Spotlight: Meetups in Austin

As the self-proclaimed “live music capital of the world,” it’s no secret that Austin, Texas loves to entertain, and their Meetups are no exception. 

We planned a perfect day (and evening) in Austin so you don’t have to, highlighting some of the awesome Meetups you’ll find in and around the city.

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Start your morning with a hike: The Austin Sierra Club hosts morning hikes around local parks and nature preserves starting at 7:45am. Beginner hikers can check out the Canyon Creek Trailhead Hike, while more experienced ones can tackle the Barton Creek Greenbelt. 

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Sample local fare: If you build up an appetite after all that hiking, you’ll want to check out the Trailer Friends: Exploring Tasty Food Trucks Meetup group. Their mission is to try every food truck in Austin “one funky trailer at a time”, and we fully support that.

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Play a game: The Central Texas Boardgames Meetup group gets together to play everything from classic board games like Monopoly and Scrabble to strategic ones like Cosmic Encounter and Settlers of Catan. New games are always welcome, so if you’ve got a cool board game, bring it.

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Express yourself: As the Doodle Dudes Austin Meetup group organizer puts it, “we’re just gonna draw a bunch of cool stuff and do our own thing with light constructive communication and feedback.” You know, Picasso and Monet had to start somewhere…

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Walk away with jazz hands: When you’re in the city that prides itself on its live music, you have to check out a show. The Austin Live Jazz Meetup group combines making new friends with listening to music, which sounds like a great way to end the night.

There are over 2,000 Meetup groups in the greater Austin area, so whether you’re a long-time resident or a newcomer, you’re sure to find a Meetup that makes you feel like a local.

Meetup now available in Japanese

As of today, Meetup is officially available in Japanese on all platforms (iOS, Android and Web)!

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The Meetup community is growing in Japan thanks to our members and organizers. There’s never been a better time to start a new Meetup group in Japanese, and find people around you who share your passions.

“Meetup exists to help people create a world with more real community, and I have deep respect for the importance of human relationships in Japanese culture. We are very honored to see people in Japan are already using the English version of Meetup to broaden their horizons. So now we are very excited to formally launch Meetup in Japan and can’t wait to see new connections, new community, and new opportunities emerge!” Meetup’s Cofounder and CEO, Scott Heiferman said.

See instructions on how to switch to Japanese. As we launch this new language, we also want to hear from you. Please make sure to follow us and engage in conversations on our Japanese blog and Twitter account

https://medium.com/@MeetupJP
http://www.twitter.com/MeetupJP

Celebrating Fall with Meetup

Get your sweaters out and your hot apple cider ready.

Fall officially began on September 23rd, and Meetups are already celebrating the shifting seasons in style.

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Photo from the Portland French Bulldog Meetup group

Check out these autumnal Meetups for inspiration:

Summer Send-off

Having an official end-of-summer Meetup is a great way to recognize the changing seasons, especially if your Meetup group is outdoors-based. Get out there and enjoy the warm temperatures one last time before it starts getting really chilly.

kayak

Last year, the Nashville Kayak Lessons Meetup group hosted a Summer Send-off Meetup, complete with a final kayak trip and bonfire.

Apple Picking

Harvesting fresh fruit while making new friends is a fantastic way to usher in the season. Get ’em while they last.

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The Fit and Fun and Active Singles Meetup group went apple picking in New York State last year. 

Pumpkin Picking

If you’re looking for a family-friendly Meetup, why not take a trip to the pumpkin patch?

Many pumpkin picking locations offer additional family activities like hayrides, petting zoos, and corn mazes.  

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There’s something fun for everyone, even the dapper Frenchies pictured above from the Portland French Bulldog Meetup group.

Haunted Houses

If you’d like to do something a little scarier, visit a haunted house in your area alone, or join a local Ghost Hunting Meetup and learn how to investigate paranormal activity with enthusiasts.  

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Photo from last July’s Meek Mansion Meetup with the Bay Area Ghost Hunters

Don’t miss their upcoming Meetup: a guided tour of the Meek Mansion in Hayward, which is known for its paranormal activity. For newbies, they also offer a Paranormal Investigation Class. 

There are other ways to get in the spirit too. Crafty Girls Night In members made their own haunted houses, and the Poughkeepsie Girls Gettin’ Together found their own Headless Horsemen attraction to follow.

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Members Only Meetup

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We celebrated the passing of another wonderful year with a members only party on the rooftop of HQ, featuring four spectacular performance based Meetup groups.

