Cultivating Local Communities with Digital Insights:
A retrospective and Future Outlook from organizing a successful meetup
Cultivating Local Communities with Digital Insights:
A retrospective and Future Outlook from organizing a successful meetup
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A retrospective and Future Outlook from organizing a successful meetup
This blog post is based on a lightning talk that I delivered several times in 2018. As the organizer of the KW Intersections Meetup, I’ve gained invaluable insights into leveraging digital data and collaborative efforts to nurture a thriving local community.
For context the KW Intersections meetup was a mix of a mathematics and a computer science club.
Even though the meetup has continued to grow since then, I’ve chosen to share this retrospective as an introduction to a series of upcoming posts. These posts will delve into the growth journeys of our past speakers and organizers, providing valuable insights for new organizers and speakers of meetups.
One of the key platforms for our growth was Hackernest, a monthly social event in the Kitchener-Waterloo region where the tech community came together. It served as a hub for announcing all the events happening in the region, including ours.
Our journey would not have been possible without the generous support of various companies in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. These companies either opened their doors to host our events or sponsored refreshments like pizza. Their contributions played a significant role in our growth and success. In our future posts, we will provide a comprehensive list of these companies and delve deeper into the growth of our speakers. This will not only serve as a learning platform but also enable these companies to visualize the impact they had by supporting our events.
In this blog post, I’ll recount the journey of our meetup’s growth over the past six years, sharing key takeaways that have shaped our success.
The Evolution of a Meetup
My journey with the KW Intersections Meetup began in July 2015. At the time, it was the 11th meetup, boasting 20 RSVPs, a 14% gender ratio, 108 members, and 34 active participants. Fast forward to September 2018, and the meetup had blossomed into its 48th event, with 42 RSVPs, a 38% gender ratio, 654 members, and 108 active members.
Navigating Initial Challenges
My active involvement with the meetup commenced when I attended the July 2015 event. The previous organizer relocated to Germany, and I stepped into the role of organizer in September 2015. Initially, I promoted the meetup through Reddit and monthly LinkedIn announcements. However, attendance remained relatively low, with 11-14 RSVPs and a 10-14% gender ratio from November 2015 to January 2016.
The Impact of Content Marketing
In January 2016, I embarked on a journey to understand content marketing and social media, and the results were immediate. I began publishing content on LinkedIn and Medium, and our meetup started gaining mentions at Hackernest. This led to a February 2016 meetup with 17 RSVPs and a 25% gender balance. It also paved the way for our first female external speaker at the meetup in May 2016, and by that time, our group had grown to 200 members.
Collaborating with Other Meetups
In October 2016, our meetup started gaining mentions at Hackernest, leading to an October meetup with 45 RSVPs and a 55% gender balance. By May 2016, our group had expanded to 293 members. To date, our meetup has hosted 95 talks, with 73 presented by male speakers and 22 by female speakers.
The Power of Consistent Social Media Marketing
Maintaining a consistent presence on LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as networking at other meetups, has been instrumental in our group’s growth. This not only aids the Meetup.com recommendation engine but also extends the reach of our meetup’s content and presence beyond our core local community.
Lessons Learned
Here are the key lessons I’ve gleaned from organizing the KW Intersections Meetup:
Each meetup organization starts from scratch, necessitating continuous marketing and outreach.
Consistency in your marketing channels and authenticity in your approach are crucial.
Clear, enticing titles can enhance the Meetup.com recommendation engine.
Attending and speaking at other meetups can foster cross-promotion and community growth
Injecting fresh elements into your meetup occasionally can keep the momentum going.
Highlight your speakers, and express gratitude to your supporters, attendees, and sponsors.
Looking Ahead
As I reflect on 4,5 years I was the main organizer of this meetup, I'm excited about the future although I might not be living in the Kitchener Waterloo region any more. In upcoming blog posts, we’ll delve into the journeys of past speakers and organizers, providing valuable insights for new organizers and speakers of meetups. This will not only serve as a learning platform but also demonstrate to companies the benefits of hosting these events.
Conclusion
Harnessing digital data and fostering collaborations with other communities have been pivotal in the growth of the KW Intersections Meetup. Consistent and authentic marketing, coupled with a focus on diversity and speaker development, have been the cornerstones of our group’s success. I hope these insights will inspire and guide other community organizers in their quest to grow their local meetups.
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