The MacBeginnings Conference, "User Groups—What They Can Do For You" will be held at 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM in the Special Events Hall, (1D) on Level 1.

The conference is open to all Macworld attendees, and will give provide an opportunity to learn about all aspects of the Macintosh User Group community.

Macintosh User Groups (MUGs) represent an amazing resource to Mac users of all levels and interests. Over one thousand User Groups worldwide offer problem solving, software demonstrations, technical expertise, training, enthusiasm, friendship and fun to the Mac community. In this session, you’ll meet a variety of Macintosh User Group leaders, find out what MUGs are all about, what kind of benefits and services are provided, how to find one near you, or how to start your own.

Thanks to IDG World Expo for their support of Macintosh User Groups, and for including this conference in the MacBeginnings Conference track.

The current list of panelists and topics include:

Overview of Apple's User Group Program
Diane Cohn, Apple User Group Program Manager
Diane will summarize the various aspects of Apple's User Group Program, what it offers, and how to get involved.

Large User Groups
Chris Bastian of NYMUG
Chris will talk about aspects of a large user group such as his, and will represent the home-town contingent of the MUG community.

User Group Resources
Jacki Moore of Macintosh User Group of Southern New Jersey
Jacki will cover user group resources; what people can expect to find when they get involved with their local user group.

User Group Demographics
Rose Lynn of Gold Coast Mac, Jonas Skardis of Santa Fe Macintosh Users Group and Lorene Romero of North Coast Macintosh Users Group
This terrific trio will talk about why MUGs are not all-boys' or old-boys clubs, and the fact that your technical knowledge has nothing to do with being involved in a MUG.

User Group Community Service
Lorin Evans of Washington Apple Pi
Macintosh User Groups contribute to their communities in a wide variety of ways. The Washington Apple Pi has a long history of such contributions. Lorin will discuss their philosophy and their community programs, and share some ideas on how community groups and MUGs can partner for the benefit of all.

Virtual/Application-Specific User Groups
Bruce Shanker of The Appleworks User Group
Bruce will describe how a "virtual" user group is different from a "physical" group, as well as the fact that his group focuses on a specific program

Finding a MUG, Starting A MUG, and Finding Out More About MUGs
Chuck Joiner of The Hershey Apple Core
Looking for a user group? Want to start one in your community? Not sure where to start? Chuck will give you some tips on how to get started, and where to find more information.

The Support Team will consist of Jan Barkan (Schedule Enforcer) and Giuseppe DiFranco (A/V Coordinator), both from Gold Coast Mac, and Cindy Rotz (Graphics Coordinator) from the Hershey Apple Core.