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We kicked it off with the Brooklyn Accordion Club Meetup, who played their beautiful and intricate instruments (affectionately referred to as ‘squeezeboxes’) together as a quartet called Bachtopus. As the sun went down, two fantastic solo artists surprised us by performing their original works. Pictured above is Mary Spencer Knapp of Toot Sweet.

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They were followed by the enormously talented singer songwriters of the NYC Guitar Meetup Group with Charlie Allenson (co-Organizer) and members John Traynor (pictured above), Jay Verkuilen, Steve Baker and Annie Haden.

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Then came the delightful and infectious grooves of the Westchester County Bluegrass Jam Meetup, led by Organizer and Chief Picker, Tara Linhardt.

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And last, but certainly not least, the Gotham Rock Choir Meetup brought down the house (or rather, raised the roof) by belting out, “Uptown Funk,” “Living On A Prayer” and, as a giant roof-top sing along, “Joy To The World” (by Three Dog Night, of course).

The choir was founded in 2009 “to provide an alternative to traditional choirs and to give choral singing a much-needed sense of cool”. It was such a great show, they acquired several new members before they even left the rooftop.

It was truly a night to remember with the gorgeous New York City skyline as a backdrop. Thanks to all of those who came to celebrate and jam with us.

Cheers to another year of epic Meetups!

Love,

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All of your Friends at Meetup HQ

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Photo from last night’s Data-wiping for Good Meetup, where members got together to prepare 40+ laptops donated to their fledging coding school and the computer lab at Buch for refugee students.

From their Meetup group description: “We believe that every human being has the right to live up to their potential and to improve themselves. Our aim is to help refugees to build and expand their qualification as software developers and provide them the opportunity to work with startups and tech companies. We do this by creating a coding school. This Meetup group is to engage and organise volunteering to create a supporting community for Refugees on Rails.”

Q: Why are you called Refugees on Rails?

A: We are inspired by the Ruby on Rails open-source web framework that’s “optimized for programmer happiness and sustainable productivity”. We also want to signal movement and progress, because that is what we aspire to.

Q: What is your vision?

A: To change the perception of refugees. We wish that countries will see refugees as a blessing and as assets and hence start arguing about which country is allowed to welcome more.

Q: What is your mission?

A: A European network of tech labs for refugees teaching hundreds of people how to code. Our aim is to help refugees to self-organize and find jobs in the tech industry. We aspire to create a franchise to support the operation of these programs on a global scale.

Q: What are your core values?

A: We believe in the inherent dignity of all human beings. We believe diversity drives business innovation and human progress. We believe in co-creation and we think this is really great.

Q: How can I help?

A: Right now, by donating your laptop. We would also love your help to spread the word amongst your friends about the project.

 

 

Meetup Fandoms

The Meetup ecosystem is a very diverse place. With over 200,000 Meetups ranging from dog playgroups to parent playdates, Meetup communities encompass just about anything and everything.

Including fandoms.

Fandoms are (quite simply) “fans of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc., regarded collectively as a community or subculture”. It’s the perfect Meetup.

Here are some of our favorite Meetup group fandoms:

BroniesNYC

trottingcrusaders

Photo from The Trotting Crusaders Camping Trip Meetup

What’s it all about: Are you a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic– do you collect pony merch, do you identify as a “brony” or “pegasister”? Do you live in the New York City metropolitan area, or visiting NYC? Do you want to meet up with other My Little Pony fans and hang out, chat, just have fun? This is the group for you!

Member review: “Seems like there’s something for everyone here- art guild, museum trips, hikes, films, meals, you name it! My favorites by far are the big BNYC MONTHLY meetup parties. It’s like an all-afternoon hangout, and then an all evening dance party! Seriously, these ponies have great taste in music and woah they can DANCE! Join this group to meet new friends, celebrate pastel cartoon horses, and spread joy.”

Shakespeare on the Beach

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Photo from ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION and A Midsummer Night’s Dream

What’s it all about: Whether you’re dying for an excuse to get back into Shakespeare or are exploring his plays for the first time, there is no better way to get your fix than by reading them aloud with a friendly group of like-minded people.

Member review: “Really great group, very welcoming. No experience necessary, no auditions, no judgement. A great, safe place to do a bit of public speaking and learn a bit of Shakespeare.”

Peña Madridista NYC (Real Madrid Supporter’s Club)

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Photo from NYC Supporters Club Cup 2015

What’s it all about: We are recognized by Real Madrid as an official Real Madrid supporter’s club. See our profile on the official Real Madrid website HERE. Real Madrid NYC is a not for profit club, our only mission is to share our passion for Real Madrid and building a large New York network of fans and friends.

