November ‘19

Meetups are what makes a tech community thrive. They are the backbone of support that a healthy group of entrepreneurs can provide. I always think of them like smalls gigs in a music scene... if Web Summit is The Rolling Stones at Wembley, meetups are more like your mate's gig above a pub. A real grassroots moment to create things by the community and for the community.

I've spent many years now hosting and running meetups, and I know the work that goes into them. It's easy to think that you can just fill a room with people, have a couple of talks, and a few drinks, and bish bash bosh, you've got a meetup. Certainly, that works - but I think these are real missed opportunities to make a proper experience.

Most people who run meetups work full time in their respective careers. This means that a) they're not events organisers, and b) they are super busy with the day job so don't always have the time to think about the nuances. The piece below is some food for thought based on things that are consistently missed at meetups.

In general:

Have a Code of Conduct! Meetups are meant to be welcoming spaces where people can feel comfortable to learn and meet new people. Don't just have something saying "Be cool" or similar - have detailed information on how attendees should behave. You can adapt one from here pretty easily.

Speakers:

Make sure your speakers are happy before, during, and after the event. Have at least one meeting to talk about content, and remember to discuss who the audience is during it. If asking a speaker to travel, find budget for it (including accommodation/expenses).

I'd discourage speakers from using audio/video/fancy fonts unless you factor in time to do testing before the meetup*.* These are pretty much always the culprits of a break in flow.

It's embarrassing that I even have to write this in 2020, but make sure your speakers are diverse. When recruiting speakers, if you're looking at having an all cis white male lineup, go back to the drawing board.

Sponsors:

Finding sponsors is crucial to a sustainable meetup. You can fly by the seat of your pants for a while, finding free spaces and not providing food/drinks, but you really want to find consistent sponsors.

Have a document that is clear to the sponsors what they get out of their contribution, and specifically what they do not get - eg access to attendee data, or a speaking slot to sell their services. Give them stage time, but limit it to a couple of minutes to tout their wares, and make it part of the experience - ie get them to introduce a speaker, or potentially host a panel.

Before the meetup:

Make sure you gather some very basic data in your signup

• Accessibility requirements - This is vital to know in advance - is your venue wheelchair accessible? Do you have a hearing loop and know how to use it?
• Dietary requirements - For me, it leaves a sour taste turning up to events and finding no plant based food. I imagine people who have food allergies or have a gluten free diet feel the same way. More on that in a bit.
• Opt in for a mailing list (if relevant) - meetups can be a superb way to grow a mailing list and build a marketing flywheel for future events

Let's talk preparing an inclusive food and drink spread.

I'll admit I roll my eyes a bit when I see pizza come out at a meetup as it's such a cliche, but hear me out - it's the perfect meetup food. Most pizzerias can cover all dietary requirements (just ask) - it doesn't require wasteful paper plates, just a few napkins.. it's cheap, it's easy to eat while standing up and talking to someone, and relatively easy to clean up. You're not there to provide a full dinner, just enough to tide people over - I normally budget for a quarter of a large pizza per attendee.