Five good faith rules to keep in mind

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1. Meetups are welcoming places where everyone works to foster an accepting environment that is free of discrimination, violence, 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 gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, ability, skill, financial status, or other criteria.
4. All Meetups are volunteer-run with volunteer speakers. In cases where a modest attendance fee is 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

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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. Seriously, keep asking!

Find local experts in your area and invite them to speak. Tap into your 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, or group project.

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, allows you to announce the event earlier and build community interest, and makes organizing efforts far less stressful.

What makes a good speaker/talk?

Good content is more important than speaker eloquence. Not everyone is a born public speaker, and 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 in a safe space.

Anything related to WooCommerce and WordPress is fair game, even if it’s outside of the box — for example, a design refresher or a presentation on copywriting for ecommerce.

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 sharing their time and expertise.

Be sure to clearly communicate all the appropriate details so that they’re not 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, and they might even be willing to speak again.

Finding a venue

Make sure your ideal venue helps you achieve the goals of your Meetup, considering everyone’s needs.

Logistics

Things to bear in mind:

Atmosphere

Select a place where all attendees will feel comfortable. Decide what atmosphere best matches the goal of your Meetup, and keep that in mind as you search for possible venues.

If you’re meeting in a business, such as a café or co-working space, let management know ahead of time that you’ll be hosting an event. 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, as 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 also 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

Whatever 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.