well, if that doesn't warm your Corel socks...I don't know what will.

Related Articles

“The Continuing Saga” CorelWorld '01 Part Deux

“An Unforgettable Week” Rick Altman's CorelWorld '01 Article

“CorelWorld '00 in Lotus Land”

“A Day in the Life of CorelWorld '99”

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