Guide to a Successful Meetup Group & Meetup Events
Contents
1. to the person in charge where you are hosting the event Get your signs name tags and other items you will need for your Meetup Event ready so people can find you and start meeting others Being early has saved many of my Meetup Events Once was hosting a Latin dance class and when arrived the room that we were supposed to use had a leak in it Because arrived early had enough time to find a new room set up the equipment put up signs directing people to the new location and start on time Stand out If you are in a public place it may be hard to find your Meetup Event Even though you have pictures online it may even be hard to find you So wear or hold something so people can easily spot you 27 Name tags It s not required but highly recommended that you have everyone wear a name tag Have them write it themselves so it make it a bit more personable or use Meetup s name tag printing option so it s all setup for when the members in the group arrive can t stress enough how helpful name tags are purchased a set of 10 different markers and allow people to choose the color and write their names They have fun putting smile faces flowers and nick names on them It really does help members remember others names Start_on time Depending on what you are hosting you want to be considerate to those that are late but also to those that are there If there are enough people don t wait too long to start an e2. E Bookmarks ta fad About RandomEvents axe 480 16 133 10 weets Following Followers Listed Recent Images view all pg St lk a all Similar to you wew holidaycities wae mattymoobrew 3 Wicked _Lizzy Following wew all eo eA cp Sbg Wobie Sisus Jobs Terms Privacy Stortcuts Adverteers Bosnesses Nede Deve D ONE DAY BEFORE Preparing for your Meetup Event All your planning scheduling and prep work is about to pay off There are just a few things that you should do the day before your Meetup Event These items will really help make sure that your Meetup Event will run smoothly You may even want to add a calendar reminder in your BlackBerry Smartphone or iPhone so you remember to do it Put all these items next to the door or in your car so you don t forget to take them when you leave You can get automatic SMS Mobile reminders sent to your phone To set this up 1 Go to Account on the upper right 2 Choose Membership amp Communication on the left 3 Scroll down to SMS Mobile reminders The Top 5 things you need to know 1 DAY BEFORE 1 Confirm with the venue they are ready for you to show up 2 Review the answers to questions comments and emails you may have received 3 Email the members in the group and co organizers with last minute details and a way to find you 4 Have ice breaks ready to engage members on both a 1 on 1 biases and group sc
3. family co Workers When you setup your Meetup Event do your best to get people to sign up Ask friends family and co workers Even if they are not going to actually show up it will make it seem like a lot of people are interested so other members will join Email directly Reach out to members that are in your group by sending them a personal message not the group email You also have the ability to contact up to 15 Meetup members that are not in your group You can find them by browsing other Meetup Groups Reaching out to similar Meetup Groups Contact other organizers like yourself to set up a joint Meetup Event This will help them and you get more members Honestly as an organizer this is the hardest part Getting members to sign up is really out of your control You can do a few things to try to help but it s just a waiting game Don t get upset don t email the members in the group why aren t you signing up and most importantly don t give up Ask your friends family and people that you trust to take a look at your site and ask them for suggestions You should also look into seeing if your city has an organizer s Meetup Groups like the one in New York City http AWwww meetup com organize This is a good way to network with your fellow organizer and get some helpful ideas 21 Promoting your Meetup Event So you have scheduled your Meetup Event now how are non members going to find out about it There are several
4. Event tomorrow Also make sure your assistant organizers know what they are responsible for 25 Ice breaker techniques If people are meeting for the first time its hard to get people talking and socializing Search Google for ice breaker games and you will get tons of them At every event no matter how many people 3 to 400 make sure everyone gets a name tag Yea it is a bit dorky but honestly it s fun and members do love it It s a bit uncomfortable not remembering someone s name so this stops that feeling As an organizer you are going to meet tons of people and being able to call someone by their first name helps show the members in the group you care Meetup com allows you to print out your own name tags On the Meetup Event under Who is coming there is a link to Print name tags Last minute email check Checking your email prior to the event periodically is important No matter how many emails you send out or clear you write your description there are always a few people to ask questions or cancel a few hours before On the positive side you may also get those members that want to sign up too and they will email you highly recommend organizers to invest in getting a BlackBerry Smartphone iPhone or some other device that you can receive emails on It will make it much easier to keep organized an iPhone amp Android application that will allow you to see your upcoming P You can go
5. few Meetup Events could be some of the most important Meetup Events that you will schedule Two of the most common things members look at before they join a group and attend a Meetup Event are the past events and the number of attendees for that Meetup Event This is why it is essential to plan out your first few Meetup Events strategically Do not be upset if your first few Meetup Events don t have a large turnout it is J normal Don t give up My first Meetup Event was a yoga event and with 400 people in the group only 3 people attended Consider a few events at the same time It s not a necessity but by scheduling two or three events helps show the members in the group what type of Meetup Events they can expect to see in your Group This also shows members that you plan on keeping an active Meetup Group and will have a higher success rate of attracting new members Think about changing the day of the week or time slightly for each Meetup Event y to cater to different work schedules This gives members options to attend an event that my fit their schedule better The more people you are able to get out the more likely you are to have them come out to future events 14 Prepare for the event before advertising Make sure that you have contacted the venue planned out the details and wrote up a description before scheduling it If you change a Meetup Event several times members may become annoyed and not attend It also shows mem
6. had numerous new people sign up outside of the group 4 Other companies amp groups watch my success and will usually call venues shortly after to host an event providing even more business to you We never discuss prices If this is successful would like to build a partnership with you for future events Free to give me a call to discuss further XXX XXX XXXX Thank you Will 34
