Like a phoenix rising from too-early reports of a reduced participation in life, the legendary Gary Smith has created a schedule of appearances at the 51st Design Automation Conference in San Francisco that would fell a man half his age. Every time you turn around at Moscone Center next week, or the Intercontinental Hotel before that, you’ll be face-to-face with events featuring the Guru Extraordinaire of EDA.
Sunday evening from 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm, Gary will yet again ring the opening bell at DAC, this year in Ballroom A of the Intercontinental Hotel across the street from Moscone. I’m putting good money on a bet that Gary will be on stage there in his best Tropical Whites, accompanied by slides, predictions, and previews of the Next Epoch in EDA and his Pavilion Panel the next day.
Speaking of same, from 10:15 am to 11:15 am on Monday morning in the Exhibition Hall in Moscone, EDAC’s own Bob Gardner will be holding the crystal ball that Gary gazes into as he intones the names of those companies exhibiting who deserve special attention. It’s not easy to get on Gary’s list; companies which Gary singles out thusly take special pleasure in being so identified.
Here my money’s on Gary in DayGlo Orange, and that his more-than-capable wife, ARM’s Lori Kate Smith, will be seen moving silently amidst the aisles of the Pavilion Theater handing out printed lists of Gary’s Got-to-Go-see-Them-at-DAC-or-Else companies.
Later on Monday, from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm in Room 236, Gary Smith will again appear, this time on a panel presided over by everybody’s favorite pugnacious podium pundit, John Cooley. Gary will not sit alone at the table, however. Mentor’s own Prince of Wales Joe Sawicki will be there as well, along with Cadence exec Anirudh Devgan.
Additionally, the panel will showcase a select group including Jim Hogan of Vista Ventures, Dean Drako of IC Manage, Amit Gupta of Solido, and Isadore Katz of CLK. Given this client list, look for marketing maestro Gloria Nichols to be taking notes in the front row.
On the fashion front for these 90 minutes of Monday afternoon hilarity trouble, my money’s on Gary in Naval Academy Blue, gravitas being the better side of valor in the presence of overwhelming greatness.
But even after this, Gary Smith is not yet done at DAC.
Fast forward to Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 pm to 2:15 pm in Room 256. It’s Jim Hogan’s turn at the podium, the topic’s no longer trouble, but IoTs and IoEs instead, and now Gary’s sitting elbow-to-elbow with Cadence great Frank Schirrmeister, Atrenta CTO Bernard Murphy, and Sonics VP Randy Smith.
Per reports, “The discussion will look at the IoT and the IoE as more than just the sum of the parts [and] implications for design to optimize the promise and minimize the threats.”
For this, his final formal appearance at DAC 2014, my money’s on Gary in Green – the color of money and eternal spring. After all, Gary Smith represents both in equal measure, and why shouldn’t he?
Phoenix Rising indeed.
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Image of Phoenix Rising by Spice can be purchased for $15.55 on Zazzle.
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