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 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 roughly in order. You’re going to be doing many of them in the beginning; that’s the time when you do the most work.

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

Calculate Your Effort

You get back exactly the effort you put in. Small effort, small Meetup (which is fine, if that’s your intention).

Choose a Theme

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.

Commit

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

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

Create a Meetup Group

Okay, a little 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!

Schedule Early, Schedule Often

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.

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.

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 don’t record most events, and we state that upfront on our page.

Engage!

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.

Before, during, and after, focus on the people who showed up! 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 hand-written message welcoming them, asking them how they found us, and listing our upcoming events.

Recruit Coorganizers

Recruit co-organizers. It’s much easier and more fun with help.

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

I use my coorganizers as a sounding board to check my ideas and logic. And I delegate work to them when it makes sense.

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!

Solve the Location Problem

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.

#1 Tip & Conclusion

If I could pull the single most vital tip from this list, it would be: scheduling consistently.

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 have been a highlight of my career. I hope to see you at an event soon.