The Final Cut Pro User Group Network (FCPUG) “SuperBooth”, part of NABShow 2009, will offer a full 4 day schedule of free immersive sessions with Final Cut Studio, Adobe and digital filmmaking Gurus who will answer questions, demo user-driven production and postproduction workflows, and screen content created with Final Cut Studio and other Macintosh based software. The SuperBooth will serve as an extension of the the Eighth Annual NAB FCPUG SuperMeet, to take place on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the Rio Hotel.

“We have always wanted space on the NAB show floor, but could never find the resources or money to afford it,” said Michael Horton, founder of the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group and co-producer of the SuperMeets. “But this year we have gotten tremendous support from the community who are donating their time and expertise to make this booth happen. Our plan is to make the SuperBooth a social gathering spot for all Final Cut Studio users and Digital moviemakers who find themselves in need of learning and connecting.”
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If you’re going to Macworld Conference and Expo and are (or want to be) part of your Mac User Group’s leadership, you need to be sure to attend two specific sessions in the User Group Lounge.

On Wednesday, January 7 at 12 PM, Nancy Carroll Gravley, the President of Capitol Macintosh (CapMac) and the Computing with Bifocals columnist from The Mac Observer will present Ways to Make Your User Group More Successful. If you haven’t been watching the CapMac web page, you’ve missed one of the most creative sets of meeting agendas and services in the MUG universe. Come hear Nancy discuss their successes and what goes into making them happen.

Then, at 2 PM the same day, Chuck Joiner, the editor of The MUG Center and president of the Hershey Apple Core, will discuss Evolving Your Mac User Group. Chuck’s extensive coverage of Mac User Groups and his years as Chairman of the Apple User Group Advisory Board provide him with a unique perspective on where MUGs are and where they’re going.
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User group structure and management styles have been an important part of the second and third User Groups 2.0 conferences, as well as a couple interesting message threads over on the Apple User Group Discussion email list.

Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun-Times, Macworld, MacNotables, and long-time user group advocate, provides some valuable input into the subject in a new posting to his personal blog, Andy Ihnatko’s Celestial Waste of Bandwidth.

In BCS BAT, Andy talks about his time as an enthusiastic volunteer with the now-defunt Boston Computer Society, then one of the world’s largest Mac User Groups. Andy discusses what made the group special and how changes in the group’s management not only spoiled the party, but also eventually led to the group’s downfall.

There are lessons aplenty in this article from Andy’s archives, and is essential reading for anyone who is reviewing their group’s leadership structure.

The audio of the third User Groups 2.0 Leadership Conference, held on February 19th, 2008, features keynote speaker Russ Conte of The Rest of Us in Chicago. Russ discusses in depth how his group operates, sharing their philosophy of servicing their members, how their membership has changed and how the group has evolved to address their capabilities, interests and needs. The use of Web 2.0 technologies, share work, and an approach that leaves nothing sacred, even their name are all part of Russ’s presentation and the interaction with the other attendees that followed.

Russ also provided samples of many of the resources he mentioned during the conference, and they can be downloaded for your group’s use.

A global panel of user group leaders and activists participated in the conference, and included:
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The third User Groups 2.0 Conference, scheduled for February 19 from 6 PM until 7:30 PM PT (9 PM – 10:30 PM ET) will feature a keynote by the leader of one of the best-run Mac User Groups around: Russ Conte of The Rest of Us (TROU).

TROU has developed a reputation for excellence in many areas. Growing in membership, TROU books outstanding topics and guest speakers for their meetings six months in advance and have developed financial resources adequate to raffle off an iMac without having to charge for individual tickets.

Russ will talk about how they do all this, how to run meetings efficiently and effectively, how to do some really exciting things with your club’s web site (including getting it hosted for free!) and how to find press contacts in your area to whom you can distribute press releases. Russ will also cover where the new members are coming from, why they are coming, and what The Rest of Us is doing to keep them coming back.

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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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MUG Center Editor Chuck Joiner will be presenting ““User Groups 2.0: The Future of the Mac User Group Community” in the User Group Lounge at Macworld Conference & Expo on Wednesday, January 10, starting at 1 PM.
With a number of User Groups 2.0 articles available, and two User Groups 2.0 Virtual Conferences already, Chuck will talk about the positive response to these concepts, describe some of the lessons learned and reveal how you and group can adopt the User Groups 2.0 philosophy to thrive and grow.

The session will be held in Room 250 on the Mezzanine level in Moscone South. Visit our User Group Lounge 2008 page for the complete schedule of presenters and events in the User Group Lounge, and subscribe to our Macworld Expo MUG Events iCal to integrate all the Mac User Group events at Expo into your schedule.

Social networks are a hot topic of discussion, but how do they relate to Mac User Groups?

Diane Cohn, the former Apple User Group Program Manager and member several of Apple’s web team has a unique perspective on the social networking phenomenon and wants to know what you think of the current options and the desirability of a social networking option just for the users of Apple products. In the newest edition of MacVoices, Diane shares her experiences since leaving Apple and explains how involvement in social networks has been instrumental to her success in her new occupation. She talks about how social networks represent a natural evolution of Apple enthusiast interaction, the benefits, and the differences between traditional user group models, online forums and the new interactive options.

If you’re interested in The MUG Center’s ongoing discussions of User Groups 2.0, this is an interview you’ll find thought-provoking.

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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The keynote speaker for the next User Groups 2.0 Virtual Conference (UG2.0VC) will draw on the successes of one of the newest genres of Mac User Groups for his presentation.

Michael Horton, the president of the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro Users Group, will share experiences from his activities as the leader of one of the most successful FCP user groups around.

The successes of the FCP groups are undeniable. As a founder of the Final Cut Pro User Group Network and one of the chief organizers of the Final Cut Pro User Group SuperMeets in addition to the leadership of his own group, Mike has tried many new things and learned valuable lessons along the way. He will share both experiences and wisdom when he addresses the attendees of UG2.0VC on November 27.
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