My Toastmasters clubs do this. The business card has all the contact information on it to eliminate that awkward conversation :) It is a great tool for promotion - put them on your fliers/etc so that people can take the card with them. JD Shawn Badger wrote: > I like the idea of the business cards! It would be easy to hand them > out and more likely the person would keep them, or at least I think > they would. It would also be nice to include the email address on > there to subscribe to the e-mail list. I would even cough up the 5 > bucks to print them to hand out. > > On 7/24/07, *Dennis Kibbe* > wrote: > > On Monday 23 July 2007 10:21:47 pm you wrote: > > On 7/23/07, Josef Lowder > wrote: > > > . > > > On Mon, 23 Jul 2007, Alan Dayley wrote > > > > > > > PLUG is as viable and useful as we PLUGgers make it. > > > > > > > > PLUG meeting attendance, in my view, has been at a plateau for > > > > several years now. There is a core group that "mostly always" > > > > attends a given meeting with a few new people each month that > > > > usually don't come again. I wish there was a way to make the > > > > meetings more attended. > > > > > > While I am more sporadic than regular in attending the East > > > side meeting, I am usually glad that I attended whenever I have. > > > There is something comforting about just knowing that the > meetings > > > are there and available, and seeing familiar faces there. I must > > > admit that I kind of like the small group "feel," though I agree > > > that it would be great if the attendance could be increased. I'm > > > kind of on both sides of that consideration. ;)) > > > > > > There are several things that I believe might be helpful to > > > encourage more attendance and repeat attendance by newcomers. > > > > > > #1. Whatever happened to the idea of printing some PLUG brochures? > > > I recently saw an ad for www.CopyWorldInc.com > offering 5,000 > > > flyers printed in full color on both sides for $99. Seems like > > > that should be do-able. I'd be willing to chip in something to > > > get something like that, and I'm sure others would as well. > > > I'm sure we could find some good places to distribute them and > > > we could all have some available to give away. > > > > > > #2. I wish that everybody would wear a name tag at the meetings. > > > Perhaps with name and favorite distros on the tags. I am still > > > unable to connect a name with a face on many of the group, both > > > regulars and visitors. > > > > > > #3. As well as the "presentations" (which are always great to > > > have), why not create a little spontaneous "show and tell" > segment > > > in each meeting to invite and encourage two or three plug members > > > at each meeting to share a little something that they have > learned or > > > found helpful recently (strictly voluntary, of course - no > pressure!) > > > > > > #4. Then how about starting a little "directory" of short plug > > > member "bios" (with photos) on the plug website? That way every > > > new person could get better acquainted with regulars and in that > > > way feel more a part of the group and would thus be more inclined > > > to keep coming back. > > > > > > #5. How about having a little questions/comments/feedback form > > > available at the meetings so everyone could have an opportunity > > > to express whatever might be on their mind, and one of the meeting > > > hosts/coordinators/moderators could look through those during the > > > meeting and perhaps respond. > > > > > > > I always find them valuable and even occasionally "seminar" > quality > > > > in their content and presentation. Others obviously don't > feel that > > > > > > way. > > > > > > I think most people would agree that the meetings usually do have > > > some worthwhile value and sometimes are even of near-seminar > quality. > > > > > > > Think about it. Here we have a metro-area of millions with > easily tens > > > > of thousands working with or using Linux/FS/OSS every > day. And total > > > > monthly attendance to all PLUG meetings (just add up the > number of > > > > people at each meeting) is about 60-70? Does anyone else > think that > > > > is low? > > > > > > This is an excellent point. I'll bet there are hundreds of Linux > > > enthusiasts and potential Linux users who would be very > interested > > > in attending the meetings and becoming part of PLUG if they only > > > knew about it. Just getting some distribution on a PLUG brochure > > > should be a good way to get the word out. > > > > > > Has the steering committee ever considered putting a sandwich > board > > > out on the street whenever and wherever a PLUG meeting is in > progress? > > > Who knows, we might even get some drop-in visitors. The sign > could > > > just say "LINUX meeting -- 7-9 pm tonight -- stop in anytime." > > > > > > > But, then, many are not "meeting people" so, we do what the > group wants > > > > to do. And we will continue to have meetings, if I have any > say in the > > > > matter. If for no other reason than my own selfish > enjoyment of them. > > > > > > I think the meetings will continue to be valuable forever ... > > > > > > > Our email lists are the very best! > > > > > > I totally agree and am very thankful for them. > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - > PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > > > > > > > [...] ad for www.CopyWorldInc.com > offering 5,000 > > > flyers printed in full color on both sides for $99. Seems like > > > that should be do-able. I'd be willing to chip in something to > > > get something like that, [...] > > > > Here is the URL for that: > > > > > http://www.copyworldinc.com/printing_product_catalog/flyer_printing.asp?gkw > > >=1 I think you only get that price ( $99) if the flyers are very > small. The > > web page (see above link) says 3 by 4, and I think that means > inches. For 4 > > by 6 it is more like $169.00 ... and I am not sure about 8.5 by > 11. OTOH, > > we might be able to get by with one-sided, > > (vs. "printed in full color on both sides") > > > > > I'd be willing to chip in something to [...] > > > > It is also possible that some funding might be forthcoming > > (either for SW Freedom Day, or for some other worthy PLUG causes) > > from a source like the Phoenix Chapter ACM. > > It has a bank account, but almost no members (except for me), > > and very few activities. (lately). > > Talk about "dying out"... LUGs are alive and well, > > compared to the Phoenix Chapter ACM. > > [well, some LUGs at least... like PLUG]. > > Brochures: Before you commit 5,000 check the prices at VistaPrint. > I'm always > getting emails from them with prices that are lower that published > on line. > Create the artwork in Inkscape or Scribus and output to a HiRes > TIFF or PDF. > > PLUG business cards: I've thought about doing a simple PLUG > business card with > the logo on one side and the URL and maybe meeting times plus a > place for the > name of the person inviting the recipient. VistaPrint regularly > has sales > where the card can be purchased for under $5.00USD or free even. > > Nametag: I've dropped the ball on that one since I was bringing > name tag > labels to meetings at one time. I do have a supply of lanyards > from HP that > I'll donate. > > Dennisk > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss -- JD Austin Twin Geckos Technology Services LLC email: jd@twingeckos.com http://www.twingeckos.com phone/fax: 480.288.8195