How I Organize a Meetup

February 3, 2025 - 3 minutes read - 449 words

I’ve been organizing Meetups for a decade, starting with Vim Chicago and Chicago Elixir, and now running Maine JS from Portland, Maine. In honor of our most recent Meetup, here’s a list of my favorite organizer tips.

Note: this is a cross-post from Bluesky. After publishing, I realized I wanted to have this list preserved on the blog.

Pick a good theme (for you). Maine JS works for me because:

JavaScript attracts mostly technical folk.
JavaScript is a big tent, vital in my sparsely-populated state.
I program mostly in JavaScript, so it’s personally relevant.

Meet often and consistently. I stole this from Chicago Ruby. We meet on the second Tuesday of every month, and won’t cancel except for safety reasons.
You get back exactly the effort you put in. Small effort, small Meetup (which is fine, if that’s your intention).
Have multiple events on the calendar at all times. Meetup rewards active groups. And people tend to do things in batches. If they can’t come to January’s event, they might be able to come to February’s.
Vary the format. We’ve done socials, tech talks, and lightning talks. Experiment until you find something that works, or just keep experimenting for fun.
Set clear expectations for what your Meetup offers. For instance, we don’t record most events, and we state that upfront on our page.
Fill out every part of the Meetup app for your group. Don’t leave any data out. Show them there’s life on this planet!
Help people imagine the event by sharing a clear vision. Hosting your first event? Include a stock photo of what you’re planning, with attribution.
Engage before, during, and after. Post on the Meetup page before the event, during the event, and after. If you have photos or videos, share them. Show people who didn’t come what they’d get out of coming next time. January 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Focus on the people who made it! Celebrate the attendees who showed up and engage with them— they chose to spend their time at your event, and that’s what matters.
Welcome new members. We send every new member a hand-written message welcoming them, asking them how they found us, and listing our upcoming events.
Recruit co-organizers. It’s much easier and more fun with help.
Make swag. I made a batch of Maine JS stickers early on. I’m about 3/4 through the pile after 1.5 years. People like swag!
Find a permanent sponsor. After a few Meetups in coworking spaces, we’ve had a location and food sponsor for every event. It’s a stressful detail you want to solve quickly. Email businesses in your area; it’s an easy sales pitch for the right kind of business.

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