Definitely get your local VARs involved. We have 3 of them in
our area.
We started our group in November 2000 as an independent group, not sponsored or supported by any of the local VARs. The group limped along for a little while but when we started inviting the VARs to present technical topics, membership went through the roof. At the first meeting with VAR presence the attendance just about doubled because they sent a meeting notice out to their database.
The advantages of using the VARs are that you can get your message out to their private database of customers, but more importantly, your members get better presentations. These people do this kind of thing for a living and are in front of people all the time. Most of the time they already have presentations done on the topics that we request.
Since we have 3 VARs in the area, we have one present technical topic at each meeting on a rotating schedule. It’s really not much of a drain on them, but it’s a huge advantage to us.
We started our group in November 2000 as an independent group, not sponsored or supported by any of the local VARs. The group limped along for a little while but when we started inviting the VARs to present technical topics, membership went through the roof. At the first meeting with VAR presence the attendance just about doubled because they sent a meeting notice out to their database.
The advantages of using the VARs are that you can get your message out to their private database of customers, but more importantly, your members get better presentations. These people do this kind of thing for a living and are in front of people all the time. Most of the time they already have presentations done on the topics that we request.
Since we have 3 VARs in the area, we have one present technical topic at each meeting on a rotating schedule. It’s really not much of a drain on them, but it’s a huge advantage to us.
All user groups face the same issue. Here is how we handle it.
It is a necessity to get your local var(s) involved. Have the var(s) promote your user group meeting(s) by doing the following:
* Forward your meeting information to their customers via email.
* Add your meeting information to their technical newsletter(s).
* During training sessions, have them identifying that a user group does exist in the area.
* Add a link to your user group website from their website.
Get on the user group list on SolidWorks' website at http://www.solidworks.com/page.../usergroups/index.html
Remind the var(s) that you are not in competition with them, or putting them in competition with each other (if there are more than 1 in your area). The user group is an extension to the training and resources that are already available.
Good luck.