There is a lot going on locally in the MS community over the next couple weeks.  For starters, on November 7, Microsoft will be launching a new series of development packages: Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005, and Biztalk 2006.  The official launch will be happening in San Francisco, CA.

The WI .NET Users Group is having a Community Launch (aka, Ready Launch Tour 2005) on November 8.  It is a joint meeting with the WI SQL Server Users Group.  Because of the combined meeting, we will actually get started at 4:30.  You can register for either or both of the sessions (VS and SQL) on the UG site.  If you typically receive an e-mail newsletter, you can expect it today or tomorrow.

Then, just a few days later, Microsoft will be having a “local” launch in Chicago.  That will be at the McCormick Place on November 10.  Then in November in Madison and December in Milwaukee, MSDN and TechNet will be having “Best of the Launch”.  You can find links to those events on the UG site as well.

Not many of us in this area are going to be able to make it to the “official” launch in CA on November 7.  So make sure you get to at least one of these other events.  Our Community Launch will be filling up fast because we only have a limited number of seats (although we are meeting in a bigger facility than the Microsoft office where we normally meet). 

So pick one or more of these events and sign up today!!