7. internet sites that you should consider using to help get the word about your Meetup Group and the Meetup Event that you scheduled recommend purchasing a URL via a domain site like godaddy com by using this LINK you ll receive URL s for only 7 49 a year So why not A website address is easy to tell someone which will make it easier for them to join you It s super easy to do Meetup com Leverage other Meetup Groups to promote your Meetup Event Reach out to other organizers to see if they will re post your Meetup Event on their page or email their members promoting for you In return you can offer to add a link to their Meetup Group and or repost some of their Meetup Events in the future Facebook com and other Social Networking sites More and more people are using social networking sites to communicate and share information These sites can be used in several different ways to help promote your Meetup Group and individual Meetup Events you host Post to Facebook You have the option to link your Meetup profile to Facebook Every time you schedule or change a Meetup Event you have the ability via a Meetup Popup screen to post to your Facebook page Join Facebook groups Search for a group that may have members that you would want to attract Remember that many groups are not specific to your town but do your best to find ones that are After joining post comments on the wall about your Meetup Group and upcoming Meetup Even
8. site Don t forget you can embed videos into your description page would recommend adding a video if it will help members understand what the Meetup Event is about An example is embedding the trailer for a movie Meetup Event or Hustle video for a dance Meetup Event If you do include a video then also include the link to the video as well under it Most mobile devices can t view the video on your Meetup Event page but they can click a link to open it up to view it 19 Image Always use an image Search for an image in Google that will express what your Meetup Event is about A picture also helps get people to read on Make sure that the image that you are going to use Is not a registered trademark or have a copyright Automatically Repeat this Meetup Event Once you have a Meetup Group with people coming out all the time this may be an option you want to choose This will allow you to setup a Meetup Event over and over again so you don t have to manually create and post each one Where is it Search for the venue you are going to host your event at You can select from one you previously used before find one that others have used or add a new one lf you plan on going to a park or some place that does not have an actual address locate a restaurant museum or something else with a physical address and use that This will also make it easier for the members in the group to find the location to gather Only my members can see whe
9. to know a bit more about the place before contacting them When you are creating your Meetup Event and need to Select a place after you add a place under the Find a place tab it will turn into a link Click on that link and check under Upcoming Meetups for a list of other Meetup Groups and dates that they ll be there so you don t host your Meetup Event on the same day Local papers magazines Most cities and towns have a local paper that highlights new businesses New businesses are usually looking to generate new customers and are willing to work with you to secure a space to host your Meetup Event Walk around the town The option for finding a venue that most people forget about is just walking around your neighborhood Keep an eye out for places where you could host your Meetup Event You may find a nice park with benches a new store a quiet coffee shop or some other great spot that you never knew about If you are going to be reaching out to several venues write a simple template to provide to these places The template should be short and to the point but include information about what you are looking to do and how the venue will benefit See the end of this manual under Resources for the Random Events email template 13 Planning tips before scheduling your Meetup Event Know you are excited to start scheduling your Meetup Event but take a breath and relax let s plan this out together Your first
10. 8 25 30 J Automatic 30 31 Email Reminders J Stop repeating Never Change Figure 3 Automatically repeat option when scheduling a new Meetup Event Bowling BINGO Beer Prize and one hell of a good time A Add photos unday July 10 2011 6 30 PM EDIT RATING 0 Bowlmor Lanes 222 44th Street New York NY map 36 attended We ll have our Event T shirts on ETETETT 11 nares Tools Email Attendees Price 32 00 per person Refund policy EVENT HOST lt Will Figure 4 Use the Copy link to reuse your previously created Meetup Event 15 Schedule a Meetup Event two weeks out Scheduling a Meetup Event two weeks from your posting date gives you the chance to get more members to sign up to your Meetup Group and Meetup Event This is because you have more time for members searching Meetup for Events to find your Meetup Group and current members to send to friends for them to sign up Scheduling Meetup Events over three weeks in the future sometimes gets less RSVPs because it is too far away and people could forget about it Email members automatic reminders This will send them a reminder 14 days 7 P Under Email Settings when creating a Meetup Event you have the option to days and 1 day before the Meetup Event F Email settings Email RSVPs On Member reminders On Email members automatic reminders J Email Event Hosts when members RSVP Figure 5 Email settings Many members sign up
11. E EA 33 CHEAT SHEET Don t have time to read the entire guide Don t worry provided the key points to remember for each section of this guide To get more information including tips tricks and step by step instruction feel free to jump the section of your choice Sa Aeb 3 WEEKS BEFORE Plan to schedule a new Meetup Event Search for ideas from other Meetup Groups members ideas local papers and websites Select a format style Activity class networking support presentation etc Find and pick the right venue for your Meetup Event Preparing for the Meetup Event Strategy for posting and charging members 2 WEEKS BEFORE Creating your Meetup Event Fill out each field appropriately title location image etc Develop a standard template for the description all your Meetup Events Get people to sign up early to your Meetup Event Friends Family Meetup Group members etc Promote your Meetup Event Printed material and online resources such as Facebook Twitter Craigslist etc 1 DAY BEFORE Contact the venue you will have the Meetup Event to confirm they are expecting you Contact your assistant organizers and the Yes and Maybe RSVP s with any last minute details include your contact information and reminders of items to bring if necessary Review responses to any questions and print out the attendee summary to check people in at the Meetup Event Prepare all the items you will need and ha
12. Guide to a Successful Meetup Group Meetup Events By William Petz Disclaimer Meetup Inc has no affiliation with this guide and is not responsible for its content For official Meetup recommendations questions forums blogs please go to http Awww meetup com help Certain features and the design of Meetup s website may have been added revised or removed since this publication and therefore the specific information in this guide may not be directly applicable to the features or design of the current website The Meetup name and logo and other related trademarks are the property of Meetup Inc The Random Events name Logo other related trademarks are the property of Random Events LLC 1 In March 2009 Will Petz started the Adventure Activities and Random Events A Meetup Group also known as Random Events In 2 1 2 years Random Events M has achieved 7 000 members 200 Meetup Events and holds a 5 star rating IN given by its members event seekers Because of the unique events hosted Ye ranging from classes presentations social gatherings and outdoors Will has a d a great deal of experience organizing a wide range of meetup events When Will is not hosting Meetup Events he returns to his suit and tie day job He has been a mobility project manager at five major investment banks in which he currently holds the title of Vice President of mobile communications Some of Wills personal achievements have been th
