How Do I Create a User Group for InDesign in my local area?

[CodyM84]

Can anyone tell me how to start a User Group for InDesign in my local area as there are none nearby.. I've tried chatting with Adobe and they are clueless on what a user group even is, even though there's a page on their site and they support them.. Please help, thank you.

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

As far as I know (and I'm one of the leaders of the Denver Creative Cloud group), Adobe isn't approving any new user groups at this time. This doesn't mean you can't start one, though.

We use Meetup to manage the group (Sam Mestas: Advanced Photoshop Techniques - Denver Adobe Creative Cloud User Group (Denver, CO) - Me...​) but because there is a fee associated with Meetup, other groups use Facebook. You will need to locate a venue, speakers, decide if you want to charge or admission or not, and then announce the group and start recruiting members. Some groups are large, others are quite small. Some meet monthly, others with less frequency. Some are in person, some online, and some are both. All are wonderful opportunities to network with others in your Adobe community and to continue learning about the various Adobe applications. I wish you the best!

[CodyM84]

I really appreciate your detailed response Barb, it's a shame Adobe no longer supports these groups. I'll look into Meetup.

Thank you,

Cody

[Pariah Burke]

Where are you located, Cody?

Are you a member of the Facebook InDesign Group? With 5,000 members, it might help you spread the word about a new offline user group. Many people miss having real user groups to attend.

[CodyM84]

The official InDesign page yes, but not a group. I'll have to look into that as well. I'm located in Louisville, KY. We have a great creative community and I think it'd be an asset to make a group here. The closest is Indianapolis which is 2.5 hours away..

I am looking to start an offline user group, strictly using the facebook/meetup/whatever I decide page to keep members informed of meetings, etc.. I'd love to do guest speakers, share knowledge, discuss new features, etc.. All kinds. It'd be nice for people to have an outlet here. It looks like there use to be a group here but it fell apart a few years ago as everything that remains of it online, etc is very dated.

Thanks for your feedback Pariah,

Cody