>>In Vancouver we benefit from having Redmond just a few hours down the road. We get MS people up here gratis on average a couple of times per year.
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>>I don't even know if there's a Vancouver office; I imagine there is but it has never to my knowledge helped out with facilities, door prizes, etc. Any such we have had have come straight from Redmond (Evan, correct me if I'm wrong).
>
>You know, this is a common topics for eastern user groups. You are in the lucky seat based on your location. Here, we have to organize and schedule the preparations in order to have a MS employee from Redmond or a Western speakers to come in town. So, we understand without any problem that Vancouver, Seattle and LA user groups, for example, have a great advantage that we can't benefit. It's good for you. It allows you user group to have MS reps to be onsite at least once or twice a year.
>
>Yes, I've been in Vancouver a few years ago for a small presentation. I remember Evan told me a lot about the involvment require to hold those meetings.

The downside to Vancouver location is that VFP conferences are *never* held in this area or Seattle. Las Vegas is probably the closest; often it's Florida!