The Neon Guild is an association of technology professionals in Charlottesville/Albemarle and beyond. Established in 1996, we currently have over 450 members.
Our meetings are very casual and friendly. Newcomers are always welcome. It’s a great place to get info, help, ask questions and talk about what you do. Best place in town to get a tech job or hire a techie. Free pizza and beer, too.
With internet technologies changing at a dizzying pace, it’s hard to keep up. Sometimes it’s easier to simply ask someone about something you are trying to accomplish rather than poring through manuals, searching on the web, taking tutorials, etc. That’s what the Neon Guild is all about.
It’s also interesting to learn about what kinds of projects others are working on. The best thing about the Guild is forming relationships with others. If you know the other members and know what their skill sets are, often it’s just easier to sub-contract out a piece of your job to someone else who can do it better or faster than you can. It works the other way around, too. Once other members get to know what you can do, they can forward projects your way.
As a community, we’re also interested in helping others who want to explore this field. Many of our members do pro bono work, mentor high school kids, donate their equipment, teach, etc. If you’re interested in participating, we can put you in contact with people who would love to use your skills.
Unsure as to when we will meet in person again.
Membership in the Neon Guild is free. No dues, no fees. No by-laws. No committees. Free pizza and beer and soft drinks at every meeting. We offer a fantastic resource for the tech community. We have only one rule.
If you want to get the benefits of our community, you have to give something. That something is YOU. In person. It’s all about connecting with others. To join, you need to physically show up to at least one meeting. That’s how you get on our super-secret private email list where a lot of action happens. We request that you attend in person at least once per quarter to stay on the list.
Just to make things perfectly clear, please don’t write the Guildmaster requesting to be added to the list. She will write back to you and invite you to come to a meeting.
BUT, since we're not meeting in person at the moment, write the Guildmaster, explain who you are and why you want to join, and ask to be put on the list.