In a room on the second-floor mezzanine of Moscone Center's South Hall, Chuck Joiner talks about his MUG with a smile. Hershey Apple Core has been in existence since the days of the Apple II, and Joiner has been a member just about as long. Six years ago he became president of his group, and now he's Chairman of the Apple User Group Advisory Board, an organization created last year to provide feedback and advice on issues related to the Apple User Group Program.
Every group gets a chance to use the lounge to host meetings.
Macintosh community celebrities like Dennis Sellers of MacCentral and Bryan Chafflin of The Mac Observer come in and give talks to the groups. User group leaders get an opportunity to share ideas about membership recruitment and other issues with their peers. The lounge is also a place where potential user group members can access Apple's online User Group Locator , which helps them find a user group in their area. In addition, many groups like to use the lounge to distribute flyers, newsletters, and other materials about their group. Local user groups also had their own booth in the north hall, where they recruited new members, raffled off great software like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Photoshop 6, and got the chance to let the rest of the Macintosh community know what a MUG is.