Being a Meetup Organizer: What's it all about?

There are thousands of Meetups in different topics all over the world. Dog Meetups, political Meetups, health Meetups, social Meetups, you name it! It's truly amazing! And each Meetup has an Organizer. So why do people take the time to be a Meetup Organizer? What do they gain? What do they give? What can happen if you decide to be a Meetup Organizer?

If you're already a member of a great Meetup, you probably know the answers to those questions. Your Organizer has told you, or you can kinda just "see it". But if you're brand new to Meetup, you're probably curious about the rewards of running a Meetup. So what are those answers? Well, being a Meetup Organizer is all about...

1. Sharing Knowledge



• When people get together, they learn
  
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2. Building Friendships



• When people get together, they become friends
  
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3. Strengthening Communities



• A strong collection of people makes for a strong community
  
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4. Effecting Change



• The power of many can make a difference
  
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5. The BIG Payoff



• The best rewards are always like this
  
  Read more!

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Sharing Knowledge

What is a Meetup? Well, at it's most simplistic level, it's a gathering of people with mutual interests. People who love pugs, speaking French, playing poker, and on and on. It's the Meetup Organizer who initiates that gathering, who makes it all happen. And when people rally round a common subject, their collective can quickly become an invaluable forum for sharing knowledge, learning, and resources. For example, Elaine, a member of Long Beach KC Club, became a better knitter thanks to her Meetup. "Everyone was very nice and really interesting! It is a great place to go to learn to knit. I have gotten further in our three meetings than in all my years of trying on my own! I feel so much more confident now, and I understand so much more! Thank you!"

Neat, right? Hong Kong Acting Meetup Organizer Dan Wilson is furthering his artistic endeavours with the help of his Meetup group."People continue responding a very positive way to the opportunity to meet more people and I'm finding new connections I never anticipated. I'm even writing a script that I hope could be made into a film with the help of my new friends."

Knowledge, connections, joint projects. There are even business opportunities. Lani from the Rocky Mountain Small Business Referral Meetup writes,"Wonderful variety of professions/services. I love having other people's cards to share when opportunities arise."

Learn something, do something, change something. That's what a Meetup group can accomplish. And it's the Meetup Organizer who starts it all.

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Building Friendships

By having Meetups, Organizers create environments and opportunities where members can meet each other and share ideas. While sharing, Meetup group members invariably create connections and friendships. A member of the The Palmdale Moms Meetup writes,"Being a first time mom myself I feel it is really important to have friends that are moms also for fun and support. Thank you all for making this event a huge success. I can't wait for next weeks meetup."

Melissa, member of PDX Writers & Readers Meetup Group, writes about her first Meetup,"I can be pretty shy, and although I was fairly quiet at our meeting, I felt safe and comfortable, and know that I will be opening up more in the future. It was great not only to meet new people, but also for those to have been people I'm looking forward to getting to know better. Thank you all!"

Learning and sharing and the camaraderie they build is the heart of every Meetup group. That gets people exciting about attending and participating. Like Joon Sing of the Brisbane Japanese Language Meetup says,"Is good. You get addictive when you know people from there, and you always want to attend it again to meet back your friends."

Isn't that cool? By bringing people together to share their passion/knowledge of a topic, Organizers set the stage for fellowship to bloom.

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Strengthening Communities

Many of us go about our daily lives not knowing what’s going on in our area or the people who live around us. Meetup Organizers dispel that isolation by bringing people together online and, more importantly, in the real world. That real world interaction/connection strengthens communities. For example, Ann, a member of The New York City Pug Meetup Group, writes that her Organizers, Lin and Lenny,"...make me believe in people again(I've always believed in pugs!)"

New York City New In Town Meetup member Danielle says,"I think this group provides a wonderful opportunity for people to meet one another and get acquainted with being in the city. I think this group is a tribute to the great people who live here!”

When a Meetup group is cohesive, compelling, and effective, it ceases to be a collection of members and becomes a whole until itself. That entity, that Meetup group, enriches the community in which it exists. And it's the Organizer who can be thanked for bringing the Meetup group together.

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Effecting Change

In addition to sharing knowledge, building friendships, and strengthening communities, many Meetup groups accomplish things that make the world a better place. "Right now were working on donations for impoverished areas of Mexico. I have a lot of great things planned for us this year, including being a part of the Breast Cancer Three Day walk, Habitat for Humanity, adopting grandparents from local nursing homes, and more." That's what Christy and the The San Diego Moms Meetup are doing.

"This past Christmas, we gathered donations for our local woman's shelter. We collected all sorts of items and when I delivered them, I had a van full! We had collected over $600 worth of items, and the shelter told us it was the biggest donation they had received. We are hoping to match/beat that this coming year." That's how the Eau Claire area Pagan and Witches Meetup helps out.

What else have Meetup groups done? Melissa and The DFW Hurricane Relief Meetup found housing for individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Anne Marie and her Sit n’ Knit New York Meetup recently knit and donated blankets to needy children with the help of the Project Linus program. Isn't that great? Meetup Organizers bring people together and then that collection of individuals is inspired to action. Awesome.

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The BIG Payoff

Now you've seen how organizing a Meetup group gives to members, the community, and sometimes even the world. So what's the reward Organizers can expect for sharing their time and energy? What's the BIG Payoff? Quite honestly, it's the pleasure and joy of having happy and thankful members! It's the well-earned sense of satisfaction for doing a great job and leaving things better then you found it. Just read these comments members have made about their Organizers, and you'll see the impact Meetup Orgs are making on individuals and their communities:

"I love Medina because she has found a way to unite the south Florida belly dance community…it's great to know that we can all come together to share our friendship and knowledge." - a member of The Miami Bellydance Meetup Group

"I don't think [Chris] knows what the term "stranger" means. He always makes everyone feel welcome and invited." - a member of The Triangle Hiking and Outdoors Meetup

"Ada puts a lot of effort into the Meetup Group and we appreciate it! We always have fun at the events." - a member of The New York City Chihuahua Meetup

That's right! Fulfillment, satisfaction, and warm fuzzies are the greatest rewards for being a Meetup Organizer! It may sound corny, but it's true.

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So that's the deal. People step forward to run Meetup groups because they want to make a difference in their own lives as well as the lives of others. They want to enrich, expand, and share their experiences. And when people do that, big things happen. People learn, become friends, and help others. And that makes everyone involved feel great! But how does the Meetup Organizer feel, the person who started it all, the one who made it all possible? Great X 2.