This is our current question. Our user group, has been struggling to grow and prosper. We suffer from lack of structure and firmly assigned positions. We are just a group of interested users trying to make a group go. We have the unique distinction of being the only user group in the state of Kansas.
After attending the INETA User Group Leaders Summit at TechEd 2005 in Orlando, I have become more convinced than ever that our group needs to incorporate to give us structure and a lasting foundation on which to build. Others, I'm sure, will argue that this is not needed, that it can happen without this overhead. But in my experiences from talking to them, I can't help but get a feeling in my gut of an untold reasons for not pursuing organized structures. We want to keep our membership free while offering the highest quality of speakers and presentations. We have needs as we grow and expenses, being a 501c3 corporation will remove a barrier to corporate sponsorship and give credibility to our group.
I will blog about our journey and whether it is worth it.