SofTool USSR '90    

Igor Bukreev, Russian Chairman                  October 1990                Gene Zarwell, USA Director 

SofTool Entrance

Gene opens Conference

Pavilion 5 -VDNK

Transportation Minister & Gene

CA Rail Road Contract signing

SofTool -USSR Hard walled boothes

About SofTool - USSR '90

      After votes were tallied in Maryland's U.S. Senate Race in 1989, Gene was asked by Soviet First Deputy Chairman of its State Committee for Computer Systems and Informatics, Igor N. Bukreev to take over management of the SofTool USSR exhibition and technical conference.

      It was a tri-nation Joint Venture sponsored by Bukreev's All-Union Society of Informatics and Computer Technology and managed by Gene as International Director of Soviet Computer Trade Show Inc, parented by Ken Burrows', Conferences and Expo's (C&E) and partners The Phargo Group, Toronto based specialists in Western Technology exchange  with franchisor for MicroAge and AlphaGraphics in the USSR; and Georgian REPCO a site management company from Tiblisi.

      SofTool was conceived as a Computer Aided Software Engineering show that changed direction after C&E fell victim to huge losses in Singapore and Hong Kong, and spun off its Soviet Trade Show to Gene who quickly turned it into a software applications show.

      Through this conceptual identity, SofTool grew from a "no-show" status after two years of planning to a mild success with more than 500 exhibitors and highly credentialed U.S. Software engineers presenting technical sessions to more than 15,000 Soviet software programmers.

      Imperative was getting sponsorship and authorizations from several U.S. Government Departments; Commerce provided Trade Fair Certification and sponsored an Embassy reception for Exhibitors and presenters; Defense approved Reserve  LTC Zarwell's request clearance to direct the  International Software Tools Conference & Exhibition for the Soviet Union; and the International Trade Administration sought authorization for Gene to take 386 computers (State-of-the-art in 1990) to Moscow. 

      With only six months to choreograph and stage this conference 4,600 miles away in Pavilion V at Moscow's VDNK ("Peoples Park") Gene relied upon several on-site Russians and Mr. Bukreev's trust to allow he to issue Letters of invitation from his Crofton, MD office along with approvals and clearing visa applications for western show participants at Washington's Russian Consulate.

      Arriving in Moscow on Sunday, one-day prior to opening ceremony, Gene was dubbed "American Director and electronic imigre" who was also Candidate for U.S. Senate in 1992.

Within 30 minutes of arrival at Shremetevo Aeroport, Gene was interviewed by Novesti 1 (television news) about his perceptions of the Soviet Union.

      "I see big changes in the Soviet Union withint 5-10 years" Gene said. 

      "You will be able to step into the 21st Century at very little cost because of western technology development in information exchange.  Technology that has be been developed and already surpassed by even more advanced applications" (within 11 months and 5 days there was no more Soviet Union - big change)!

       Surprizingly, after lunch in Moscow and a stop at the U.S. Embassy, Gene returned to Pavilion V and was met by bodyguard and interpreter Nikita Kozmiriouk who said we had to hurry to an opening technical conference where Gene was going to speak.

       Nikita and Gene were about 20 minutes late and were seated while Mr. Bukreev welcomed everyone to the show. 

       Gene asked Nikita if he was to "welcome" everyone to SofTool only to learn that's what Bukreev was doing.

            Questioning, what should I say? Gene learned that he would be speaking about C.A.S.E. technology in the United States.  

      "I don't know much about that" was Gene's reaction.  "When will I talk about this?" he added.

       Nikita: "Right now."

       Amenities and gratuitous remarks paid off while Gene tried to compose a speech about C.A.S.E.  He had videotaped John Zackman, an IBM executive, presenting a three-hour C.A.S.E. architecture seminar in a Washington DC, C&E show in March, just six months earlier, but he was not concentrating on that presentation. 

      He was discussing Moscow's show with Bukreev and Alexander Anatol Yevich Vasenkov, Head, Research and Development Department, State Committee For Computer Technology, but caught bits and pieces of John's concepts.

      Five minutes into Gene's speech after several jokes went unappreciated, he talked about "C.A.S.E. as a huge macro that will allow engineers to create instead of spend time doing mundane or routine code. 

       "That it creates a common language between management, developer, engineer, and user much like American's buy homes", said Gene.

      "Home buyers tell an architech what is wanted in a house.  Plans are drawn in many languages - plumbing, electrician, carpentry, flooring, landscaping, real estate, title, and financial leaving many home buyers confused; but when all is said and done; a home buyer who doesn't understand all that industry terminology opens a water faucet - water runs - lights don't light.

      "In C.A.S.E. applications all people in the network have a common language from concept to application, thus making sotware engineering more understandable and easier to adapt to many other dicisplines in addition to your Soviet Cosmonaut program."

      Afterwards, Dr. Boris Posen with two Cosmonauts spoke for 30 minutes.  "It was important that they meet Gene", said Dr. Aleksej Ageev as he introduced them and said, "Gene, you did in five minutes what took us 3 years to put into a book.  Now, we know how to introduce C.A.S.E. Technology to our students."

      Although this failing show presented a dim financial projection, Gene was able to produce a $500,000 profit for the Society.  

      More devastating was that while Gene was in Moscow, C&E was being strangled with tax liens. Gene's commissions were obsorbed into frozen accounts.  By the time he returned to Maryland, Burrows had filed bankruptcy with no assets and before a claim could be  filed; he died.

      March Miller took over  C&E as its President promising to make good on SofTool.

      He died six months later taking Gene's $250,000 earnings to the grave.

       This initial experience in Moscow, though,  lead Gene to several other ventures including: 

- forming "ContactNet" for Eastern European business development; 

- modernizing -"Novesti 1" post production studios; 

- founding Moscow distilled "Original 1860 Smirnov Formula" Vodka; 

- "Aeroflot" avionics  upgrade; "Carting in Door" marketing; "Global Center for Ecological Problems"; 

- "Soviet-Dutch Free Enterprise" Auto sales and Service; and

-  most recently "Business Continent US & RU until  partner was invited into Russian Army in December (2004).

Click here to read USSR Business Reports - Historic record of USSR Business Devlopment

USA Commerce Dept Certification

Copyright^© 03/26/2005 Gene Zarwell all rights reserved . Washington DC