Michael Horton, one of the organizers of the Final Cut Pro User group SuperMeet at NAB, has provided this wrap-up report of one of the most successful SuperMeets yet.

“The 7th annual NAB FCPUG SuperMeet is now officially over and you missed it. Well, some of you missed it. An estimated crowd of about 1500 showed up for what turned out to be the largest SuperMeet in our history. People started lining up at 3PM and the show did not end until after 11PM. We had presentations from Apple, Red, JVC, Blackmagic Design, Adobe, Wounded Marines Career Foundation, Phantom and a scary editing tool called the Assistant Editor. We had a crowded room of 30 vendors with some tables 20 people deep. It was nuts.

We gave away more than $90,000 worth of raffle prizes to a completely crazy out of control bunch of fun loving FCS users who could not of been more enthusiastic or patient. 250 “SuperBags” were handed out to the first 250 in line. 1000 “SuperMags” with 100 pages of tutorials and feature articles were also handed out. It was a great night, a long night and whole lot of fun for all of us. If you missed the event, you missed one heck of an event.

Special thanks must go to Apple for arranging the room at the MGM and for their extraordinary generosity and support. Also thanks must go to Adobe, Blackmagic Design and JVC and the other 27 companies, big and small who gave not only their financial support, but their time and expertise. And BIG thanks to all of our volunteers who work so tirelessly and with good humor.

Next up is IBC in Amsterdam. Yes Virginia, we plan on bringing the SuperMeet to Europe and are in the planning stages now. We are currently scouring Amsterdam for a suitable venue and plan to hold the event on Sunday, September 14, 2008. So if you are going to IBC or live in Europe and want to experience a SuperMeet, mark your calendars for September 14, 2008. Trust me, you have never been to an event like a FCPUG SuperMeet.

More on the IBC SuperMeet in Amsterdam as we get closer to the event. Right now, its back to the real world for me.”

If you were not among the lucky ones who were in Las Vegas, fear not: you can still benefit from the event by enjoying the podcasts of some of the presentations available from the show.

The MUG Center will conduct the third in a series of virtual gatherings to help Mac User Group leaders and interested parties interact, operate, improve and move their groups into the future.

The third User Group 2.0 Virtual Conference will be held on Tuesday, February 19 from 6 PM until 7:30 PM PT (9 PM - 10:30 PM ET). While there is no charge for attendance, a limited number of participants will be involved due to the nature of efficient virtual communications. To participate, you will need a telephone or Skype Out (with headset), iChat, a desire to learn to think different, and a willingness to participate in discussions of pro-active MUG leadership. Bring your ideas and bring your enthusiasm!

The event’s keynote speaker, to be announced soon, will deliver information on their group’s successes and details on how they achieved those successes..

To apply to attend, please email your name, user group name and leadership position and group URL to The MUG Center. Once confirmed, you’ll receive the details for attending and participating.
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If you get up early enough to get in to Steve Job’s Macworld Expo keynote on Tuesday, you’re going to be ready for a little downtime before hitting the party circuit…or the sack.

Starting at 5:30 PM, join the member producers of MacLevelTen, Pat Fauquet, MUG Center editor Chuck Joiner, Don McAllister, Jay Nelson, Dan Pourhadi and Steve Sande at Chevy’s (next to Moscone, so the walk is easy) at the corner of 3rd & Howard, 201 3rd Street for the MacLevelTen Meet-Up. This no-host event will give friends, fans and consumers of the many MacLevelTen productions a chance to relax, re-fuel and discuss the day’s announcements, the hot items on the show floor and more.

If you’re coming, register so we’ll know to look for you, or just show up and join in the fun.

New ideas for Mac User Group leaders and enthusiasts are the focus of The User Groups 2.0 Virtual Conferences, organized by The MUG Center. The second of these conferences was held on November 27 and featured keynote speaker Michael Horton of the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro Users Group. Mike discussed many of the differences between the traditional UG models vs. those adopted by the Final Cut Pro groups. Mike shared some ideas that he would like to see community groups consider and fielded questions about his group’s structure and operations from an enthusiastic audience. Looking for some new ideas fro your group’s evolution? Then listen online or download this edition of MacVoices to hear what Mike and the attendees had to say.

The attendees and the groups represented included:
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 MacVoices #7113 [1:13:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Adobe User Group and Professional Association Breakfast is where a select audience gets to see demos of Adobe’s latest releases and even previews of new and sometimes unreleased products. Even though already sold out, you still might be able to get in, and Terry White tells you how on a recent edition of MacVoices.

Terry also covers the latest from the Adobe User Group Program, including a new way for Adobe reps to present to your group without ever leaving home, and also lets you know where he and other Adobe reps will be at Macworld Conference & Expo.

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 MacVoices #7112 [16:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

MUG Center Editor Chuck Joiner will be in Las Vegas on December 8 and wants to meet you.

Chuck has scheduled a meet-up for Saturday, December 8 at 2 PM for user group leaders and members, as well as listeners of MacVoices and MacNotables, to talk Mac, Leopard and everything Apple.

If you’re planning to attend, let Chuck know, or just show up outside the Apple Store at the Town Square Mall in Las Vegas. The group will gather until about 2:15 and then find a restaurant or bar to invade.

The MUG Center will conduct the second in a series of virtual gatherings to help Mac User Group leaders and interested parties interact, operate, improve and move their groups into the future.

The second User Group 2.0 Virtual Conference will be held on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 from 7 PM until 8:30 PM PT (10 PM - 11:30 PM ET). While there is no charge for attendance, a limited number of participants will be involved due to the nature of virtual communications. To participate, you will need a telephone or Skype Out (with headset), iChat, a desire to learn to think different, and a willingness to participate in discussions of pro-active MUG leadership. Bring your ideas and bring your enthusiasm!

The event’s keynote speaker, to be announced soon, will bring a different and successful perspective to MUG leadership to the discussion.

To apply to attend, please email your name, user group name and leadership position and group URL to The MUG Center. Once confirmed, you’ll receive the details for attending and participating.
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The audio of the discussion at the first User Groups 2.0 Virtual Conference is now available for listening and download.

The MUG Center’s first gathering of user group leaders to discuss the state of the MUG community, exchange ideas and look to the future was held on October 29, and keynoted by James Lee of Tropical Software. Jim addressed the group with his top 5 Tips for welcoming a vendor to your user group.

The participants in the conference included:

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 User Groups 2.0 Virtual Conference #1: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Mac User Groups will once again have a significant presence at a major trade show, this time at the MacExpoLive in London from October 25 - 27.

Volunteers from the member groups of Mac Users UK will be manning the user group stall, promoting both existing groups and also encouraging the formation of new groups in areas not covered by those organizations.

To add to the festivities, the stall will feature two separate competitions. The first will be awarded for sending the most members to the stall.

The second will the the farther-reaching, third annual UK & Irish MUGs Photographic Competition. Open to all comers, entries can be made in this year’s categories of The Face, Water, Travel and Children. Entries are being accepted through January 20, 2008. Get complete details, rules and entry instructions on the contest web site.

If you’re attending the Expo, stop in, say hello, and learn more about the member groups and what they offer.

Whenever the Final Cut Pro User Group crowd gets together at a conference, you can count on party time. But they don’t just socialize…they invite interesting and influential speakers, gather up sponsors who donate product and more and make what could just be an informal gathering a true event.

That’s what will be happening this week at the NY Post Production Conference. The Final Cut Pro User Group Soiree is being organized by the Boston Final Cut Pro Users Group (BOSFCPUG) and Digital CONNtent Creators, and will feature a raffle with prizes totaling over $14,000, and a speakers and demo schedule that includes:

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