13. ake sure that everyone is being engaged in the activity even if that means you need to stop doing it to help them out Members will appreciate that you go out of your way to get everyone evolved This will help bring members back for future evenis Class Workshop There are so many classes out there like dancing cooking baking how to play golf arts and crafts or even juggling like the below picture Ask your group if anyone has a skill that they can teach you ll be amazed at what talented people you have in your group Don t forget that most members that come to this type of format style are there to learn and to socialize Think about spending 30 minutes playing an icebreaker game to introduce everyone Also take 30 minutes after the class workshop to have an open discussion or something else that promotes interaction with the members in the group Presentations Just like in school and at work presentations are a great way to get across a message teach or train and sometimes entertain people Yawn Sorry did you say something When host presentations try to be fun and engaging Don t just talk and show a slide show Figure out different ways to get the members in the group involved with the presentation Ask questions act scenarios out add props comedy and even audio and visual effects help keep their attention and stop them from falling asleep Show and Tell Everyone loves showing off stuff that they hav
14. ange Zip Postal code or City to search other locations Ask members of your group Members in the group signed up to your Meetup Group because they are interested in it They may have some great ideas for things to do so don t hesitate to reach out to them for suggestions Don t worry you don t have to use their ideas The two most popular ways to reach out to the members in the group are Email the group 1 From your Meetup Groups main page click Group Tools 2 Choose Email members Encourage posting of ideas on a discussion board 1 From your Meetup Groups main page click Group Tools 2 Choose Group Settings 3 Choose Optional Features 4 Under Meetup options Communication and enable Message board 5 Start a discussion What do you want to do Don t be upset if you ask a question and members don t respond In the Random Events Meetup Group of 7000 members only one or two people will respond back to a question seriously Keep in mind that members do get many other emails Use Meetup s Email Members feature as little as possible so members don t feel like they are getting SPAM from you Local magazines newspapers and websites You can use local magazines and newspapers as resources to find ideas to create a Meetup Event Some of these publications highlight things to do around your neighborhood new businesses and other stuff that may be of interest to your g
15. aracters to get your point across so choose wisely Try not to abbreviate words that are not commonly known Make it catchy fun but still clear about what the event is about title When non members search for a Meetup Group or something to do if they use the same work as you have in your title then your Meetup Event may appear in their search results gt Use words that members would search for to find the Meetup Event in the Your title is the first part of your Meetup Event a member will see so make sure it s catchy and has some information on what they should expect An example of this is Hollywood Stunts Trampoline Free Fall and Fight like a Movie Star By reading this you pretty much know what is going to happen opposed to Hollywood Stunts come out and have fun For events that are free also recommend adding FREE in the title Everyone loves to do stuff for free so make sure they know it is Date Make sure it is the right date Specifically look at this if you are copying a Meetup Event from an existing one you scheduled have overlooked this a few times and had to send out an oops email to all my members Description This is the most important part of your Meetup Event The typical person looks at a webpage for between 7 10 seconds so make sure you do the following 18 e Start with 1 2 sentences introducing members and the event You might try to add humor e Keep the information s
16. ayPal amp Amazon fees Remember you have to pay PayPal fees so you will have to charge a bit more than the actual cost of the event or else you will have to pay the fees out of your pocket 16 Just 1 Some Meetup Groups charge members just one dollar to attend This can be done online or at the Meetup Event This helps lower the amount of people who RSVP Yes but don t show up Membership Fees With so many free Meetup Groups it s hard to get new members if you charge a membership fee However this may work for some groups depending on what you are offering to be a paid member Two tier payment If they pay online it costs 5 but if they show up without pre payment it will be 10 This gives people the incentive to sign up early to save money In smaller groups this seems to work the best When you notice that you start filling up your Meetup Events then making it required before may be the better choice for you Pay and get some back Some organizers charge members 10 but then when they show up to the event get 5 back Members tend to show up more since they don t want to lose that 5 Pay and get all back If you are using Paypal or Amazon to collect payments you will be charged a fee per transaction So if you intend on giving back the full amount you will have to take into consideration that fee You can refund once the event is over but it is not recommended because it takes a lot more administrative work to keep
17. bers a lack of organization Before you schedule the Meetup Event have a co organizer friend family member or someone else and the venue to look at it Ask them if it is clear to them and ask them to explain to you in their own words what the Meetup Event is about If they can do that then you are ready to schedule it There have been several times that have posted events with the wrong date spelling errors even the wrong picture of something lf you are scheduling several of the same events you can use Meetup s y Automatically repeat this Meetup feature Figure 3 If its not a reoccurring event j z you can open a currently past event and choose Copy Figure 4 This will make it quicker to schedule a Meetup Event and ensure consistency x Automatically repeat this Meetup Repeating every 1 week on Wed You can always change the details of individual Meetups in the series at any time Don t repeat By month s Repeat every 1 week v on Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat i Aug 2011 Sep 2011 Oct 2011 Nov 2011 Your first Meetup SNTWTFS SNTWTFS SM TWTrF Ss SMT WTeFs Wednesday August 1 24S 6 Oe ge i 1 3 4 S 3 2011 at 7 00pm 7 8 9 1011 1213 S 6 HB8 910 2346 6 7 8 6 7 8 101112 P f p 14 1S 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13114 15 16 17 9 10 111213 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 23 22 23 24 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 25 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 23 26 25 26 27 28 29 27 2
18. chedule the same Meetup Event over and over again you will have to think of something new and exciting to get members to come out and participate Once figure out what to do the next challenge is to figure out how to structure it to find a place to host it putting it all together and then posting it so people can join Taking the time to plan it out beforehand will save you time money and ensure that your Meetup Event runs smoothly Here are some things that will help you brainstorm The Top 5 things you need to know BEFORE YOU SCHEDULE your Meetup Event Getting ideas for your next Meetup Event Choosing a format that works for you Picking the right venue Finding you a venue using Planning your strategy for your next Meetup Event Getting Ideas for your Next Meetup Event If you are like so many other organizers you may find it hard to think of different Meetup Events to schedule for your Meetup Group Here are a few ways to help you find topics and ideas of Meetup Events that you could schedule It is difficult sometimes to think of ideas of Meetup Events to host but do your best Without adding any more pressure to planning out your first Meetup Event you should consider the following keep one or two Meetup Events on your calendar it shows everyone that the group is active It helps attract new members and keep existing ones Existing Meetup Groups Search other Meetup Groups that are similar to yours Look at their curre
