User groups at MacDesign Conference, more

Macintosh User Group (MUG) Center editor Chuck Joiner has updated his Web site with the latest news from groups around the world. First up is the MacDesign Conference, which will be held June 2-4 in Chicago and attract photographers, graphic designers, digital video editors and other Mac-using creative types. Joiner notes that Apple User Group Advisory Board member Lesa Snider will host a Birds-of-a-Feather gathering at 7 p.m. on June 2, offering user group members and leaders the opportunity to meet in an informal atmosphere. You can find the meeting location and RSVP information on the MUG Center Web site.

MacDesign Conference will also feature two user group booths, one from local Chicago group The Rest of Us, who are representing all community MUGs, and one from Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group. If you’re not attending MacDesign but live in the Chicago area, The Rest of Us will also host their monthly meeting on June 2 at 6 p.m. at the Apple Store on Michigan Ave. This month they will feature a presentation from Macintosh author and TidBITS publisher Adam Engst. Attendance is free, and you can find more details on the group’s Web site.

The Chicago Final Cut Pro group is one of many dedicated to specific applications. Another such organization is the Alias Global Users Association (AGUA), which is aimed at those who use any of Alias’ applications, including Maya, Studio Tools and SketchBook. You can join from anywhere in the world and meet other Alias users on the AGUA Web site, which features discussion forums and galleries where members can show off their work.

In the physical world, the Yale MUG will make Stupid PowerBook Tricks the focus of their June 2 meeting on the Yale campus in New Haven, Conn. Their Web site was not updated with current information when MacCentral posted this article, but you can find directions to the meeting there. Admission is free and open to all, whether or not they attend the university.

Meanwhile, Silicon Mountain MUG, based in Colorado, will feature Microsoft’s Jonathan Himschoot at their June 3 meeting. He will show off Office 2004 for Mac and answer members’ questions. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Hancock Senior Center in Colorado Springs. You can find driving directions and other information on the Silicon Mountain MUG Web site.

Finally, there are also plenty of MUG activities happening on the other side of the world, such as AUSOM Inc.’s swap meet in Melbourne on June 5. Stalls are US$40 and all-day admission to the event, which starts at 10 a.m., is $3. Afterward, you can head north to New Zealand and participate in the Wellington Macintosh Society’s MovieFest 2004, which starts June 27 when short film topics are announced. Filmmakers must turn in their three-to-five minute movies by Aug. 7, with the nine finalists’ work showcased during the New Zealand Digital Solutions Expo on Sept. 24 and 25. More information about both events can be found on the MUGs’ respective Web sites.

Macintosh User Groups interested in seeing their events listed on MacCentral are welcome to send us their news. We post roundups of MUG events and gatherings each week.

If you’re wondering what user group events are happening in your area, visit the MUG Center’s online calendar. Apple also hosts a user group site where you can look for a MUG near you or find out how to start your own group.