Member review: “In a country where football takes the backburner in sports it’s hard enough to find football fans, let alone Madridistas. Joining the Peña has definitely changed my life for the better and has been such a rewarding experience. Not only has the Peña become my second home, I have also met some of my best friends here for the first time. We really are one big family and the warmth, fun and excitement along with the great Madridismo will keep you coming back! Hala Madrid!”

LADA: Los Angeles Dumbledore’s Army

dumbledorearmy

Photo from Third Annual Hogwarts Express To Shell Cottage Beach Field Trip

What’s it all about: In 2008, we started as a group of adults who loves all things Harry Potter and now we are the 2nd largest Harry Potter fan group in the world!  We also realized that we love other geeky things like Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, Hunger Games, Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr. Who and much more.

Member review: “Pretty magical if I do say so myself”

The 1st largest Harry Potter Meetup is, of course, The Group That Shall Not Be Named

Steampunked San Diego

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Photo from San Diego Comic Con

What’s it all about: A group for the San Diego Steampunk community. All are welcome.  Our strength is in our diversity of interests and skills!

Member review: “Mindbogglingly Awesome! The most newcomer-friendly, welcoming, tolerant, and fun community I’ve encountered you can imagine.”

The Glasgow Doctor Who Society

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Photo from Twice Monthly Meetup

What’s it all about: Glasgow Who, The Glasgow Doctor Who Society, is a lively community of Dr Who fans from all around Glasgow. Members come to meetings from as far afield as Ayr, Kilmarnock, Greenock and Falkirk. The group exists to give fans a chance to meet up and chat about the show, and anything else that happens to come up.

Member review: “Absolutely the BEST BUNCH. Means more than just a group of crazy fan! They are the craziest homo sapiens!”

 

 

 

Spotlight: Meetups in Paris

Paris is known as the city of l’amour, but it’s also home to over 1,700 Meetup groups, from French language classes to meditation picnics and comedy nights.

I took a closer look at what’s happening in Paris for you, so if you’re lucky enough to find yourself there, you can easily find a Meetup to restore your joie de vivre.

Let’s take a tour of Paris, shall we? Allons-y!

What better way to start off your morning than by brushing up on your French language skills? Geneviève, organizer of Parlons Français au café, holds a French conversation course every Thursday morning, so you can learn to speak French like a local in no time. C’est magnifique!

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Once you’ve mastered your French accent, you can unwind and reconnect with your core at the BodyMindGreenYoga Meetup. They host yoga and meditation picnics every Saturday, so you’ll leave feeling relaxed and energized for the rest of your day.

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If learning about French culture and history is right up your alley,  La Vie Parisienne Meetup hosts guided walks through Paris. Members rave about how much fun they have taking in the sites with a true local history buff. How can you say non to that?

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For a few laughs and great company, check out Sebastian’s Paris Standup Comedy (in English) Meetup group. One member writes, “Haven’t laughed so hard in ages. Amber and Sebastian had me in tears. A must-see for anyone hankering for a hilarious anglo-saxon perspective on life in Paris.” 

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And if you’re looking to get a sense of Paris’s bustling nightlife, try the Paris Bar Crawl Meetup. Nicolas hosts a bar crawl every Thursday, Friday, AND Saturday.

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There’s a Meetup for just about everything in Paris.

If you join one of these awesome Meetup groups, make sure you tell them Ann from Meetup HQ sent you. À bientôt, j’espère!

 

Meetup International

Although Meetup is available in 180 countries, it has now truly become a global company by creating an International Team to focus on the needs of organizers and members worldwide.

The International Team consists of native language speakers and translators, copywriters, product managers, engineers and community specialists, all focused on improving the Meetup experience abroad.

The first step towards healthy international growth is localization. This means making sure Meetup’s content and experience is familiar to local members. To achieve this we hired copywriters in each of the languages we support, in order to develop an authentic brand voice. Meetup and its apps are available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Portuguese.

We also launched Organizer Meetups in Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, Munich, and Buenos Aires to meet with organizers in person and to create a local resource for organizers to connect, share and learn from one another in their native language.

BerlinOrganizerMeetup

Photo of the Berlin Organisatoren Meetup

What do members Meetup about in different countries? Let’s break it down:

FranceMeetup

Photo of the Internationals in Paris Meetup

France

Tech Meetups are the #1 trend in France. The largest Meetup is Growth Hacking in Paris. The oldest Meetup group in France is the American Expats in Paris, created in 2002.