19. e So what do you think about organizing a Meetup Event that has either a theme to it or just random items for people to bring and talk about Depending on how many people and how long your Meetup Event is plan out how many minutes each person could have so that everyone has time to speak Have someone keep time and provide a 1 minute warning to the speaker Do your best to make sure the person stops talking when their time is up Dont be afraid to interrupt them Your group will understand why you do it and will appreciate it Interview Is there someone interested that you think you ll group would like to listen to Setup a Meetup Event to have members listen and ask questions You may want to ask the members in the group for questions before the Meetup Event so you can prepare the interviewer This will ensure that members in the group get the information they want and the person being interviewed can have well plan out answers that will be beneficial to your group Happy Hour Social Meet and Greet These are events in which you get people out to just socialize and mingle with no topic or structured layout They may have a start time but members are able to come and leave as they please It is important for most groups to have some social Meetup Event They are a good way to get members to come out and meet you and everyone else It helps them become more comfortable attending future events since they know who they can expect t
20. e following co author of The BlackBerry All in One for Dummies co developed a patent pending BlackBerry Enterprise Server monitoring application visited 40 countries CPR and PADI Scuba Diver Certified as well as the writer of the Guide to a Successful Meetup Group amp Meetup ma M aia f n m Events which you are about to read lt EA T ay AG ay EVENTS To learn more about Random Events visit www RandomEventsNY com Random Events is the key to opening the city s potential Nick Random Events Member Random Events does an excellent job of bringing people of all backgrounds together Michelle Z Random Events Member TABLE OF CONTENTS a EE Uae intense eee rte ee 4 GETING TO KNOW TRIS GUIDE sinmeicinnicnnceminenrncimernnennnnerieonmnin 4 MV al GO these icons Mean epee rserae epee ten teptese racotien E a a e E troeencrestdar beatae riots 5 Berre Ne CGE NEO a A T A A ee E EA A 5 THREE WEEKS BEFORE Planning for a new Meetup Event ssssssseeees 6 Getting Ideas for your Next Meetup EVEN 1 cesecessecesrecsssecessecsssecsssecessecessecsssecessecsasecensecessecensecensecenserenes 6 Understanding Some of the Different Formats Styles cescccssecesssecesssecssssecssssecssseecsssesesssecessnesessseresses 8 Choosing the Right Venue to Host your Meetup Event es sssenesneneeseneesseeeesseeeereereneeeesneeeeneereeneereneeerenereeneer 11 Find
21. e list of people ready for tomorrow Check people as they come in This is very important to do if you had people pre pay This also shows the members in the group that you are organized and will appreciate it Check question responses If you had the members in the group fill out questions about the Meetup Event you will want to look at it again Members may have changed it or asked for something so you should be prepared for it Look at the members in the group profiles This is going above and beyond as an organizer but will mean so much to the members in the group Browse through the profiles of the members that are attending Check out their pictures and responses to any questions they filled out When you meet them say something I saw you went skydiving how was it or I noticed you are part of a trapeze Meetup Event how long have you been flying in the air Be prepared for anything You are the organizer you should be prepared for anything and everything Bring along a bag that has these items Camera pens paper tape first aid kit name tags Meetup Event table toppers Meetup Event signs and something with your Meetup Group s web address so you can hand out to people passing by asking what the group is about It also can t hurt to bring along some gum mints mouth wash deodorant and perfume cologne Assistant Organizers If you have assistant organizers it s best to give them a call to remind them of the Meetup
22. e this guide better or to include something that may have missed feel free to send it to me Guide randomeventsny com and include your Meetup group link and will provide a thank you section at the end The question mark indicates items like How to tips for using Meetup com Statistics information and navigation using Meetup com Before We Get Started At this point we expect that you may have already created your Meetup Group page designed a Snazzy theme and had some members join so you are all set to plan some great Meetup Events and start having fun Don t worry if you haven t done this yet we will provide some tips that will help you get this all set up Okay let s get started Having an attractive Meetup site is important If you don t have the creative ability to do this yourself consider getting help Puppetdesignny com is a site that is inexpensive and can create amazing looking Meetup Group Themes Logos Youtube pages flyers and other items to promote your Meetup Group When you set up your group you were asked to choose topics that relate to your group After creating your group Meetup com will send a broadcast message three days before to all of Meetup members that have subscribed to that topic about your new group This will be one of your biggest opportunities to get new members THREE WEEKS BEFORE Planning for a new Meetup Event Regardless if it s your first or 134 Meetup Event unless you auto s
23. enario 5 Pack everything you need together by the door so you are ready to go Steps to take before your Meetup Event These are items that most of you will find yourself doing before every event Following these items will not only make your Meetup Event run smoothly but you ll be able to sleep at night knowing that you are ready for your big day tomorrow Confirm your venue If you are hosting your Meetup Event at a store restaurant bar or renting out space give them a call and ensure they know you are coming and how many people you are expecting so they can make any last arrangements DO NOT SKIP THIS There is nothing worst then showing up with the members in J the group and having the venue say sorry we don t have room don t see the reservation or something else Email the Yes and Maybe members Write a personal reminder to the members in the group about your Meetup Event tomorrow Keep the email very short Just put all the important information such as time how to find you anything they should remember to bring and a way to contact you if they are running late can t find you or have questions 24 Some organizers do not like to give their personal mobile numbers out Take a y look at htip voice google com for free you can get a new number that will forward to your personal mobile number This service allows you to block numbers in the event a member abuses it Print out attendee summary Have th
