Dear iSixSigma Readers, Advertisers, Sponsors and Partners,

I have notified the board of Schofield Media Group that I will be transitioning out of my role with iSixSigma during the next several months. Despite current economic conditions, iSixSigma is now a stronger company in many ways than it was just 14 months ago when Schofield Media Group acquired it.

A lot of changes have already happened during the last year, but most readers probably didn’t notice. The organizational structure has been transformed to better serve customers, the staff has grown and been augmented by shared services of our parent company, costs have been aligned with current market conditions, and iSixSigma has a clear game plan for growth over the next few years.

Since its inception nine years ago, iSixSigma has become synonymous with an open community for learning about breakthrough process improvement, and is more popular than I could have ever expected. We’ve expanded to a readership of more than 600,000 online and 14,000 in print (and our magazine is award winning!), programmed and organized multiple wildly-successful events, launched a marketplace, developed an industry-leading jobs board, and much more. It’s clear that we have provided a platform that process improvement professionals have found useful and engaging.

I would like to thank the unbelievably competent and dedicated iSixSigma staff for their tireless devotion to the industry, and the board of Schofield Media Group for their support and guidance. I would like to thank the countless named and nameless contributors to the iSixSigma community -- through articles, blogs, presentations, forum posts, dictionary additions, press releases and event contributions. I would like to thank our sponsors, advertisers and alliance partners for their support and involvement. And last but not least, I would like to thank my wife and family for supporting my often all-consuming efforts (including frequent all-night coding binges) on iSixSigma.

So, what happens to iSixSigma? Well, iSixSigma has always been about business professionals helping business professionals -- our staff and technologies have only facilitated the exchange. It is YOUR community. That hasn’t changed, and won’t change. iSixSigma will continue to grow and offer more and more resources for business professionals around the world.

And what’s next for me? Well, like I said, I’m not disappearing overnight. There are a couple of fantastic events coming up (Energy Forum for Process Excellence and DoD CPI Symposium), to which I am contributing. My goal is to gradually make myself obsolete and ensure the team has full control of all iSixSigma areas. After that, we’ll see what happens. I have been approached by a few people about post-iSixSigma ventures for which I feel very fortunate and grateful. My isixsigma.com email address will work for the next several months, and the best way to reach me in the future is through http://www.linkedin.com/in/cyger.

All the best,

Over 200 energy industry professionals will gather in Houston, Texas, May 19-22 for iSixSigma Live's premiere Energy Forum for Process Excellence, supported by Chevron, Halliburton, Hess and Marathon Oil. Here's your chance to be one of the speakers.

Click here for the speaking proposal form:
http://isixsigma.com/KQ5

We're especially looking for process improvement professionals who can share their own experiences, project case studies and lessons learned. Submit a speaking proposal that will cover one of the following subjects:
• Oil & Gas Upstream
• Oil & Gas Downstream
• Power Generation
• Power Distribution
• Up & Downstream Service Providers
• Storage
• Internal Operations (Supply Chain, HR, IT, etc.)
• Business Process Management

Nominate yourself, a boss or a client. Again, here's the link to the speaking proposal form:
http://isixsigma.com/KQ5
(Deadline: February 6, 2009)

iSixSigma Live Summit '09 Update - Reception & Keynote
Trump International Beach Resort
Miami, Florida

5:30-7:30 P.M., Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Six Sigma Wine Tasting and Welcome Reception
Hosted by Six Sigma Winery
Open to All Summit Attendees

11:30 A.M., Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Mr. Kaj Ahlmann
Keynote: "Six Sigma and Wine: Art or Science?"
Founder, Six Sigma Ranch, Vineyards and Winery
Former Chairman, President and CEO, GE Capital Employers Reinsurance Corporation

iSixSigma Live! is pleased to announce that Kaj Ahlmann will be giving a keynote address at the upcoming iSixSigma Live! Summit '09 in Miami, Florida. In addition, Mr. Ahlmann's winery - Six Sigma Ranch, Vineyards and Winery - will be hosting the welcome reception on Tuesday, January 13.

Kaj's professional life led to a career in reinsurance, most notably as Chairman and CEO of Employer's Reinsurance Corporation and a member of the Board of Directors for GE's Capital Services. The management practice of Six Sigma became the standard by which Kaj ensured a consistently high quality both in his corporate life and in his transition to grape growing and winemaking.

In 1999, Kaj and his wife, Else, purchased 4,300 acres in Lake County, California, where they work to create a sustainable ranch with vineyards nestled into nature. In 2005, Kaj constructed Six Sigma Winery on the ranch, including a barrel cave and state of the art winery equipment.

