Foojay Podcast #13: Denver and Boulder JUG
Running a Java User Group takes more than booking a room and picking a topic. Speakers go quiet, venues close, and attendance swings hard after a pandemic. In this stop of the Foojay Podcast JUG World Tour, we sit down with Greg Ostravich, Zettie Chin-Fong, Kris Woyna, and Matt Raible to hear how two JUGs only 45 minutes apart keep their communities active. This is Foojay Podcast #13.
What we talked about
- The origins of the Boulder JUG and the Denver JUG
- How COVID-19 pushed both groups to virtual meetings
- Collaboration between the two JUGs despite the distance
- Strategies to find and recruit speakers
- Venue challenges and real attendance numbers
- Restarting in-person events after the pandemic
- Practical tips for speakers and JUG organizers
- Plans for the future and the makeup of the community
What stood out
Two JUGs that sit close together often compete for the same speakers and attendees. The Denver and Boulder organizers show a different path. They share contacts, swap ideas, and treat each other as partners instead of rivals.
See the Foojay Podcast #13 for all info, shownotes, links, etc.