24. hort but detailed e Use bullet points and bold key items that they should know e Try to keep the same format for each of your Meetup Events e Add a video if you think it will help explain what the Meetup Event is about Sometimes people ask questions so consider adding a Questions section at the bottom of the description Keep this updated as you get questions This will help reduce the questions you get and help others that may be wondering the same thing Below is the format which have decided to use in the description but feel free to create your own lt Intro gt Have you ever wanted to fly like a bird If so join us while we soar above the tree tops hang gliding Yup that s right hang gliding lt Brief Description gt John s hang gliding team has given us a crazy discount Plan for a full day from 8 30am to 1pm Total flight time will be 20 minutes depending on the wind it may be more If you want your video taken while in the air it will be an extra charge For more details visit John s hang gliding site here lt Link to site gt When Tue Jun 20th Time 8 30pm 1pm Location 123 Broadway in front of the big red sign Length 20 minutes Min Max People 6 30 Cost X FREE Skill Level Beginner to advanced What to bring A smile What to wear Casual no open toed shoes What is included Admission Questions Are there bathrooms YES lt Video gt Link to Youtube or other video
25. ing the Venue to Host your Meetup Event s sssesenenesreeereeerreeererenrerenerrneerrnereneerenereneereeerenerereerenerrerereer 12 Planning tips before scheduling your Meetup EVEN1 ce eeeeceeseresrseresscereseeeresseeeesseeessserensserenseerenseerens 14 Advice on charging members for your Meetup Event esssesesseeererereeerreeeneererereneerrrerenerrererenereneerererrerereer 16 TWO WEEKS BEFORE Scheduling your Meetup Event sscssssssrsvserevees 18 Filling out the options to schedule your Meetup Event sessseereserserereresneresereneerenereneeenserenerreeerenerensererereree 18 Getting Members to sign up for your Meetup Event seeseeeseesseeroereereeeeserererenernerenereeereerreereeereeereeeeeerreereee 21 Promoting your Meetup EVel essanroniseoriir e i N E ERN OONN 22 ONE DAY BEFORE Preparing for your Meetup Event sscsssssssssreessserees 24 Steps to take before your Meetup EVENL ccessecessecesssecesssecesssecesssecssseecssssecssseecesseccessesesssesesssesessserenees 24 DAY OF THE MEETUP EVENT Hosting your Meetup Eventt ssssrsseeree 27 A few hours before the Meetup Event ecesccesecsseecsseeesseeesseeesseecsseecssecsseeesseeesseeesseeesseeesseeessesenseeensee 27 AAC No s 0 Oe EVO ear ee ee ee ae EE E ee E E A EEE EIEEE E 29 AFIER THE MECILUF EVEN kanrin 31 CONGRATULATIONS Hi siririna rianan EE 32 Fi bao sai ernie EA EIA EEA
26. nt and past events that they have posted Use their Meetup Events for ideas to host your own Be original don t copy theirs but use it brainstorm ideas You should also look at the specific Meetup Event s rating and member turnout is This will help you to help gauge how successful your own Meetup Event might be for the same Meetup Event Obviously there are many different factors that may make one group s event more successful than another s even if it s the same topic number of members in the group time and day of week location cost etc all play a factor in your Meetup Events turnout gt When searching for similar groups make sure to try different search terms For example if you run a mommy s Meetup Group try searching for these terms Mom Mothers Mommy Baby Babies etc Don t just search local Groups By default when you search for a Meetup Group it searches groups within 25 miles of your location that you have set in your profile Change the location to a big city like New York Chicago or some other city that may have what you are looking for To change your search location from the main page click Find a Meetup Group and in the City or ZIP postal code field type in the other location See Figure 1 below J aeaio Find Start t Will My Groups v Topic or interest ZIP postal code or City ex hiking French moms pugs 11356 College Point New York USA Search Figure 1 Find a Meetup Group Ch
27. o see at the next Meetup Event Because there is no commitment to stay you typically will have a higher turnout for this type of Meetup Event Here are some tips when you host this type of Meetup Event e Feel free to drink but don t get drunk e Try not to pick up a girl or a guy Yes even if they are really cute e Mingle and say hi to everyone don t focus on one person www RandomeventsNY com www RandomeventsNyY com 10 Choosing the Right Venue to Host your Meetup Event At this point you should know the topic and the format style for your Meetup Event the next step is to pick a place to host your event There are a few items that you will want to keep in mind when choosing a venue A great Meetup Event idea could turn bad if it is hosted at the wrong place Make sure to plan ahead so this doesn t happen to you Cost recommended hosting your Meetup Event at a place that is free or at a very minimum cost Not charging usually helps get more members to RSVP and attend If there is a cost and you need to charge members just include what the charge is for in the Meetup Event description Don t be afraid to negotiate for a discount or even for a free space with a venue You could offer to advertise for them on your sponsor page or schedule several Meetup Events there in return for a discount You could also consider offering scheduling the Meetup Event on a less busy night that would be free The worst that the ven
28. ontinue to take pictures but consider take video as well better feeling for what they missed out on Video allows members that did not attend a When posting similar Meetup Events you can reference this video so members know what they can expect Members that attended and you took video of also enjoy watching the videos Some members post these videos to their social networking site which again helps promote your Meetup Group Regardless if it s a Facebook Twitter YouTube or some other site keeping the look of your page consistent with your Meetup Group Theme is important Having the same logos fonts colors make your Group look more professional which in turn will help attract new members PuppetDesignNY com can provide assistance in doing this if you need the help Printed Material Think about promoting outside of the internet Print up signs banners and flyers that you can hang up in local restaurants and stores specifically in places that relate directly to your Meetup Group Carry business cards around with you so if you meet someone they won t have to remember your Group name they can just look at the card Promote Meetup com makes it easy for you to print out some pre created items for your Meetup Group From your Meetup Group s main page click More and choose From here you can print out Name Tags Flyers with tear offs Tiimani E T E4 a a EL e gt poreco Baitan _ potest webu
29. op of any page of Meetup com you can search for groups and topics Clicking Upcoming Meetups you can quickly sort through all events that pertain to your search word This makes it easy to browse through them to find one hosting a Meetup Event at a venue you could use Topic or interest ZIP postal code or City Search 11356 College Point New York USA 81 Meetups match Random near College Point NY Show me Distance Jump to crourd UPCOMING MEETUPS 25mi v from College Point JUL 22 201 F Friday 6 00 PM Silent Picnic Sunset Over Manhattan Skyline Socrates Sculpture Jul 22 2011 Park in LIC 20 attending 1 waiting 8 15 PM Live Group Sex Therapy Show A New Interactive Comedy The Museum of Sex at The Museum of Sex in New York NY 9 attending Saturday 8 30AM f T Ocean Beach Fire Island Day Trip Jul 23 2011 27 attending a Meetup of NYC Hiking and Outdoor Adventure Group Oakland Gardens NY a Meetup of Adventure Activities and Random Events New York NY a Meetup of The New York Girls Beach Club New York NY Figure 2 Show Upcoming Meetup Events for a specific topic or interests 12 Meetup Events Venues Using the Find a Meetup Venue under the Where is it section when creating a new Meetup Event you can search thousands of locations by keywords that other Meetup Groups have hosted events at These venues also have Meetup members review SO you Can get
