What is a meetup

A meetup is a social gathering of people who share a common interest or goal. These events are typically organized through online platforms such as meetup.com, codotto.com and they can be focused on a wide range of topics, including hobbies, careers, sports, and more.

Meetups are often organized around a specific theme or activity, and they can range in size from a small group of friends to a large gathering of hundreds or even thousands of people. They can take place in a variety of settings, such as bars, restaurants, parks, or other public spaces.

The purpose of a meetup is to provide a space for people to come together and connect with others who share their interests. These events can be a great way to make new friends, learn new things, and explore new hobbies or activities.

Meetups are typically organized by a group leader or organizer who is responsible for planning the event and coordinating the details. The group leader will typically create a codotto.com group for the event and invite members to join.

Overall, a meetup is a social gathering that provides a space for people with similar interests to connect and share their passions. These events can be a great way to make new friends, learn new things, and explore new hobbies or activities.

Normal meetups vs tech meetups

A meetup is a gathering of people with a common interest or goal, while a tech meetup is a type of meetup specifically focused on technology-related topics. Tech meetups may include discussions, demonstrations, or presentations about various technology-related topics, such as software development, data science, or innovation in the tech industry.

Tech meetups solely focus on the information technology community. The goal of a tech meetup can vary depending on the specific group and its members. Some common goals of tech meetups include networking with other technology professionals, learning about new developments in the tech industry, sharing knowledge and expertise, and staying up to date with the latest trends and technologies. Tech meetups may also provide an opportunity for participants to collaborate on projects, form partnerships, or discuss potential job opportunities. Ultimately, the goal of a tech meetup is to provide a space for technology enthusiasts to come together, connect, and learn from one another.

How to organize a successful tech meetup

Organizing a successful tech meetup can be a rewarding experience, both for you and for the attendees. Here are some steps you can follow to ensure that your meetup is a success:

1. Define your goals
2. Choose a relevant topic
3. Select a venue and date
4. Promote your meetup
5. Plan the agenda
6. Follow up with attendees

1. Define your goals

Defining your goals before you start planning your meetup is important because it will help you focus your efforts and ensure that your meetup is successful. By taking some time to think about what you want to achieve with your meetup, you can determine what type of event will be the most effective in meeting those goals. For example, if your goal is to provide a space for people in the tech community to network and learn from each other, you might want to plan a networking event or a series of presentations or workshops. On the other hand, if you want to showcase new technologies or ideas, you might want to plan a demo day or a hackathon. Having clear goals will also help you attract the right attendees and choose the right topic and format for your meetup. It will also make it easier to plan the agenda and promote your event.

2. Choose a relevant topic

Once you have defined your goals for your tech meetup, you can choose a topic that will be of interest to the people you want to attend. To do this, it's a good idea to do some research and find out what topics are currently trending in the tech community. This will help you select a topic that will be engaging and relevant to your audience. There are several ways you can do this research, such as by reading industry news and blogs, participating in online forums and discussion groups, and talking to people in the tech community to find out what they are interested in. By choosing a topic that is currently trending and relevant to your audience, you can increase the chances that your meetup will be successful.

3. Select a venue and date

Choosing a venue and date for your tech meetup is an important step in the planning process. There are several factors you should consider when selecting a venue, such as the size of the space, its accessibility, and the availability of technology such as WiFi and projection equipment. You should also make sure that the venue has adequate parking and is located in a convenient location for the majority of your potential attendees.

In addition to selecting a venue, you'll also need to choose a date and time for your meetup. Be sure to choose a date and time that is convenient for the majority of your potential attendees. This might mean avoiding holidays and other busy times and choosing a time that is convenient for people who live and work in the area. You should also consider the length of your meetup and the time of day that will be most convenient for your attendees. By choosing a date and time that is convenient for the majority of your potential attendees, you can increase the chances that they will be able to attend your meetup.

