Kickstarting a Local Developers' Group: Minimax, New Orleans

 
Nov 25, 2004

by John Dowdell

In some urban areas it's easy to meet other technical professionals, even if you're involved in novel, bleeding-edge technology; if you live in New York City or London, for instance, then the existing network of user groups makes it easy to attract members for a new specialist group.

But what happens if there isn't an existing network of local technical developers? How can you find local peers in a specialty when there are few general technical groups meeting in the local area? Developers in the New Orleans area found a smart way to approach such a problem recently.

There are already regular PC and Macintosh User Groups which meet in New Orleans, but developers specializing in rich-media interactivity don't have a direct way to meet each other, to set up contacts, or to learn of potential partners with complementary skills. Adam Bell used the recent Macromedia MAX 2004 conference in New Orleans to set up an event that would attract a core base of people in the community, with the idea of kickstarting the formation of a new local user group.

This "MiniMAX" event was publicized at local computer user groups, with flyers at computer stores, and postings in web discussions. A lecture hall in the university provided a venue. The speakers were drawn from both the local development community, and from people in distant areas who flew in for the main conference.

The format for such a kickstart meeting doesn't have to be a daunting, heavy load -- this "MiniMAX" event had half-a-dozen mini presentations, each twenty minutes or so long. It's easier to get a speaker commitment for such a format, and the variety of presentations increases the chances of satisfying each member of the audience.

The result? A good fifty people attended this mini conference -- a strong turnout for any free one-time event. At the end of the evening Adam asked for a show of hands from people who would be willing to see more such events in the future, and a half-dozen were willing to contribute their time to the group. With any luck, within the next year New Orleans rich-media developers will have a much stronger network, and a much stronger presence in the region.

The moral? If it's difficult to find a way to meet other local people who work in the same field, then keep an eye out for a larger event in the area, and consider piggybacking atop it. If speakers are already in town, it's much easier to arrange a starting lineup. And from what many of us have personally seen, the donation of time you make to such a local group more than pays for itself in the returns such connections bring. (And, if you visit New Orleans, then check in with the local user group... Adam can turn you on to the best rice and beans in town.... ;-)

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