30. ou can select edit attendance Post pictures and upload videos Uploading pictures as soon as you can is important People will go back to the page to check for the pictures and rate the group If the picture is there when they are rating they may share the picture with a social networking site and that may bring more people to your Meetup Group If you plan on taking many videos would recommend creating a YouTube site that has the same group name This will make it easy for people to find it For example my Meetup Group is www RandomEventNY com and my YouTube site is www YouTube com RandomEvents Consider branding your pictures by adding your Meetup Event URL and or logo on the bottom of them When members repost them on their social networking it is like free advertising of your Meetup Group to their friends Figure 6 shows what the Random Events branding looks like 31 www KandomEeventsNY com www kandomeventsNY com Figure 6 Branding photos with a URL Send a follow up email After you have posted your pictures and uploaded your videos It s time to send out an email to everyone who attended The email should be brief and include a thank you kudos to anyone that helped out asking members to fill out survey links to the pictures and videos Read comments and check ratings Some Members that rate the Meetup Event may add comments Read them sometimes they provide some items you may want to address for your nex
31. ou send out about the co organizers events they want to see and then specifically about the Meetup Event they are at As an organizer you may not see everything or have the same impression as the members in the group In a presentation meeting that hosted during the first 15 minute break asked members what do you think so far Some of the feedback was Could he talk louder Can he provide more examples and other suggestions like that Providing that feedback to the presenter during the Meetup Event changed the rest of the presentation and in return the members had a much more enjoyable time Take _pictures video Take pictures of everyone having fun Posting the pictures up after the Meetup Event will bring people back to your site to check them out It also shows other members the number of people that came out If you are doing something like white water rafting hang gliding or playing freebee you may want to create a video and post it up to Youtube recommend taking a group picture at every event Make this your photo album cover for that Meetup Event This will show other members how many people really were there 29 Ask for help with the next Meetup Event Being an organizer is not easy Sometimes you may need help Ask the members in the group who would like to assist in organizing the next one Members that come out to your event are more and likely the ones that are going to be willing to help you wi
32. plan more Meetup Events you will see what your own rule turns out to be Email Settings This is a great way to remind the members in the group of an event When you select this the following emails are sent 20 14 days before The Meetup Event is announced to group members who haven t RSVPed 7 days before People who have RSVPed get a reminder that they said they d be there 1 day before Everyone gets a last minute reminder Members get a lot of emails from many different groups Limit the number of emails you send to them If an event is full recommend un checking the automatic reminder so a member does not get emailed for an event they can t sign up to anyway Ask questions when members RSVP If you need to know something from the members in the group for the Meetup Event you can have them answer a question You can t make this field mandatory so a member can leave this blank If you are asking members a question give them options to choose from A y common example is trying to arrange carpooling An example of questions for the event would be Do you have a car if yes how many people can you drive Getting Members to sign up for your Meetup Event the crowded store syndrome mentioned earlier which is when members sign up because they see others members signed up is one of the most effective ways to get more members So how do you get people to sign up Here are a few things that you can do Friends
33. re not familiar with the venue don t just rely on internet pictures and their website to make your decision Some venues significantly change depending on the day of the week Go to the venue to check it out and specifically ask about the day time you are looking to host your Meetup Event 11 Finding the Venue to Host your Meetup Event Now that you have figured out what you should be looking for in a venue the next step is to actually find one Depending on your Meetup Group you may only need one venue that you can use over and over For some other groups like Random Events in which they need to change their venue almost every time finding different venues is a bit more challenging Here are several ways that will help you find the best place for your Meetup Event Contact the venue before scheduling it You want to make sure that the venue will be able to accommodate your Meetup Event It is possible the venue or even a public park may have a special event going on that may interfere with your Meetup Event It is also recommended to call a week and then a day before to confirm that nothing has changed and they are expecting you Meetup Groups By using the search feature on Meetup com you can search for other groups that may have done the same or something similar that you want to do Search their current and past events to get ideas on places that you may be able to host your Meetup Event Using Find a Meetup Group at the t
34. re this Meetup Event is happening Hiding the venue provides two major benefits The first is that if someone who is not a member wants to attend they can t just show up They will need to become a member and RSVP The second is that for events that have a maximum capacity you don t have to worry about exceeding this by people just showing up How will members find you there Think about wearing a hat holding a sign flag or something else that people will be able to find you Before made T shirts printed out a huge sign with RANDOM EVENTS j wore it around my neck with a piece of string like a necklace Yes it was very VERY embarrassing at first but members loved it and they could always find me Charging for this Meetup Event This is a question that many organizers are faced with See the To charge or not to charge section of the guide for advice on what to do RSVP Depending on your Meetup Event you may need to limit the amount of people who can attend Under the RSVP you can also set when users can RSVP from and until If you choose to use the Members can RSVP until selection you should make it clear in your description when users can RSVP Meetup Events that are free have a lot of Yes RSVP s but many never attend d Don t think it has something to do with you this is typical When I started used a 70 30 rule which means that out of 100 people expect 30 people to show up As you
35. roup You could also check online at timeout com craigslist com yelp com your city s website or the website of your favorite venue Understanding Some of the Different Formats Styles There are many different ways you can run a Meetup Event Some Meetup Groups meet and talk in a circle others run them like a class room with a teacher and students some may just have members mingle and talk and others could try a combination of several styles You have to choose which the best format for your group and your specific Meetup Event Here is a list of some common format styles you can choose from e Activity Group Project e Presentations e Social Happy Hour e Class Workshop e Playgroup e Meet and Greet e Interview e Support Group Remember regardless of the format you choose make sure to give everyone attention Members will notice that you do your best to engage everyone and will appreciate the effort you are making to do so Everyone wants to feel like part of a group team family and by socializing with everyone they will get that feeling and want to return for your future events Activity Group Project Create some activity that can get several people working together on Make a jig saw puzzle building a bike or a ginger bread house Make sure that the activity is easy enough so everyone will be able to do it The picture to the right is everyone making pasta Activity formats really help to build social interaction As the organizer m
