Macworld Conference & Expo Boston is next week, which means Macintosh User Group (MUG) Center editor Chuck Joiner is in high gear getting information to user groups around the world. This week’s update kicks off with his latest User Group Report, in which the Macworld User Group Leadership Conference (UGLC) planning team checks in to run down all the MUG events happening during the show. He also talks to Peachpit Press’ Susan Nixon, who discusses her employer’s sponsorship of the UGLC as well as its user group program, and Colorado MUG’s Mark McDaniel, who explains how his group broadcasts audio and video of their monthly meetings over the Internet.
In other Macworld Expo news, Joiner informs his readers that the 1st Annual Macworld Conference & Expo Attendance Party will be a Mardi Gras-styled affair, complete with beads, King Cakes, a raffle and entertainment courtesy of the Macworld All Star Band. Tickets are US$20 in advance, $30 at the door, and the event will be held at The Big Easy in Boston on June 14. You can register at the Attendance Party’s event page on the Macworld Expo Web site.
While the Attendance Party is new, the User Group Lounge has been a Macworld staple for the past several years, and TidBITS editor Adam Engst will stop by the Lounge on July 13 at 1 p.m. to discuss his company’s publishing program. The latest in TidBITS’ series of e-books, dubbed Take Control, is musician Jeff Tolbert’s “Take Control of Making Music with GarageBand,” and your group can get a free copy by e-mailing Engst. Learn how on the MUG Center’s Web site.
The day before Engst’s talk, the Boston Final Cut Pro User Group (BOSFCPUG) will present “HD in Motion” at Boston’s Faneuil Hall, where representatives from the New England Aquarium, Apple, Panasonic and Boris will cover the latest in high-definition digital video, including the Boston debut of Apple’s Motion application. BOSFCPUG will also give away two iPod Minis, copies of Boris software, New England Aquarium passes and more during the Big Dig Raffle, which requires a $5 donation. The doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the event will start at 6:30; attendance is free, although you must register on Apple’s seminars site.
Macworld Expo Boston isn’t the only place where you can find DV-related user group discussions, of course. Digital Video Expo will be held July 12 to 16 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, and three area Final Cut Pro user groups will be on hand at the SoHo Apple store for a special event on July 15. In addition, BOSFCPUG will be at the Woods Hole Independent Film Festival, which runs July 31 to Aug. 8 on Cape Cod, Mass., for Festival Technology Day on Aug. 7. The group will provide hands-on demos of the digital filmmaking tools available for the Mac and answer questions.
The Mac Business Users Society of Greater Philadelphia — MacBUS — will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 at 6:30PM. Apple Senior Systems Engineer Dave Marra will be on hand to talk about Apple’s newer hardware introductions, and there will be talks on Mac OS X v10.4 “Tiger,” iLife 04, and Final Cut Express 2.0.
If you won’t be on the East Coast this summer, you may want to attend the Portland Mac Filmmakers User Group’s screening of the short documentary “George’s” on July 26. The documentary, which was produced by the Portland Film Project, profiles shoe repairman and unconventional storyteller George Thrower. The screening, which replaces the group’s regularly monthly meeting, starts at 7:00 p.m. and will be followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers. Visit the Portland Mac Filmmakers User Group’s Web site to learn more.
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.