From the ashes of the defunct MAPUG (Mid-Atlantic PTC Users Group) and the VA/DC area user's group, we're launching a brand new RUG- the Chesapeake Regional Users Group (CPUG).
This group will focus heavily on the Creo (ProENGINEER) and Windchill PTC products. Multiple meetings will occur each year with the first beginning in Fall 2012.
So what happened to the old groups? In my personal opinion, the previous RUGs in the mid-Atlantic region suffered from a severe case of "mission creep". Meetings lasted for hours on end and served no purpose other than as an extended sales pitch and a cash grab. At the last MAPUG meeting I attended, I paid admission at the door. This was followed by a torturous 2 hour demo of Wildfire 4 and 5 given mostly via an endless powerpoint slide deck. Eventually I was let loose to grab lunch but in the lunch area I was literally surrounded with vendors on all sides. After lunch, I gave a brief presentation and then sat down for another long demo and then finally... one more long demo. In the end, I took nothing from the meeting... and left about about $20 poorer. The meeting had no actual value to me as an engineer.
I can promise CPUG will not devolve into one long extended sales pitch. We'll focus on networking, practical tips, techniques, and training. At each and every meeting, we will provide value to the user community. When members leave a CPUG meeting, they'll go back to work with real, tangible, useful information to make them more efficient and better prepared to meet the demands of their job.
If you're in the Baltimore/Washington/Philadelphia area, please consider joining our group. Follow the CPUG group on Planet PTC Community by selecting Join This Group from the panel on the right hand side of this page. Feel free to respond to the blog with questions or comments.
As meeting dates, times, and locations firm up, they'll be posted here and announced to members via email. I expect some growing pains as we get the group off the ground. If you'd like to join the cause and help establish the group... please email me.
Thank you!
-Brian
