SPEAKERS' INFO

Until further notice, our monthly meetings are now by video conference using the ZOOM platform. If you are a speaker, please contact our Meeting Coordinator.

The Ottawa PC Users’ Group is a self-help group of computer enthusiasts that has been in operation since 1982. One of the activities of the Ottawa PC Users’ Group is a monthly meeting where we have invited speakers give presentations to the membership.

Following is some information about OPCUG, how we are set up, and what facilities are available. Should you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact our Meeting Coordinator at: meetings@opcug.ca

Meeting location:
Our meetings are at the Riverside United Church, 3191 Riverside Dr, Ottawa, located on the east side of Riverside Drive, just south of Walkley Road. Parking is free at the church. OCTranspo Bus #90 stops nearby. Plan your bus route here.

Access to the church:
The church will be open from 7:00 pm on the night of the meeting, or earlier if you let us know in advance. Someone from the group will be there to assist you. The church is wheelchair accessible.

Schedule:
Meetings are normally on the second Wednesday of the month, from September to June. Dates and times of upcoming meetings are posted on our website.

Meeting time
The main presentation normally runs from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. The first 60 -75 minutes are allocated for the talk itself, followed by questions, draws for door prizess, and announcements. We usually start pretty much on time and try to end by 9:00 pm but, if more time is needed, presenters are welcome to continue after the draws and announcements. After the main presentation, we have a general Question & Answer session in a separate room until 10pm (cancelled until further notice – read about our new weekly online Q&A sessions!).

Meeting announcement:
The newsletter is distributed prior to the general meeting and includes a short section of one or two paragraphs about the topic of the upcoming meeting, usually written by the presenter, or otherwise by the Meeting Coordinator with your approval. Please submit the description to the Meeting Coordinator at least 5 weeks before the meeting. This information will also be used for a notice of the meeting that is posted to members and other subscribers to our OPCUG-Announcements mailing list on Google Groups. Instructions for subscribing to the mailing list are posted here.

Parking:
Ample free parking is available at the back of the church.

Equipment available:
An LCD projector with up to 2560×1600 resolution is accessible from the podium. Both HDMI and VGA connections are available and we have the required cables. A laptop computer with PowerPoint can be made available with a one-day notice prior to the meeting.

Internet access:
The church has a high speed WiFi internet connection with DHCP address assignment. All connecting computers should be up to date with regard to security vulnerabilities, including anti-virus and firewall software.

Audio:
A wireless microphone is available.

Door prizes:
If presenters would like to donate items to use as a door prize, these are most gratefully accepted.

Specials:
For presenters who are also vendors of goods or services, and would like to give a special deal to members of the OPCUG, we would be happy to announce this in our newsletter and on our Special Offers and Promotions page.

Audience:
Our membership is mostly composed of hobbyists but we do have IT professionals in the group as well. We typically have about 60 members and visitors attend the meeting, and have a monthly newsletter that goes out to about 125 people. The newsletter is also available to everyone on our website’s Home page.

Thanks:
As a small gesture of appreciation, all speakers are given a gift and a complimentary one-year membership in the Ottawa PC Users’ Group. Please be sure to provide a completed membership application form (PDF format) to the Membership Coodinator or any member of the Executive.

Guests:
Guests are welcome to any of our meetings.

Contact info:
Meeting Coordinator email: meetings@opcug.ca.