What happens if no-one comes to my Meetup?

[PaulPavlinovich]

We all worry about it.. We organise a Meetup. We make a Map that looks interesting. We organise a theme or an activity for everyone to join in. We share the information here in Connect and on our socials but still, despite doing everything right no-one comes along.

I've been organising Meetups of one kind or another actively since 2011 and more recently over the last few years with Local Guides. Were they all successful? No, absolutely not. Putting it bluntly some didn't go too well. Some of them are huge (400 people), many large (10 - 50 people), most small (less than 10 people) and some of them zero. Why does it happen? People RSVP and say they're coming but they don't. I've even missed one of my own Meetups and had to get another Local Guide to step in for me and take over.

What do you do? Well, move on and get on with thinking about the next one. When it happens to me, if its a photowalk I just go ahead and do the walk anyway - after all I will enjoy it and I can show others what they missed out on later.

The point is that it happens to everyone, even veterans. Don't let it worry you - don't let it get you down, if you did you'd probably never push that submit button on the Meetup creation. Go ahead push the button. Whether people come or not, you've done something for yourself. You've summoned the courage to put yourself out there. Well done.

[GeorgesHR]

Thanks for sharing this @PaulPavlinovich.

It is really encouraging Local Guides to create more Meet-Ups and go out there!

Great stuff!

Best regards,

Georges

[ValeriaA_]

Thanks for writing this post @PaulPavlinovich. I'm sure every local guide who organises a meet up needs to read encouragement like this at some point.

So far I've only hosted one meet up. Some people told me they wouldn't be able to come but they supported me and shared it in social media. Anyway, when the day came, there were just two of us, @santiagoirale and me. The weather was really horrible, the meet up was supposed to take place at the beach and it was really windy so we couldn't walk a lot. We achieved what we wanted to do (update info about new places) and then went to the centre of the city and kept on guiding. We walked like 3 or 4 hours, but never stopped contributing to Maps. I think it was one of the most successful "guiding time" I've had. I really enjoyed it as well!

Now I've learned some things for when I plan future meet-ups (I'm hosting one this Saturday) and instead of not wanting to do it anymore, I just want to host more and more meet-ups!

So, once again, thank you very much for writing this motivational post, I felt great while reading it 🙂

See you around!

[JustinAlex]

Wow, Thanks for sharing such a wonderful post @PaulPavlinovich

It gave me an encouragement for doing my upcoming meetup pretty well and this post encourages others too....

❤️❤️❤️

[santiagoirale]

Great post @PaulPavlinovich. Needed to be said!! Local Guides are a rare species in some cities and I guess it ain't easy to find a date that suits everyone.

When @ValeriaA_ organiced that meet up we where hoping there would be some local guides on vacation at the beach but we had no luck and the wheather did not help for sure.

Anyway it was a very good experience just being a part of it's organization. We are really looking forward to the one in our city this saturday.

[SalmaanN]

Hi @PaulPavlinovich.

Thanks for this encouragement. It happened to me too in few meetups like no one attended. I just continued all by myself and during meetup when some people ask me about why I am taking photograph of shops, places during meetup. I then share about Local Guides Program with them and most of the time, they all were happy on knowing that. And it filled the empty space of being alone in meetup. As @HelloSamsonR once said to me that, by the end mission accomplished. :))

Regards,

Salmaan

[SalmaanN]

Hi @ValeriaA_.

It is very nice to read about your first meetup. Walked 3 to 4 hrs with contributing during meetup is really inspiring. And best wishes for your upcoming meetup on Saturday. :))

[ValeriaA_]

Thank you very much @SalmaanN for your support! Despite the problems we encountered it was really fun and I can even say it was a successful meet up 🙂

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SalmaanN ha escrito:

Hi @ValeriaAumasque.

It is very nice to read about your first meetup. Walked 3 to 4 hrs with contributing during meetup is really inspiring. And best wishes for your upcoming meetup on Saturday. :))

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[SalmaanN]

You are most welcome, @ValeriaA_.. :))

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@ValeriaA_ wrote:

Thank you very much @SalmaanN for your support! Despite the problems we encountered it was really fun and I can even say it was a successful meet up 🙂

[PaulPavlinovich]

I'm glad you liked the words @SalmaanN @ValeriaA_ @santiagoirale @JustinAlex @GeorgesHR I thought it was worth letting people know that everyone has similar fears and that an empty Meetup can happen to anyone. I've been called the Meetup King but I prefer to just be a Local Guide like everyone else and one way of being that is admitting to being fallible :).

Regards Paul