For complete conference information visit the iSixSigma Live! web site by going to:
http://www.isixsigmalive.com

Jeannine Hall and I returned home from the wild night out in Denver last night. The Social and Networking Party in downtown Denver was a success: people met, mingled, ate, drank and made new friends. Over 100 Denver-ites registered for this event, and we hope to have even more the next time. Thanks to our host, BMGI, we had a fantastic meeting space -- their beautiful training facility in the Tabor Center.

You can view the slideshow of the Denver Live! event here. (Press the "fast" link in the upper left hand corner to speed up the pace.)

The Party featured interesting people, fantastic conversations, an open bar, a lavish appetizer buffet, music, and a raffle (books, Minitab garb, BMG elearning, a $100 gift certificate to the iSixSigma Store, and much more). No one left disappointed -- even if they didn’t win a door prize, everyone walked away with an iSixSigma Live! goodie bag full of sponsor offers, tschochkes, coupons and discounts.

Thanks to everyone in the local area who came out, and thanks to all our wonderful sponsors for taking part in this fantastic event:

View the full photo gallery here: http://photos.isixsigma.com/photos/swfpopup.mg?AlbumID=6070505&AlbumKey=zCVhY

Visit iSixSigma Live! and view our upcoming event calendar.

If you live in the Denver, Colorado, area or are planning to be in town next Thursday, 9/25, be sure to make your way over to the Tabor Center for the iSixSigma Live! Social and Networking Party in Denver. Only 2 RSVP spots remain, so don’t delay -- sign up today.

Our first Social and Networking Party in Seattle was talked about for weeks after the event. We’re still receiving email requests to hold the next event -- and as soon as we get past the DoD Breakthrough Convention that iSixSigma Live has been hired to organize, we will! The photo archive from Seattle can be seen here.

This iSixSigma Live! event will unite and strengthen the Denver-area community of business process improvement leaders at all levels.

This social and networking party is an after-work social event for all Denver area quality professionals. We will have appetizers, an open bar, music, events and the most exciting change agents from leading Denver-based organizations. This is the one local event you don’t want to miss!

Attendees will include anyone involved or interested in process improvement. This includes current and aspiring Six Sigma professionals (Green Belts, Black Belts, Master Black Belts, Champions, Deployment Leaders, etc.), Lean experts, transformation leaders, continuous improvement professionals, Kaizen leaders, business process management managers, process excellence managers, students – you get the idea. Just remember, this is a social and networking party for change leaders and business professionals; so leave your catapults and control charts at home!

See who’s already signed up to attend!

Our wonderful sponsors for this Social and Networking event include:

Come meet, greet, chat and ask all those questions you’ve been meaning to ask these Six Sigma providers all these years!

If you haven't had a chance to view our latest video of the iSixSigma Live! Social and Networking Party in Seattle, here's your chance:

If you attended, be sure to forward this page to your friends and ask them to see if they can spot you! :)

The photo gallery from iSixSigma Live! Seattle is also available.

There will be a Lean and Six Sigma meeting in Houston, TX, on Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 5:30 PM. Tom Tatevasion of Cameron will host the event. Tom will provide an overview of the group, a tour of the Cameron Compression Systems facility, and discuss their Lean Six Sigma program.

If you live in Houston and are practicing Lean or Six Sigma, you do not want to miss this event.

To learn more:

Join the iSixSigma Network on LinkedIn

Learn more about this learning and networking event

You already know that the iSixSigma community is strong -- over 500,000. You may have heard that we’ve launched a conference division. What you may not have heard is that our upcoming January conference will be unlike any other you have attended. Outstanding content. Prestigious keynotes. Unrivaled networking and community.

Register today to get your ticket to the "must-attend" Lean Six Sigma leadership event of the year and save up to $700.00.

All Access Pass holders will receive:

• Three and a half days of cutting-edge sessions, keynotes and Q&A time for deep discussions.
• A comfortable, intimate setting that promotes networking with speakers and fellow conference participants.
• Access to all speaker presentations, including worksheets, PowerPoints and other session materials.
• All conference meal functions and refreshment breaks.
• Access to our two evening networking receptions, and the classic car museum tour.
• Access to our Solutions Pavilion and Learning Sessions, showcasing the products and services that will drive your business growth.
• Best practices for deploying and implementing Lean Six Sigma at any organizational maturity level.

You can register with confidence...here’s why:

• Our reputation: The iSixSigma Live programming team includes the sharpest minds in Six Sigma. Together, iSixSigma Founder Michael Cyger and CSSBB Director of Events Jeannine Hall have moderated Six Sigma discussions, published on luminaries and educated generations of Six Sigma professionals. They bring with them the full support of iSixSigma.com and iSixSigma Magazine editors, research manager and program managers.
• Our mission: iSixSigma was founded by successful Six Sigma professionals from corporate America. We understand how businesses run. And we understand the role that Six Sigma must play. Our mission is to help corporations run smarter, faster and cheaper using Six Sigma. We are invested in the success of our readers and conference attendees.
• Our history: We have been fostering community, connecting a network of individuals and educating Six Sigma professionals around the world since 2000. Our core competency is content. While others may have been producing conferences for almost as long, our conferences will be different. We have designed them from the ground-up with real attendee VOC and CTQs.