For example, whenever we organize meetups on codotto.com we always get in touch with a few companies that like to receive tech meetups in their premises around Zagreb, Croatia. A great example was Cinnamon Agency. Cinnamon was amazing at helping us define our goals, choosing relevant topics, selecting the venue, and, promoting the meetup via Linkedin, Facebook, and other media. The space was amazing with a great projector where attendees could see any problems with the slides and code examples of our speakers. When attendees arrived at the premises, WiFi network and it's password was visible from the entrance. We didn't hear a "What is the WiFi password?". It was amazing to see that a good chunk of employees stayed late to listen to the speakers and their presentations.

Some other companies that were great at helping out other groups on organizing their meetups are:

• Q Agency
• 404 Agency
• Infobip
• Rimac

These options are great as it alleviates a lot of the burden from the meetup organizer's perspective and helps you by having a well-established brand helping out marketing your event.

4. Promote your meetup

Once you have sorted out the details of your tech meetup, it's time to start promoting it to ensure that people know about it and are able to attend. There are several ways you can promote your meetups, such as using social media, email, and other online channels. When promoting your meetup, be sure to include all of the relevant details, such as the date, time, venue, and topic. This will help people understand what your meetup is about and decide whether they want to attend.

In addition to promoting your meetup online, you can also use offline channels such as flyers, posters, and word of mouth to get the word out. You can also consider partnering with other organizations or companies in the tech community to help promote your meetup. By using a variety of channels to promote your meetup, you can reach a wider audience and increase the chances that people will attend.

5. Plan the agenda

Planning the agenda for your tech meetup is an important step in ensuring that your event runs smoothly and is successful. The agenda should include a schedule of events, such as presentations, panel discussions, networking sessions, and any other activities you have planned. When planning the agenda, be sure to allow enough time for each activity and consider leaving some time for open discussion and Q&A. This will give attendees the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the speakers and other participants.

In addition to planning the schedule of events, you should also consider other aspects of the meetup, such as the logistics of the event. This might include things like setting up registration, providing refreshments, and arranging for technology such as WiFi and projection equipment. By planning these details in advance, you can ensure that your meetup runs smoothly and that attendees have a positive experience.

6. Follow up with attendees

Following up with attendees after your tech meetup is an important step in ensuring the success of your event. By reaching out to attendees and thanking them for coming, you can show your appreciation and build relationships with members of the tech community. This can also be an opportunity to gather feedback on the event, which can help you improve future meetups and make them even more successful.

In addition to thanking attendees and gathering feedback, you can also use this opportunity to encourage them to join your meetup group, sign up for your newsletter, or take part in future events. This can help to build a community around your meetup and keep people engaged and interested in what you are doing. By following up with attendees after your meetup, you can foster relationships, gather valuable feedback, and encourage participation in future events.

Great examples of organizing a good meetup

Javascript Zagreb

Vedran Blaženka is the main organizer of Javascript Zagreb at the moment. Vedran follows the points above to make sure his meetups of Javascript Zagreb happen without any issues. On each meetup, Vedran makes sure to first define the goals of the meetup. Should the meetup focus more on networking? Should the meetup focus more on sharing new technologies?

Then, Vedran makes sure to find good speakers to speak on current hot 🔥topics. For example, last meetup Matija Marohnic spoke about "Introduction to Remix, a full stack React framework". At the time, Remix was a framework that was recently released and the community was eager to learn more about it.

Then, Vedran made sure to select a venue that was perfect for the meetup. Vedran made sure that Reactor Studio offices had a good place where they could project their slides, WiFi connectivity for the guests, and refreshments such as pizzas and drinks (e.g. beer and

Vedran made sure to promote the event on LinkedIn, and Facebook and use Codotto's feature to notify its group members that a new meetup has been published.

Then, the agenda was planned with two speakers, time for Q&A (this is a new feature added to codotto.com that you can use), and networking time.

At the final stages of the meetup, Vedran made sure to review the feedback received on codotto.com from his attendees. This allowed him to understand what exactly he could do better and how the speakers could improve their presentations.