October 2019 marks the 10 year anniversary of the Seattle Blender User Group. As one of the oldest and most successful Blender meetups, we'll use this milestone to explore all the facets that come with starting, joining, and sustaining a Blender user group in your community.

In this retrospective, you’ll learn all the benefits of running a BUG, including:
Networking in your local community
Sharpening your #b3d skills every month
BUGs as part of your business model
Strengthening your brand by linking it to the BUG
Finding clients through your user group
Advertise your 3D products through the BUG
Real world versus online networking
The values of founding or finding a Blender tribe near you
Hang out with the kind of people you love

This talk will also prepare you for the pitfalls that come with running a user group, including:
Volunteering your time
The problem of working for free
The city size necessary to form a tribe
That extrovert lyfe
6 to 12 Saturdays a year!??
Legal status of club
Handling strong personalities
Dealing with money
Juggling your family life

Lastly, if you’re ready to commit to the User Group life, learn about where to find the resources that will make your group a success such as:
Finding the right venue for a BUG
Advertising your group
Getting sponsorship and funding
Where to spend your funds
Joining up with other groups and conferences

Attendees will leave this talk ready to become their local community’s go-to resource for all things Blender, gain useful ideas to bring to existing BUGs or classrooms, and start a meeting with their future favorite people.