AUGD: Meeting attendance
AUGD: Meeting attendance
- Subject: AUGD: Meeting attendance
- From: email@hidden
- Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 17:21:45 EDT
Meeting attendance always seems to be an issue, even when paid-up membership is OK. Our data base has about 200 current in membership, but meetings vary from 45 - 75 in attendance, depending on winter resident population.
The "need" for Mac user groups has seemed to drop off as the population gets more computer-savvy over time and the Mac gets easier to use. Hands-on teaching of folks every step of the way doesn't seem to be in as much demand as it once was. This doesn't mean that meeting attendance has to be low.
We have about 3 to 5 first-time attenders at each meeting which helps keep attendance up. We get these attenders from our local advertising campaign that includes:
Brochures at CompUSA and the local Apple specialist (Apple Retail Store will not carry our brochures even though we offer a first year discount after buying a Mac from them--sticker to that effect on the brochure...); 500 brochures distributed to the Public Library branches ever so often, based on the approved distribution system they have; notices in the community calendar section of all local papers and their electronic calendars; feature articles every other year or so in the largest local paper; an easy to get to web site; listing on Apple's MUG info page; free raffle tickets to members who bring friends.
The above are the sources through which we have actually gotten new members.
Keeping them attending, for us, includes:
An electronic newsletter each month; several topics each meeting; time for Q&A; a general raffle of books and low-cost useful Mac or computer-related items each meeting; a special raffle of a hi-value item each meeting, such as 19" LCD panel, 160gb ext HD w/USB & FireWire, networkable inkjet or laser printer, entry-level iPod, etc; a welcome table on which are many free items such as how-to printouts, lists of useful Mac utilities, lists of used Mac dealers, lists of Mac-friendly ISPs and website hosts, discount flyers, consultants business cards, recent magazines and catalogs, CDs with demo/trial software, etc.
One of the strongest "draws" seems to be our presentation of several topics, each time, which seems to dispel the "lack of interest in some topics" syndrome that can lower attendance. We manage to handle two topics in the first hour and at least two in the main 2-hour session that follows. If we can't adequately cover a topic in one go, we use several meetings to do it.
One technique that has seemed to prove useful in providing mutiple subjects is something we call "topic squibs." A topic squib is a self-contained presentation on one thing that can be presented in 20 or so minutes on a subject that of itself usually isn't capable of being expanded to a full hour. We have several of these built up and ready to go when needed; our board members and significant volunteers participate by being ready to present ones they've created and/or prepared for. Topics have been: AppleWorks home budget; iWeb (3 parts); using Google (2 parts); local high school employment of iBooks; burning DVDs; Mac OS X maintenance; wi-fi security; Mac OS System Preferences; and so on.
Q&A during the first hour also seems to be important, but not at the expense of being able to do justice to the prepared topics. For those questions that require more than a quick answer, we try to foster the use of our 24/7 member topic-organized website forum where more in-depth answers can be had.
Meeting time can also be an issue for attendance; we meet on a Wednesday night from 6-9pm, which limits those who don't like to travel at night. This is a factor for some of our regular attenders, who have teamed up to ride with others. Meeting on weekends has never seemed viable, as folks like to "do other stuff" then. Weekday mornings or afternoons are no good because it severely limits our ability to attract members and presenters who "work for a living." Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night seems best.
Re: Greer MUG. Looking at the web-available information on Greer, SC, it seems its poulation has about doubled since 1990, up to about 20,000 now, and it is 13-17 miles from Greenville & Spartanburg. Would there be an ability to draw from Greenville (Spartanburg has a MUG)? The population of Greer is quite a bit lower than Tucson (our location), and I would expect comparable meeting attendance figures just based on that. You seem to have most of the elements of a successful MUG already in place, though...
HTH,
Sterett Prevost, President
Tucson Macintosh Users Group
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