I think for the forum to be successful as a "community" you must have this community feeling.
There are many forums out there with tons of useful information but that's about it...
You must give visitors reason to join, make them feel welcome, invite them to participate in the discussion.
Another crucial point - never leave questions unanswered. If someone came for help or advise - try to answer or at least acknowledge the question, so person don't feel ignored. Of course it does not apply to obvious spammers...
Regarding design - people are getting very comfortable with VB because most large forums run on it. I would customize a look (colors/images) to give it a bit of "personal touch" and brand recognition but leave general structure just like it is...
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