Shawn, a former user group president, is a staunch advocate and supporter of MUGs. He has been engaged on the ongoing "Your Mac Life Tour" of Macintosh User Groups throughout the United States in the past six months. Shawn is a popular, entertaining speaker and will set the tone for the biggest and best User Group University to date.

A younger generation of Apple enthusiasts is now joining the user group community. Have you taken advantage of this great opportunity to grow your user group while increasing enthusiasm and diversity? In order to attract these young, energetic members, it's necessary to understand and adapt to their needs while introducing them to all the benefits of joining and participating in a user group.

This session will address the many benefits and challenges of engaging younger members, and it will offer suggestions to help create a campus group at a university near you. Participants will learn about exciting programs and events developed by campus groups and their passionate leaders. In addition, the session will help you imagine ways in which the user group community can grow stronger by creating more youth appeal. Take this opportunity to discover what younger members mean to the future of user groups worldwide.

Lynda Fudold

This presentation is for folks who would like to be better at persuading PC folks to switch to a Mac, or just give it a fair chance. How *do* you deal with a friend who is debating between a Windows box or a Mac? For instance, how do you choose what to tell them about the Mac? What is best to actually say, do, or show them? And how do you preserve your friendship if both you and the other person feel strongly....and you don’t agree?

We will cover some tips, pointers, and strategies on influencing others, correcting facts, and changing views without sounding like a Mac fanatic, as well as using some principles of influencing ethically, in this situation.

Lesa Snider

Producing a CD for your group can be both a useful marketing tool, a money maker for your group and a terrific member benefit. Lesa will show you how easy it can be, what kind of content should be included, how to get vendors involved and more.

Sure, everybody in your MUG wants to be involved in the website -- until it's time to do the actual work. In this session, Chuck La Tournous will guide you through creating and maintaining your group's website with little -- or even no help. Use CGIs, SSIs and other web tricks (yes, you can use them on your Mac) to save time and keep your site looking fresh -- even when your entire web team consists of...well, you.

MUG leaders have many, many resources available to them to start, maintain and strengthen their groups... but they don't always know about them all. In this session, those resources will be presented and examined from both a community and campus group perspective. Meeting topics, community news, group promotion using the digital hub, scheduling events, training resources, newsletter content, adding value to your MUG's membership, special guests, staying informed...these are just a few of the areas where help is available! Whether you're new to MUGs or just looking for new ideas, this session will give you plenty of ideas.

In addition to his many MUG shows, Dave Marra is also very active presenting to some of the largest Windows/PC user groups in the U.S. Discover some of the unique strategies and methods he uses when working with these diverse and often anti-Mac audiences. With solutions like Mac OS X, QuickTime 6 and Virtual PC, it has never been easier to attract Windows users. By welcoming Windows users and showing them how easy it is to "switch" to the Mac, Macintosh User Groups can make new friends and, most importantly, gain new members.

Andy Creach

Andy will provide an overview of the Apple worldwide customer training options, their value and detail the current product lines (including technical training, certification, user training, etc.), provide a demo of what is available and how it can apply to Macintosh User Groups.

Apple Sales Web and Learn & Earn for User Group Leaders

Katie Keene

The Apple Sales Web is one of the most diverse resources Apple provides to user groups. Katie will explain what ASW is, what kind of resources can be found there, how ASW materials can be used to inform and educate your members, and why your MUG will never be without a meeting topic again.

By the end of the day, you'll have learned all sorts of new information. Just as importantly, you've brought all of your user group experience and expertise with you to User Group University. This final session is a team-based opportunity for you to share your ideas with other attendees. You'll have a chance to think through some of the major issues confronting user groups today, and together, we'll develop several innovative solutions to take back to your group.

Meet and interact with fellow MUG leaders, members UGU Faculty and representatives of the many vendors who make User Group University possible.