I've had the privilege to be in contact with some folks from Portland Oregon that have been attempting to pull together a Joomla User Group in Portland.  The first attempt didn't go very far, but a new set of people have stepped up and have really started pushing things forward.  On my latest trip to Portland, I contacted the group to see what was going on.  Nothing was scheduled but the organizer suggested a meetup between myself, her, and another gent that mentioned they wanted to meet soon.

From that meeting, a user group meeting was planned, date set, venue found, and publicity released.  All from a simple post to the user group forum.  What was the key?  I believe the biggest thing that helped was just the push of someone offering to be the speaker at their event.  That someone was me and I offered to speak on a topic they were definitely interested in - Joomla 1.6. 

I have gotten involved with the local group as part of the steering committee to help from afar based on the experience I have gained from being on the core team in Chicago.  When I visit Portland, I can plan my trip around the meeting in Oregon and visit with some new colleagues around the NW portion of the US.

It's amazing where you can find new places to converse about Joomla!.  I'm very happy to have met some very nice, talented, and passionate people.  Joomla! enthusiasts are everywhere!

Want to see what's happening in Portland if you are going to be visiting, go to http://www.joomlapdx.com and see what's up for their next meeting.  If it was like the first one, it should be another great meeting.