ASUG Chapter Meetings – AccM 2011 Summer Awards
I’ve attended 8 ASUG Chapter Meetings in the last 8 months, with all but 1 requiring air travel. They all were beneficial and each had their own strengths. ASUG is a great organization and provides such a unique opportunity to collaborate with other SAP customers and partners. With a break from travel in the last week of June, I’ve reviewed the ASUG Chapter Meetings I’ve attended in an “Award” format. I encourage everyone to participate in their local ASUG Chapter and if possible, attend another Chapter event during the year to expand your networking, learning, and to share your knowledge with others.
Best Meeting Location for Presentations and Networking
1. NY-Upstate / PA-Upstate @ RIT – A large classroom auditorium with great audio/visuals and a sunny atrium for refreshments and networking.
2. Alberta-Western Canada @ Nexen – A secluded section with an intimate auditorium, 2 conference rooms, and an area for networking and sponsors.
Best Meeting Location for a Company Tour
1. Utah @ Adobe – Got a glimpse of how Adobe operates and their company culture.
Best Lunch
1. California-Southern @ Doubletree – A hot buffet that included several delicious choices to satisfy many different diets.
Largest Attendance
1. Pacific Northwest @ Tacoma Convention Center – 200 attendees represented several states. The meeting felt more like a conference and was well done, the Chapter Team is used to these large turnouts and it shows.
2. Colorado @ CDOT – 60 attendees was a strong showing for a Friday on a Holiday Weekend. The room was at capacity and very attentive with most everyone staying until the end of day.
Best Sponsor Set-up
1. California-Southern @ Doubletree – Sponsors had tables at the back of the presentation room, which allowed us to participate in presentations. Also had the opportunity at beginning of day to do a brief introduction.
2. Alberta-Western Canada @ Suncor – Sponsors had tables in networking / refreshment area outside conference rooms. Plenty of space to interact but still small enough to be part of the discussions rather than out on the periphery.
Innovative Meeting Ideas
1. Pacific Northwest @ Tacoma Convention Center – Birds of a Feather session at lunch provided designated tables and topics to facilitate networking.
2. NY-Upstate / PA-Upstate @ RIT – Company updates were 30min prepared presentations and very informative.
Best Company Sponsor Welcome
1. British Columbia @ BCIT – Two energetic students from the BCIT program talked about their SAP activities and efforts to start a Student ASUG group. Great to see such excited graduates soon to be entering the workforce.
Additional Activities
1. Pacific Northwest – Evening Reception the night before the ASUG Meeting
2. California-Southern – A planned golfing event the day before the ASUG Meeting (had to cancel due to low registration)
Best ASUG Chapter Leadership
1. All of them are amazing volunteers and winners in my opinion! Each team has their own way of getting things done and are successful even when they have to adjust at the last minute.