36. t Meetup Event Most members will not rate the Meetup Event That does NOT mean they didn t like it or didn t have fun It just means they are really busy and didn t get a chance to rate it Do not take it personally Update money If you use the money application within Meetup Event take this opportunity to make sure everything is updated You may have received cash at the Meetup Event or incurred some expenses that you will need to record The money module can be located under Group Tools then Money CONGRATULATIONS You have done everything you could to make a successful Meetup Event Pat yourself on your back you did a great job Now it s time to start planning your next one Good luck 32 RESOURCES Designers Meetup Pages amp Themes Logos Business Cards Websites etc PuppetDesignNY com Mention Random Events for 15 off Getting a domain URL name GoDaddy com Click the link and get domains for 7 49 Sites to Promote Facebook Craigslist Twitter Yelp Pixelpipe com Post to multiple sites at once Ice Breakers Links http www residentassistant com games Popular Boot Camps http www meetup com organize Sharing Files FREE Drop box Great for backing up important docs and sharing files Picture Editors Faststone Have Your Own Mobile App EpicAppSolutions Mention Random Events builds custom mobile applications They have an easy way to mobili
37. tes y sty EF S Gecge TS oo w M OB EF aiaa TS Vestute S Goco Local Besar J rarai Now Logo Youu earth Brome J p adem amp vera ll pieton piang Blackberry _ important websites bit ly 3 9 Google ee gt EJ EB Analytics 4 T E mis onan at business cards post cards table signs and Meetup Logos sunny FandomEvents RANDOM EVENTS and have fun facebook com Rando i j avei Leis we mw we a ry a Edit vour profile nEvents Q C J Google 2 A lower RandomEvents Tra sure Edit Info Wall RandomEvents Everyone Most Recent v Share E Status Photo J Link video Question i omething RandomEvents ja Random Events will be extending our Argentina trip to those in Boston shortly gt pretty sweet RandomEvents i 100 rounds of ammo to blow up stuff sounds like a great Friday night to me http www randomeventsny com events 30696411 Gun Range Private Random Event www randomeventsny com i e have the shooting range Chat 47 m Ce ee O Ee Be ee i ee a eee lt gt etal e W twitter com gt 4 Pt _ Blackberry _ important _ websites Ge bitty I Google oo gt Ei BG analytics J SS Youtube Google Local Business L5 RandomEvents OT 40 765898 gt EJ Bookmarks ending our Argentina trip to those in 0 rof t 7
38. th your future Meetup Events Say goodbye All good things must come to an end and when they do say goodbye Goodbyes are just as important as saying hello People remember the last thing that happens to them the most clearly By saying bye thanks for coming out they will walk away saying to themselves wow the organizer really appreciated me coming 30 AFTER THE MEETUP EVENT bet you thought you were done Well almost This is the part that most people forget to do or wait too long to do it Its best to do this the day after It s what would call the administration part of being an organizer Following these items will help you learn more about your group and get more members to join The Top 5 things you need to know AFTER the Meetup Event Edit RSVP s for those that did not attend Post pictures and videos Send a follow up email to the members who attended Read comments that members posted Update money module Edit RSVPs Take your attendee list that you used to check everyone in and mark people who did not attend absent Marking members as absent will remove them from the list of people attended and block them from writing comments and rating the Meetup Event This will also help you keep track of which Meetup Event had more members so you could throw this Meetup Event again Once a Meetup Event is over go to that specific Meetup Event page On the right side under Who attended y
39. to m meetup com for Meetup com s mobile website Meetup also has events check in see who coming comments and take pictures and upload them 26 DAY OF THE MEETUP EVENT Hosting your Meetup Event Are you excited Do you have that butterfly feeling in your tummy Don t worry that s normal If you have taken our advice no need to worry The venue is set up the members in the group are informed and you are packed and now it s time for the Meetup Event Running the Meetup Event is by far the most critical part of everything that you have had to do If everything is perfect but members show up and they don t have a good time all your prep work and planning was wasted So keep these things in mind The Top 5 things you need to know DURING the Meetup Event Take everything you need name tags ice breaker questions attendee list pens camera etc Plan to get there at least 30 min early Say Hello and Good bye to everyone Engage less social people and introduce them to others Take pictures and videos A few hours before the Meetup Event Did you print out the list of attendees check your email for any last member questions and have everything ready for your Meetup Event Of course you did Here are some things to remember to do right before your Meetup Event Leave early Don t be on time be early Try to get to the place you are going to meet about 30 minutes before everyone else Take this time to say hi
40. ts Create a Facebook group Creating a Facebook group is easy and you can find how to create one at Facebook com Having a Facebook group allows people to like the group which then shows up in their profiles for others to see You can also post up your upcoming Meetup Events here for people to see who may not be members of your Meetup Group Twitter com If you plan on constantly communicating to your Meetup Group conceder creating a Twitter account With Twitter you can post up brief updates that members can subscribe to Just as other social networking sites you can attract more members and keep existing ones informed Having Social Networking sites group is double work You will need to keep both your Meetup Group and Facebook Group Twitter account updated Before you create one of these evaluate how big your town is and if creating a group is the best for you Simply posting your Meetup Events to your personal site may be enough 22 Craigslist com Craigslist com is a free classified ads site It is a powerful advertising tool that you can use to post up ads promoting your Meetup Group and Meetup Event Since craigslist is specific to a city and sometimes even towns it helps directly target people that may be interested in joining your Meetup Event classified site that you can utilize as well Some companies and schools provide their own YouTube com If a picture is worth 1 000 words then a video is worth 1 billion C
