DevExpress is committed to trying to help as many community groups and events as we can. There are a lot of you out there, and at times the sheer number of requests that we receive can be overwhelming. But we know that with cuts in training budgets and justification for high value conferences getting harder, many of you are looking to local and regional events that can offer you great content and speakers at a significantly lower cost … if not free!
I’m pretty sure it’s not just the financial side that offers benefits. Will Charles (@DotNetWill) recently blogged about what he felt was the most important take-away he acquired from attending user groups:
“User groups aren’t just about the presentations, they are about the community and improving yourself and workplace through other people’s experiences.”
Recently active community advocates and MVPs in the UK met with Microsoft staff in Reading, UK at the Community Leaders Day.
For those that may not have attended, I wanted to draw some attention to a provision that Microsoft have facilitated with their community partners: INETA, the Professional Association of SQL Server, the Global IT Community Association and the Association of Information Technology Professionals.
The User Group Support Services offer … well, just that, support and services: publicity, resources, funding. The things that community leaders need to make sure their groups can meet. They also offer community members facilities to help find groups and events happening in their area.
If, like Will, you’re looking to find people outside your workplace to listen to, talk to and openly discuss ideas with then use the UGSS to find a group near you. If you’re a community leader and you’re trying to find support for your organisation or event drop me an email (rachelh@devexpress.com), and then be sure to register your group with UGSS to gain benefits and resources from Microsoft and their community partners.
Consider this a community service announcement :-)