Be recognized for your breakthrough results:

As part of the iSixSigma Live! Summit and Awards, iSixSigma will recognize companies and individuals who have successfully achieved breakthrough results. Finalists will be given an opportunity to showcase their project/deployment in front of 300 Lean Six Sigma practitioners from around the world.

Award categories include:

• iSixSigma’s Six Sigma Hall of Fame
• iSixSigma’s Best Places to Work
• Largest Breakthrough Improvement Projects
• Most Successful Lean Six Sigma Start-up or Re-energized Lean Six Sigma Program

Deadlines to enter are coming up! For more information on award categories and entry requirements, visit: http://live.isixsigma.com/awards/default.html.

Register or call 1.877.474.9744
Don’t delay. Sign up today at the pre-agenda rate and take advantage of huge savings.

Register Today -- You will be confident with your decision!

I’ve received a few requests from people interested in presenting at our upcoming premiere iSixSigma Live Summit. Who doesn’t want to get to warm Miami during January 2009, stick their toes in the sand, enjoy the luxury of Trump International’s five-star hotel and resort, learn more than you have in two days since you started learning Six Sigma, and network with the finest 300 business professionals in the world?

It’s easy to present at our upcoming Summit: suggest a great session. Do that and you have an excellent chance to present.

You can learn more and pitch a session idea here. Presentations/sessions will be accepted through June 30, and then we’ll finish the agenda. After that, we’ll have some additional speaker openings posted. But the best way in is to suggest a killer session before someone else submits the same one!

I look forward to working with you on this conference!

Best regards,
Mike

P.S. I think there is tremendous value in sitting back for a moment and thinking over the last 12 month's results. It’s astonishing how many lessons you learn that you forget later in your regular work cycle.

I truly believe that every process improvement professional has learned at least one significant lesson this year that will benefit others, if you only tell it. Here’s your platform to share your test results with the community -- and also to be recognized for the breakthrough results you’ve delivered. (Did I mention that every presenter receives a free pass to the main conference? That’s a $2,200 value! And there are other perks that you’re going to LOVE.)

View the Full Gallery

Last Thursday, May 1st, was iSixSigma’s very first live event from our new division, iSixSigma Live! It was a Social & Networking Party held in Seattle, Washington -- and it was phenomenal!

Over 130 Seattle Six Sigma and quality professionals converged on Rock Bottom Brewery in Bellevue. We rented out the entire top floor of the brewery ("top of the rock") and had a great time. Upon entering, attendees received their name tags and a networking activity which guaranteed they met tens of new people during the event.

The Party featured interesting people, fantastic conversations, an open bar, a lavish appetizer buffet, billiards, music, and a raffle (autographed books, iSixSigma garb, and an iPod Video graciously donated by Instantis). No one left disappointed -- even if they didn’t win a door prize, everyone walked away with an iSixSigma Live! goodie bag full of sponsor offers, tschochkes, coupons and discounts.

The emails are still pouring in:

"There were so many people there I found I had a great opportunity to reach out and make new contacts as well as catch up with former acquaintances." -- David, Philips Medical Systems

"I was looking for Movers and Shakers in the local 6 Sigma community, Michael Cyger and iSixSigma provided the place, and the FUN just started from there." -- Greg, Harnish Group

"I was pleasantly surprised to see that attendance was much higher than I expected. The event was well organized and it provided exactly what advertised. A chance to meet other six sigma professionals in a social event. Good job. I’ll definitely will be attending future iSixSigma events." -- Gerry, Calypso Medical Technologies

"It was really easy to meet people. Everybody had a lot in common, including a passion for organizational excellence through Lean Six Sigma. All you had to ask was "where do you work and what projects are you working on?" This would result in 20+ minutes of great conversation that included valuable knowledge and lessons learned. I would like the next mixer sooner than Sept/Oct." -- Larry, FAA

"This is a great opportunity to meet fellow process improvement professionals, learn about industry happenings and even connect on job opportunities. Plus it is just a lot of fun." -- Michael, The Natural Intelligence Group

"I can’t wait for the next event. When will it be? Not soon enough!"

"Thank you so much for arranging such a fun and meaningful event. I cannot wait for the next opportunity."

"I really enjoyed the party last night. How often do you have them in Seattle? Thanks!"

"Nicely done and thanks for getting us all together."

I can’t wait for the next Social & Networking Party! Thanks to everyone in the local area who came out, and thanks to all our wonderful sponsors for taking part in this fantastic event.

View the full photo gallery here: http://photos.isixsigma.com/gallery/4829650_qzHYF