Here at the IAPP, we always have a lot going on in addition to our high-profile regional and global events like the Global Privacy Summit and upcoming Privacy.Security.Risk. in Las Vegas, NV, so we’ve started what will be a collection of features for The Privacy Advisor about new things coming down the pike as well as the opportunities you might not know about or that you might want to know more about—starting off with our rapidly growing KnowledgeNet series.

KnowledgeNets are your chance to meet privacy pros in your own area—and chapter meetings are held all over the world. Free to members, KnowledgeNets are an opportunity to network and learn something new. And we’ve added new chapters this year in cities like Tokyo, Baltimore and Buenos Aires.

“We just had a record month for KnowledgeNets in May and are on our way to a yearly high,” IAPP Member Engagement Manager Katherine Gilchrest, CIPP/US, confirmed.

May saw 27 KnowledgeNet chapter meetings—up from the previous monthly record of 19. And through June of this year, there have been 104 meetings, compared to 84 for the same time span in 2014.

And just as there are diverse KnowledgeNet chapters in almost every region of the globe, KnowledgeNets feature topics of interest for privacy pros in a variety of fields.

In the next week alone, topics include “Are Drones the New Cameras? New Privacy Laws and New Technologies” in Cleveland, OH, on July 13; “Impact of the European Data Protection Regulation on California Business” in Los Angeles, CA, on July 14; “Amendment of the Japanese Personal Information Protection Law; The U.S. Regulatory Framework for Privacy Protection,” in Tokyo, Japan, on July 15, and “A Day in the Life of a Privacy Professional” in Indianapolis, IN, on July 16.

A full list of upcoming KnowledgeNet events is available here.

So, what goes into making a KnowledgeNet a success? Largely, it’s the volunteers. KnowledgeNet chairs organize chapter meetings in their cities, planning approximately three meetings per year and coordinating expert speakers and meeting spaces, while the IAPP handles invitations, promotions and registration. Young Privacy Professional Leaders assist their local KnowledgeNet chairs with programming meetings and after-hours get-together events for other young professionals and those just starting out in their privacy careers, and volunteer speakers submit ideas for presentations.

You can find all the details about volunteering to chair or assist with KnowledgeNets here.

Top image: New Jersey area KnowledgeNet, September 2014