August 2009 Michigan Regional Chapter Meeting

Ah yes....Summer is winding down with the coldest day during August recorded in 2009..What a strange year it's been for weather..As well as the Midwest chapter...One can only wonder what winter brings..

As you may know, the 4 hour meeting of this chapter was cancelled due to low registration. That didn't stop us though!! Just like a bunch of bad pennies, a few of us gathered at Curraghs Irish Pub in Holland for a networking event.

9 people attended, with representation from Configura, Haworth, SAP, Siemens, and Steelcase. All together we spent about 3 hours discussing various things from integration to housing prices..Some ate, some didn't..

While the beer was tasty (especially the Guiness and Magic Hat mix) it just wasn't quite the same as fresh brewed craft beer. So, after the meeting I guess you know what I did...Wandered right across the street to New Holland Brewery with another leader and talked some more over a tasty, fresh, craft brew..

I will admit, it was nice to go somewhere different. The Shepards Pie at Curraghs was pretty darn tasty!!

A big shout out has to go to our friends from SAP. We have a Mills IBU leader who has repeatedly supported us in multiple ways. He was kind enough to arrange his schedule so he could join us for dinner and it was great to see him again!! Hopefully, one of these days our little chapter can provide SAP with a little value in return..

So the question now becomes, what's next?? How do we foster and encourage people to take a couple of hours from their busy schedules and come together around configuration technology?? There have been a couple of discussions among the leadership team with a few ideas generated...Time will tell if they are successful..

At minimum, our core group will continue to meet on a somewhat regular basis. At best, we will get back to the momentum we had prior to this meeting. With the current economic conditions, summer, vacations, kids going back to school, etc. I'm sure people just had too much on their plate.

Watch this space for updates...Any suggestions are always greatly appreciated..

For the CWG Midwest Chapter team..

Until next time..