At TimePlace, we love the idea of groups of people with similar interests, locations, and cultures to be able to come together, drop the phones, and “Meetup”.
Since 2002, the Meetups social network has allowed people to organize and facilitate groups of people to do just that. Using the founder and CEO Scott Heiferman’s words, “Meetups allow people to “use the internet, to get off the Internet “. And although that sounds simple, with the millions of groups formed on Meetups there are definitely some Do’s and Don’ts to make a Meetup successful and awesome.
5 Tips to Being an Awesome Organizer
1. Content is King
Although this may seem obvious… Come up with a topic or subject matter that is current, interesting, and applies to a solid number of people. Yes, we know there may be 4-5 people on earth that share your love for making things out of duct tape while discussing politics but the point of a Meetup is to build a community that can grow and flourish. Schedule events regularly on the topics of most interest to your meetup group.
2. Location, Location, Location
Cater your venue to the personalities and size of the group that is attending. Do you have lot of RSVPs? Universities or community centers make great meeting spots and usually are not hard to book. Picking a venue in larger urban areas and working with companies to use their shared space works well. Often meetups in SF are held in the evening sharing the top Startup spaces.
3. Get Your Ducks in a Row
There’s nothing worse than an organizer or Meetup group that is all over the place. Members like to be able to count on efficiency and consistency. Don’t cancel events the day before, or hassle your members with exasperating ideas or requests. Be organized, be efficient, be the leader. Try to get a good dialogue with attendees prior to the event through discussions on Meetup.com discussion groups related to the Meetup.
4. Shake it up!
Do you usually have one speaker present and then a networking happy hour afterwards? Do something different every once in a while to keep your members on their toes. Hold a Q&A expert panel discussion, organize a show and tell, hold a contest, or meet outside in the fresh air! Being monotonous will bore your members.
5. No Repeats
When a Meetup has more than one or two organizers it can get confusing for every one involved. Keep your presence as the leader known, coordinate with other partners participating in the event to have one sign-up and ticketing process and share the data to track attendance and follow-up.
Now, if you don’t plan to organize a Meetup and prefer to just attend, don’t forget that TimePlace can help you find the perfect one in any time or place. Look for the Meetup logo on the Tippy icon or simply use the curated Tippy Route we have provided you to quickly find the meetups occurring in your area and happy hunting!