Usability Professionals Association http://www.upassoc.org/ is a society for folks who advocate for the user. The Michigan chapter http://miupa.org hosts programs in the Detroit metro area, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Ann Arbor. Recent programs can be found on the site http://www.miupa.org/past_meetings.html Join the email list to learn about upcoming events.http://groups.google.com/group/miupa