About WebPro100 - South Florida Web Professionals

PLEASE READ

WebPro100 - South Florida Web Professionals Meetup Group is one of the most dynamic and successful web design groups on Meetup.com. We are not affiliated with any other web groups on Meetup.com. WebPro100 is an elite, exclusive group of South Florida web professionals. The WebPro100 philosophy is to provide value to its members.

Any S. Florida web professional (including but not limited to web designers, web developers, programmers, graphic designers, & SEO optimizers) may apply for membership. We also welcome & reserve space for beginners new to the web profession who want to learn their craft while building strong networking ties.

Our mission statement: We have two purposes: (1) to provide an informal social setting for networking among web designers, web developers, programmers, and graphic designers; and (2) to provide an outlet for continuing education in the constantly changing field of web design, through member-conducted tutorials, semnars, and panel discussions. If you are contemplating taking on a complicated project but feel you may need help in some areas where you lack the necessary skill set, now you will have an alternative to turning away business -- building a network of competent professionals who can complement your own skill sets and assist you in your projects. Increase your earning potential -- and maybe make new friends as well. Additionally, share your unique skill sets with our members as we learn new techniques from each other through our seminars and tutorials. Each month we hold a seminar followed by a social networking meeting, monthly chat & critique sessions, & special events!

We are very selective about membership; we do not automatically accept everyone who applies. You should be involved in some aspect of the web design industry and desire to be an active group member participating in online discussions and offline meet-ups. We limit membership to individuals who are active members. We do not want to be the largest group on Meetup, nor do we want a huge membership list of inactive members. Many Meetup groups are filled with members who have never attended a meeting or even visited the webpage in the past year. What's the point of joining a Meetup group if you never meet up? We would rather have a smaller active group than a large inactive group, so you can expect to see some pruning of the "invisible" lurkers. Active members sign in to this site at least quarterly, attend some meetings, and post on the Message Board. Inactive members get deleted. Our membership is capped at 100 members; if our membership is full when you apply, you will go on a first-come, first-served waiting list.

You will have an opportunity to address our group by doing a seminar or tutorial. This can be a tremendous boost to your business, establishing you as an expert in your area among your peers and a prime source for referral business.

Finally, this is YOUR group! It will succeed or fail based on your input. The group offers the potential for INCREASED BUSINESS (more $$$), NETWORKING, REFERRAL BUSINESS, ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR PROJECTS by networking with others who complement your skill set, CONTINUING WEB DESIGN EDUCATION (keep up with new trends), and SOCIAL NETWORKING (make new friends). All you have to do is show up; not a bad deal.

Whether through networking, continuing education, or building a personal network of competent professionals who can complement your own skill sets and assist you in your projects, WebPro100 provides members with unprecedented opportunity for career advancement and dramatically increasing your earning potential!

CHANGES IN 2008




2007 has been a year of building, growth, and development for our group. We have revived a dormant group and held many successsful events. New friendships have been formed, business partnerships have been created, and networking has prospered.

2007 has also been a year of experimentation; tweaking the structure of the group, trying new things, and learning what works and what doesn't. We've encountered a few stumbling blocks along the way, but now we've had time to chart the direction of the group in 2008.

Once again, there will be many changes. Just as with the changes introduced last year, I expect there will be some criticisms and complaints from a handful of people. Hopeful the majority will continue to follow my lead and trust my judgment in making these changes. I assure you they have been necessitated by some of the difficulties we have encountered this past year.

MEMBERSHIP

[1] Effective immediately, the group membership is capped at 100 members. At any time when membership is at 100 persons, any requests for membership will be wait-listed as "pending members" until a slot opens up.

[2] All members listed as "Inactive" by MeetUp.com will be dropped from the group without notice. The organizer will no longer spend his time sending out reminder e-mails to inactive members. Once dropped, the former member may reapply but will be placed at the end of the waiting list.

[3] All members must attend at least one event every 120 days. It's a MeetUp group; if you can't meet up at least 3 times a year, don't join. We plan to have from one to four events each month. There are some "members" who have never attended an event and some "fake" profiles on our group-- this will weed them out.

SEMINARS

We have some outstanding seminars lined up for 2008 but we still have room to add some more to the calendar.

[4] Anyone wishing to present a seminar in 2008 must e-mail a proposal to the organizer no later than February 1, 2008. The seminar calendar will be set after that date. All proposals must include a description of the seminar, topic, presenter's name and qualifications, and desired presentation date. The organizer and assistant organizer will assist seminar presenters, but seminar presenters are responsible for arranging the venue, any necessary equipment, and content of the presentation.

[5] WebPro100 members will have priority seating at seminars and the cost of seminars will be included in their WebPro100 membership. Non-WebPro100 members may purchase tickets to selected seminars based on seating availability. Prices will depend on several factors, including the cost (if applicable) of renting the meeting venue and equipment.

MEETINGS

[6] Our goal is to have a monthly seminar, a monthly networking event, a monthly membership meeting, and occasional social events. If you don't know the difference between these types of meetings, please read our message board.

MEMBER DESIGNATION

On the MeetUp website "Member Directory" you will find your name with one of four designations next to it. Here is what they mean:

[7] PROVISIONAL - you have joined but have not yet attended an event. You have 120 days from your sign up date to attend an event to activate your membership.

[8] ACTIVE - You are an active member of the South Florida Web Design Professionals MeetUp group.

[9] WEBPRO 100 - You are an active member of WebPro100, which entitles you to many extra benefits, including priority seating availabilty at seminars, waiver of seminar fees, and access to members-only files.

[10] INACTIVE - You have not attended events or have not logged in to our website within the past 90 days and are an Inactive member; as such, you may be deleted from the group at any time.

Problems and Opportunities

This group will continue to provide excellent opportunities for career growth, education, employment, and networking. We've encountered some delays and difficulties in the last quarter of 2007, but that is par for the course. It won't always be smooth sailing; in the real world [expletive deleted] happens. I look forward to you joining me in a productive and rewarding 2008.