The Meetup.com Phenomenon
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Photo courtesy of Meetup.comWhere it all began: the Manhattan offices of
Meetup.com
“Do something. Learn something. Share something. Change something.”
That is the mantra of the folks who created Meetup.com, an international Web-based social networking site that started in Manhattan in 2002 and has since spread to more than 3,600 cities around the world. Meetup groups organize themselves around shared interests – say, Siamese cats, or mountain climbing – then serve as discussion boards and, more importantly, as launching pads for activities and events for members – actual “meetups” – in the real world.
Meetup.com’s manifesto offers a dose of inspiration to anyone who has ever wondered whether the Information Age will ultimately drive us apart or bring us together. “Let’s be fearless,” it says. “Let’s use the Internet to get people off the Internet.”
It’s an interesting paradox – using technology to bring people together and then encouraging those folks to “step away from their screens” to actually meet up – but it’s an idea that seems to be working for them, even in this sagging economy. If you happen to live in the New York area, there’s actually some good economic news: Meetup.com is hiring!)
Courtesy of Meetup.comMeetup.com’s Web site is home to thousands of
Meetup groups
The folks at Meetup.com are by no means saying the Internet is a bad thing. (Gentle Reader, I thank you right now for being on the Internet and reading this electronic magazine. Information is nourishing and good and it has to come from somewhere, right?) In fact, their revenue stream is Web-based: Group organizers pay $12 per month for their page on the Meetup.com Web site and for the management tools necessary to set it up and maintain it. But it’s absolutely free to become a member of any existing group.
The first group I got involved with was the Las Vegas Hiking with Dogs Group. My wife found it shortly after we moved here, when we were looking for a way to channel some of the effusive energy of our (then) 1-year-old golden retriever, Zazzy. Finding the group was a godsend in more ways than one. We got to meet several fun, interesting people with whom we had something in common (dogs) and we got to explore many incredible hiking trails around Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead and even the amazing Valley of Fire located about thirty minutes north of town, click here for a map.
The second group my wife found for us was The Wine Meetup, an immensely popular group with more than 500 members. It’s quite common for this group’s events to fill up just hours after posting, but we managed to squeeze into a few and we had a great time. That’s when I took over our joint profile and pretty much became a Meetup.com junkie.
Photo by Hank HawkinsThe Las Vegas Writers Group is just one of around
600 Meetup groups in Las Vegas
The first group I joined was The Las Vegas Writers Group and it remains one of my favorites to this day. I’m now a member of 13 different Meetup groups here in Las Vegas. I’ll probably join two or three more next month, although I have to admit I’ve only attended meetings for about half the ones I already belong to. Some groups, especially those focused on technology and trends, maintain active discussion boards that are easy to follow. But even with the online chat, I know I’m missing the all-important eye-to-eye, face-to-face connection that is the cornerstone of the Meetup.com philosophy. As they say in their manifesto: “When people get together, amazing things happen.”
Here’s how a typical Meetup group works: 1) Anyone who wants to start an interest group in a local area becomes an official “organizer” and pays $12 per month to Meetup in six-month installments. 2) The organizer is granted access to the very easy webpage management tools necessary to build a Web site, post messages, schedule meetings and even run a discussion board. 3) By linking to other groups with similar interests and by virtue of the weekly calendars and new-group announcements Meetup automatically sends to active members, the new group usually starts attracting members very quickly.
Most organizers request a $2-$3 donation from members who attend events to cover the monthly maintenance fee. Some don’t even do that. I’d say about one in 10 members shows up for any given event, making large groups more manageable than they might seem. Apparently, for most of us cyber-junkies, and I include myself in this group, it’s easy to click and join, but it’s a whole other level of commitment to actually leave the house!
Photo by Eric James Miller“See for yourself exactly how alone you’re not.”
Meetup.com is immensely popular with a wide range of people, especially singles (see, e.g., The LV Singles 30 & 40 Something Group) and newcomers with specific interests (e.g., Chicago New In Town Yoga). There are groups devoted to different types of music, food, the arts, sports watching, sports playing, travel, technology, the weird and the whimsical. Almost all have a nice mix of married, single, young and old people who come in all colors, shapes and sizes. (Hint: When you find a group you think you might like, scan the member profiles to see the kind of people you might meet. The profiles are good reading even if you’re just looking to take the pulse of a particular cultural zeitgeist.)
There are almost 600 Meetup.com groups here in Las Vegas, and more than 50,000 active members. Larger cities across the U.S. have even more groups. For instance, there are more than 2,000 groups in the Los Angeles area and more than 3,000 in New York. Meetup.com is also active abroad. There are more than 900 groups in London, more than 150 in Sydney, and even a dozen in Stockholm. The next time I plan to go anywhere I might look at Meetup.com even before buying a Lonely Planet guidebook!
Whether you’re a newcomer or a longtime Vegas resident, are planning a trip somewhere you’ve never been, or are simply looking to find some like-minded individuals, I highly recommend checking out Meetup.com. See for yourself exactly how alone you’re not.
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Thanks, Eric! You’ve inspired me to check out more Las Vegas Meetup groups. Facebook and Twitter get a lot of buzz, but I think Meetup is equally amazing in how it helps connect people. I especially like that it promotes NEW friendships and experiences, both online and in the flesh.
Hey! Another very interesting article. I’ll have to give it a try (in between Facebook activities).
Thanks.
Very interesting article about a very interesting technology tool. Thank goodness I have you to keep me up to date on this kind of thing, or I’d be even more hopelessly behind the times than I already am!
Good article — and maybe the reason the LVWG had such an influx of new members yesterday.
Great article. I’ve lived in Las Vegas since January 2007 and have been a Meetup member for over a year now. I absolutely love it! I can barely remember my first year here because my life, since joining Meetup, has been so different.
Great article. I’m an organizer for over a year now. Meetup give me a chance to meet wonderful people and making new friends. I recommend Meetup for anyone that loves to meet new people, its safe and fun.