Chicagois "The Rest of Us" (TRoU) Mac User Group (MUG) will be celebrating its 19th anniversary soon. To commemorate this event, TRoU will move its meeting place to the Apple Store North Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. Starting September 3rd, TRoU will meet at 7 PM on the first Wednesday of every month at the Chicago Apple Store. From TRoU:
"The Rest of Us" - TRoU - will celebrate our 19th anniversary as The Chicago Macintosh User Group by moving our monthly meetings to a new home. Our meetings will be held at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month beginning on September 3rd at the "Apple Store North Michigan Avenue" at 679 N. Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago.
The September meeting will have a guest speaker who will focus on Internet security and protecting yourself from Internet scams.
TRoU has been invited to the store by General Manager Tom Summers, who has supported developing relationships with Apple User Groups for a long time. The Assistant Manager is Tony Marengo. Many of you may remember how Tony helped arrange for some of our SIGis to be hosted at CompUSA while he was in his previous position there as an Apple Specialist.
Here are some answers to a few of the questions you might have about our upcoming move to The Apple Store for our general meetings:
WHERE?
The new Apple Store, at 679 N. Michigan Avenue, is just 2 blocks south of Chicago Avenue, at the southeast corner of Michigan Ave. and Huron St.WHAT DATES?
Our meetings will continue to be held on the FIRST WEDNESDAY of each month, unless there is a conflict with a holiday.WHAT TIME?
Please Note -- THE TIME IS CHANGED SLIGHTLY to start at 7 p.m. This is to accommodate Appleis FREE workshops and lectures that are open to the public (and to us) until 7 p.m., as they do every weeknight.Hereis how our meetings will probably be structured:
Our meetings will begin at 7 P.M., with a few questions and answers (to be continued at the end of our meeting), a couple of brief announcements, distribution of free raffle tickets to members, and our speaker will probably begin about 7:15. After an hour or so, we will pause if anyone has to leave. There will then be any further comments from the speaker, the drawing for raffle prizes, and then a full Question and Answer session.
HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE TO PAY?
Meeting attendance totally FREE and open to all. Everyone is still welcome to join TRoU to receive the additional advantages that TRoU membership offers (i.e. special discounts and deals exclusive to User Group members).WHAT ADVANTAGES DOES APPLEiS LOCATION OFFER?
We will be much more visible meeting at Appleis Michigan Avenue store and we should also be able to attract a wider range of presenters. Our groupis meeting will be listed in Apple?s monthly calendar of events, which will undoubtedly help bring in more new members. Appleis customers are welcome to join our meetings.WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION?
The Apple Store will give you a $3 discount to "iPark" at two nearby "Interpark" garages, one at St. Clair & Ontario, the other at Rush & Ohio (just across from the Bloomingdaleis/Medina Temple building. "Interpark" does charge around $12 for up to 2.5 hours. There is excellent public transportation, of course, and perhaps you can "carpool" with someone.ANY RESTRICTIONS FROM APPLE?
Only two. First, they ask that we bring no FOOD into the Store. Covered drinks are fine. (There are a number of restaurants and eateries nearby). Second, they ask that presenters do not offer a discount AT THE MEETING on merchandise that Apple also offers in the Apple Store. Vendors can offer items for raffle prises, and Apple has no problem with our having a special offer from a presenter only on our forthcoming "membersi only section" of our website at any time.We are looking forward to seeing everyone at THE APPLE STORE, North Michigan Avenue on Wednesday, September 3rd, starting at 7 p.m.
You can find more information at TRoUis Web site.