I’ve been organizing Meetups for a decade, starting with Vim Chicago and Chicago Elixir, and now running Maine JS from Portland, Maine. Here’s my practical guide on how to start a Meetup group, based on what’s worked for me.

How to start a meetup group

The steps that follow are in rough order. You’re going to be doing many of them in the beginning; that’s the time when you do the most sustained work.

I’m not going to cover signing up for Meetup.com and filling web forms, but rather, how you should think about getting started.

Calculate your effort

You get back exactly the effort you put into a Meetup. Small effort, small Meetup. Which is fine, if that’s your intention. Be honest about what you can offer and what you want in return.

Choose a theme

Pick a good theme— for you! Maine JS works for me today because:

  • JavaScript attracts mostly technical folk.
  • It’s a big tent, important in my sparsely populated state.
  • I program mostly in JavaScript, so it’s professionally relevant.

Solve the location problem

Find a permanent location 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.

Commit

Meet often and consistently. I stole this idea from Chicago Ruby, who met monthly for decades.

My Meetup meets on the second Tuesday of every month, and won’t cancel except for safety reasons.

Create a group

Okay, a little bit about the web forms. 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.

Schedule early; schedule often

Have multiple events on the calendar, always. I can anecdotally say that Meetup.com’s software 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. Often they’ll RSVP to both at the same time.

I’ve experimented around a fair amount with when to schedule– close to the event to entice procrastinators, way in advance to entice people who like a lot of notice. I think the latter is better because you get on people’s calendar long before other competing events.

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 expectations

Set clear expectations for what your Meetup offers. For instance, we are clear and rigid about when we start and end and what we will provide. And we don’t record most events, a fact we state upfront on our Meetup page.

Engage!

Engage before, during, and after.

Post on the Meetup page before the event, during the event, and after. Take pictures and videos and share them. Show people who didn’t come what they’d get out of coming next time.

There’s some gamesmanship here too. Years of experience have taught me that Meetup shows active groups to users more often.

Before, during, and after the Meetup, focus on the people who showed up. Don’t dwell on or even acknowledge a small turnout. 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

Welcome new members. We send every new member a handwritten message welcoming them, asking them how they found us, and listing our upcoming events. I think some people think it’s a bot, but it’s actually just human me!

Recruit co-organizers

Recruit co-organizers. This is important. Organizing is much easier and more fun with help.

I find co-organizers from people who show up. Often, they’ll be itching for a role. All you have to do is ask.

I use my co-organizers as a sounding board to check my ideas. I delegate work to them when it makes sense. They become your friends and close colleagues over time.

Give something away

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, and it’s free advertising!

We also offer free food and drink. Many attendees are hunting for their first dev job, so I like being able to give something away for free.

#1 tip

If I could pull the single most vital tip from this list, it would be: scheduling consistently. Groups that meet regularly tend to stick around.

Organizing a Meetup is work, and it’s the most work in the beginning. If you get the early details right, a lot of other things start to click into place.

My involvement with Vim Chicago, Chicago Elixir, and Maine JS has been a highlight of my career. I hope to see you at an event soon.