Five good faith rules to keep in mind

↑ Back to top

1. Meetups are welcoming places where everyone works to foster an accepting environment which is free of discrimination, incitement to violence, promotion of hate, and general jerk-like behavior.
2. WooCommerce Meetups are for the benefit of the community as a whole, not specific businesses or individuals. All actions taken as an event organizer are with the best interest of the community in mind.
3. Membership in the local Meetup group is open to all who wish to join, regardless of ability, skill, financial status, or other criteria.
4. All Meetups are volunteer-run with volunteer speakers. In cases where a modest attendance fee might be necessary, this fee should only cover the costs of the Meetup and shouldn’t be used to pay speakers or organizers.
5. Meetup groups allow events to be organized by any reliable/trusted member of the community.

Finding a speaker

↑ Back to top

Where to look

Ask your group for volunteers – and keep asking. Over time, there will be new people joining your group or existing members who may be considering speaking. People learn and grow as time goes on, gaining insights that will assist them in giving a solid presentation. Keep asking!

Find local experts in your area and invite them to speak. Tap into your close network: colleagues, friends, or people you’ve connected with at other events.

Keep a lookout for out-of-town guests who might make good speakers. If they’re visiting your city for something else, they might be able to attend your event as well. Check your local conferences calendar as a starting point.

Ask the audience at each Meetup if they’d like to give a talk at one of the next events. Encourage people to do lightning talks – it’s less intimidating than a full-blown presentation.

Watch the blogs and tweets of your group members for ideas and then ask them to speak on that topic.

If finding presenters proves difficult, switch things up and go with a different format. Make your Meetup a social hour, demonstration, round table discussion, group project, or something similar.

Planning ahead

Don’t wait until the week before to try to get a speaker – it helps to plan in advance so that you’re not scrambling at the last minute. Planning ahead gives your speakers more time to prepare their presentations, you can announce the event earlier and build community interest, and it makes your organizing efforts far less stressful.

What makes a good speaker/talk?

A talk with good content is usually more important than the eloquence of the speaker. Not everyone is a born public speaker – the good thing is that it’s a skill that can be learned and perfected. A Meetup is a great place to practice public speaking and share knowledge with friendly, like-minded individuals.

The best presentations are sometimes only tangentially related to WooCommerce and WordPress. Think outside the box – perhaps a design refresher or a presentation on copywriting for eCommerce is just what people need. After all, WooCommerce sites need graphic design and copy. You don’t want to stray too far from WooCommerce, but occasionally it can be fruitful.

Sometimes you won’t find a speaker, or the speaker you have scheduled won’t be able to make it. Why not do a talk or presentation yourself? It’s a good idea to have a backup talk that you’ll be able to give in case of emergency.

Look after your speakers

Meetup speakers are not paid, but you can still show them that you’re thankful for donating their time and expertise.

Be sure to clearly communicate all the appropriate details and don’t leave your guest speaker wondering ahead of the event.

Confirm at least a week before that they’re coming, and ask if they need anything. At the event, anticipate any needs they may have. Ensure that the audio-visual connections are working, offer them water, and update them on the schedule for the event.

Afterwards, show your appreciation by sending a thank you message. It can be difficult to find speakers – treat them well when you do find them, and you may find that they’ll be eager to do so again.

Finding a venue

Make sure your ideal venue helps you achieve the goals of your Meetup – you’ll want to consider everyone’s needs.

Logistics

Things you’ll need to bear in mind:

Atmosphere

Select a place where everyone will feel comfortable. Decide which atmosphere matches the goal of your Meetup, and keep it in mind as you search for possible venues.

If you’re meeting in a business – such as a café or co-working space – connect with management ahead of time to let them know you’re coming. For smaller meetups just getting started, a coffee shop or a pub can be a good first venue.

Venue resources

Yelp is a quick way to find opinions about local spaces. Yelp reviews often contain venue details you might not see on a space’s website. You can quickly crowdsource data about whether a venue accepts credit cards, has ample parking, and if it’s considered good for groups overall.

Crowdsourcing is a great option for finding a venue. The members of your Meetup are passionate about the same thing you are, so it’s likely that they already have some good ideas about where to go. Ask them to share their ideas — you may find someone with a connection to the perfect space.

You can use Google Maps to get a sense of the spaces in your local area. Read user-created reviews, see which times a place is busiest, and view suggestions for other similar venues in the area.

IRL

Whichever space you decide on, be sure to check it out in real life ahead of time. Pictures, reviews, and recommendations can’t replace an actual experience.