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Photo of the Barcelona ARTivities Meetup group

Spain

The #1 topic in Spain is Language Exchange. 50% of all Meetup groups are in Barcelona. The most active Meetup group in Spain is Plan B in Barcelona, which offers fun cultural activities like hikes and weekend trips. There are over 300 Meetup groups for Language Exchange.

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Photo of the Rome Explorers Meetup

Italy

It’s no surprise that the #1 category in Italy is Movement and Politics. Other popular categories are Tech and Language Exchange. Italy’s oldest Meetup group is Roma English as a second language. 65% of registrations in the last month have been made by female members.

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Photo of the Munich Lego Serious Play Meetup

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Growing the largest per-capita Docker Meetup outside of the US

Reblogged with permission from Mark Coleman, the CEO of Implicit-Explicit and Co-Organizer of Docker Randstad. The article was originally published on the Implicit-Explicit blog.

 

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At Implicit-Explicit it’s our business to catch trends early. Following the Lean Startup scriptures, we organized the very first Docker Amsterdam Meetup in Mark Coleman’s (CEO at Implicit-Explicit) living room!

Despite the fact that nobody knew exactly what to do with Docker at the time, we ended up having to run the event over two evenings as the aforementioned living room wasn’t big enough!

Your turn

Those days are long gone. Now we’re the largest per capita Docker Meetup outside of the US and the 7th largest on Earth. That’s right. And you are just five tips away from achieving the very same.

Tip #1: Big names mean big crowds

Popular speakers have tight schedules and naturally want to go to events where they will have more impact. Now how to get those big names? Right! Good question… How do you get big names when you’ve just started? You’re just one Meetup group among many. Sending an e-mail is bound to land you in the spam folder, right? Calling? Fireworks? What?!

First we tried poaching: whenever there was a conference in town, or relevant speakers at a related Meetup group, we’d steal them. This takes a bit of persistence but if they’re in town anyway, your chances are greatly improved. Second we partnered. For us co-hosting together with Container Solutions was a smart move. Their network is large and still growing. Not to mention they provide many good Meetup speakers. Lastly, be on the look out for rising stars. Things change real fast in tech and this week’s nobody is next week’s big name. Know who these people are and pounce on them…fast.

Being able to get Bigger Names at Docker Amsterdam turned out to be the number one driver of growth. If anything, make sure you put your resources, time and efforts there.

Tip #2: Bring learning, be fun

Have you heard the one about the woman who goes to a Meetup, meets loads of new interesting people, has a great time and then refers that Meetup to everyone she knows? If our experiences are anything to go by; probably not. At Docker Amsterdam we do games, we throw around t-shirts, drink craft beers and get people to hug each other. (They are allowed to just shake hands if they’re shy…)

We do this because many Meetups are static. Too static. Speakers speak, people clap like they’re at a golf tournament and then everyone goes home. For selfish reasons we couldn’t do that. We are in the habit of transferring our considerable amounts of energy to others. So, Mark shamelessly decided to provide comedy relief in the pauses before, between and after speakers. The word soon got around. He has hosted DockerCon Europe ‘14 and will be hosting DockerCon SF ’15. Both amazing opportunities to spread the word further, wouldn’t you say?

Find someone who will do this for your Meetup group. Better yet, think hard about what makes people engage more. What makes them feel welcomed, appreciated and what will have them leave with a smile on their faces.

Tip #3: Ad hoc is a good thing

And then we thought it was necessary to have the Meetup on a fixed day each month. Very much against our own nature. We foolishly thought this was how it was supposed to be. But sure enough, routine rots. See it like this. When you’ve just found out that there’s a really good speaker in town, what do you do? Or someone from the community just got accepted for ycombinator? Do you respond with: “Oh, gosh, we don’t have a Meetup scheduled…shame…” Or do you rise to the occasion and start mobilizing the network to meetup, “anytime now!” Much to our surprise we found this really, really works. As long as the speaker is relevant you can even “have a Meetup tomorrow night! In a cafe with space for 20 people and cram 40 in anyway.”

This approach helps to keep things real and crisp. A tell-tale sign might be that these days we rarely get below 70 attendees and regularly hit 100+ before the abstracts, bios and location are even posted. So when you think regularity is good, remember that it’s actually exactly as it sounds, boring. We let opportunity and content drive the Meetup dates.

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