41. ue can say is no but if they say yes you will have a great place to host your Meetup Event But only 5 people come out to my event how can I negotiate Think about teaming up with another Meetup Group regardless of the type of Meetup Group to host an event on the same night at the same place So if both groups have 5 people now you ll have 10 people going Just choose different corners of the place to make it easy for each group to hear themselves Location Host your Meetup Event in a place that is centrally located for most members Make sure that is close to public transportation or parking for those with cars Noise You want to ensure that the place you choose is not to loud Even if you are hosting a happy hour at a bar make sure that the volume of the music is low enough so that people do not need to yell or have a hard time hearing others that are a few feet away Size Make sure you choose a place that is appropriate for the number of people you expect to attend If you are having a social gathering of 20 people having a venue that is too big will have members too far from each other to interact On the other side an event with 50 people in a space that only fits 40 people will be an issue was well Do they have what you need If your Meetup Event requires special equipment such as a chalk board mirrors TV screen or a projector make sure that they have it or can accommodate you if you bring your own If you a
42. up lf you are going to charge members for a free event make it clear what J members are paying for Members are unaware of the Meetup fees Paypal Amazon Fees and all the work that goes into scheduling a Meetup Event 17 TWO WEEKS BEFORE Scheduling your Meetup Event At this point you have chosen the format selected the location venue contacted the venue and are now ready to schedule it As discussed earlier scheduling a Meetup Event two weeks in advance is recommended but not required Putting together an easy to read and good looking Meetup Event is important If the description is confusing it can keep users from signing up In this section we will provide some insight on making your Meetup Event description attractive for members The Top 5 things you need to know 2 WEEKS BEFORE Create a meaningful and catchy title Keep the description short and to the point with as much detail as is needed Consider your payment options Try to avoid changing details and sending out emails regarding changes Promote using different methods Filling out the options to schedule your Meetup Event Scheduling a Meetup Event is easy and can be done in a few ways The easiest way is by clicking Group Tools from the main page and selecting Schedule a Meetup Below is a list of fields that you will need to complete before you post Take the following into consideration when filling them out Meetup Event Name You have 80 ch
43. ve it ready for tomorrow Name tags signs for people to find you camera directions etc DAY OF THE MEETUP EVENT Leave early get to the Meetup Event location at least 30 minutes early Start your Meetup Event on time When members arrive Greet them take attendance have an ice breaker to have them start socializing with others Take pictures and videos Say goodbye and thank them for coming out AFTER THE MEETUP EVENT Edit RSVP s for those that did not attend Post pictures and upload videos Send a follow up email and include a thank you links to the pictures and videos and acknowledgements to anyone who helped out Read comments that members posted about the Meetup Event and the venue lf money was involved update the money module within Meetup s Site GETTING TO KNOW THIS GUIDE Congratulations you ve started a Meetup Group now let s plan a Meetup Event This guide is intended for new and existing Meetup Organizers It will help you to create and host a successful Meetup Event have divided this guide into four sections Ideas to create a Meetup Event things to do before during and after a Meetup Event Each section includes the top five things you need to get started which is then explained in detail What do these icons mean The Random Events Logo will provide real life experiences from me and other organizers don t know everything and would love to get your feedback so if you have a suggestion to mak
44. vent www RandomEventsNY com www kandomeventsNY com 28 At the Meetup Event Get ready because from now until the end of the Meetup Event you are going to be busy You are the organizer everyone is going to expect you know everything mean everything Where are the bathrooms how long will this take how much is this and a ton of other stuff you may not know Do your best to smile and assist them best you can Here are some things to make it a bit easier for you Greetings Do your best to say hello to every member who attends Shake their hand if you remember them say thanks for coming back or if it s their first time say welcome to the group Just do your best to make them feel welcomed Being social is not easy especially when you don t know anyone If they are at your Meetup Event obviously they want to meet people Do your best to spot members that are less social and give them attention Ask them questions to get them talking then introduce them to others Take attendance As new people arrive check them off your list of attendees Keep this list as you will need it when the Meetup Event is over Ice breakers As discussed earlier in this guide have some ice breaker questions and games to get people talking and interacting Ask questions and get feedback It is okay to ask your group their opinion on items Ask them how they like the way the group is being managed about the communications y
45. with an extra email account to Meetup because they do get a ton of emails from numerous Meetup Groups That means members may browse through this email account once a week Therefore scheduling a Meetup Event less than one week in advance could be a problem as some people may not see it Advice on charging members for your Meetup Event Obviously if what you are doing costs money then you will need to charge the members in the group Then the question is do you make it mandatory for them to pay on the site or when they show up What if what you are doing is free like a book club or a getting together to trade baseball cards You still have Meetup fees and the time you put into organizing an event so should you charge members then Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing whether to charge members The crowded store syndrome Have you ever walked past a store and saw a ton of people inside Don t you go over and see what s going on Yup the same thing happens here Most of the time people don t want to be the first ones to RSVP but once there have been several people RSVP Yes more people will RSVP Yes just because others have done it Keep in mind a Yes doesn t always mean they will show up Too many people show up If you have limited spots for your Meetup Event and you don t make charging mandatory then you may end up turning people away That doesn t make people happy and you never want unhappy members P
46. ze your Meetup Page Check out Random Events DEMO DONATIONS really hope that you were able to take away a few things away plan on creating more guides around more specific items like monetizing getting more members getting sponsors and more Feel free to help out by even donating a 1 Thanks and good luck 33 Random Events Venue Request Template lt Enter contact name or To whom it may concern gt My name is Will and am the organizer of Random Events We have XXX members and growing daily am interested in hosting an event with you Feel free to take a look at our promotional video to learn more about us http yvoutube com randomevents or visit our site to see our past and upcoming events http Wwww randomeventsny com Would you be able to provide any special group discounts if host the event for X amount of people am open to different options regarding time date length of the event that would be favorable for both of us to get a reduce price lf the cost is attractive and we proceed posting on our site will offer you the following benefits 1 Exposure to thousands of people though meetup com amp thousands of members in my group 2 Due to our site traffic items that we post also rank high in Google s search so people looking for a similar event will find our site and then find your venue even if the event has past 3 Venues that have organized with have been very successful as they have
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