Info Manager: IMHO Info Manager: IMHORecently in our AUG mailing list, there has been quite a discussion on what Apple is doing to support user groups. Now I can't speak for the time since the recent changing of the guard, but Apple has never supported groups as much as the groups would have liked. There have been times when they did seem to be more responsive. But in my mind, we really shouldn't expect much.
They have at times treated MUGs as a good thing, but pretty much the support was an after thought. The return on investment isn't immediately obvious. If they were to see a spike in sales immediately after doing a user group event, you bet they would do more events.
But the fact is their sales don't change much whether they help us or not.
MUG leaders need to decide that what they do is not necessarily done to benefit Apple.
They are doing what they do to benefit their members, who happen to use Apple products. Apple will benefit as well, but that should be our after thought. Apple does spend a nice bit of change putting on User Group University, although I suspect that the sponsors pay for most of the expense.
Adobe should be the one praised for what they do for MUGs at the show. Although on a local basis, it would be nice if they did more to support smaller groups. But that old ROI raises its head again there too.
I know that the 200 member MUG in Tulsa turned out 3 times as many people to see an Adobe presentation as the 560 member PC group when I was there. And some of them were actually in the publishing business. (A lot of which goes on in Tulsa.)
So lets show the vendors, that MUGs don't need them, but that the groups can do as much for the vendors as they can do for their own members. That way everyone will win.
Have a great week...
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