Hey there! Welcome to our weekly mini series where we, the Connect Moderators, share tips and tricks on how to enjoy the redesigned Connect to the fullest. Every Thursday, we will focus on one aspect of the community to help you feel more at home.
My name is Cecilia Ratto, and I’ve been a Local Guide for almost nine years and a Connect Moderator for the last four. Earlier this year, after a long journey, I finally reached Level 10, which filled me with a lot of joy. I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with my husband, my son, and my cat, and I’m an archer! I love the sport, and practicing it helps me improve my concentration and body control.
Now, let’s get started! This week, I will talk about all you need to know to set up a successful in-person meet-up. During all these years as a Local Guide, I’ve hosted numerous meet-ups in my city and have participated in many events organized by other Local Guides. Here’s everything I’ve learned so far.
The key to hosting in-person meet-ups: Organization
If you’re planning an in-person meet-up, the organization will ensure the event’s success. It all starts with a clear goal: what do you want to achieve with your meet-up? From there, you can define the kind of experience you want to offer.
Plan ahead: Choose a date, time, and location well in advance to give attendees enough time to prepare. Take into account that you must submit your meet-up for approval on Connect more than 5 days prior to the start of your event.
Consider accessibility: Make sure the venue is accessible for everyone, including those with mobility challenges or other specific needs.
Think about food preferences: If the meet-up includes eating somewhere, find a place that has options for everyone in your group. Review dietary restrictions and preferences between your attendees to ensure there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Verify the space: Confirm that the location will be open on the scheduled date and that it has enough capacity to comfortably accommodate your group.
Know your audience: Consider their interests and needs to create an engaging and comfortable experience.
Communicate the details: Use Connect, social media, emails, or group chats to share clear information about the event.
Stay flexible: No matter how much you plan, unexpected challenges may arise. Have a backup plan ready.
The goal isn’t just to gather people but to create a space where they feel welcome and can connect. With good organization, your meet-up will be memorable and, most importantly, meaningful to those who attend.
Steps to create an in-person meet-up on Connect
Once you decide on the goal and find a suitable place and activity for your group, you must create a meet-up here on Connect and send it for approval. Follow these steps:
- Click on “Create” and then “New meet-up.”
- Select the type of your meet-up: Virtual, In-person, or Hybrid. In this case, we will select “In-person.”
- Choose tags that are relevant to the goal of your meet-up.
- Select the start date and time as well as the end date and time. Make sure you’ve chosen the right time zone!
- Select a location, add a title, and write a description of what you are going to do during the meet-up and any requirements the attendees must follow. Also, upload a photo or a banner that best represents your meet-up.
Pro tip: For your own security and that of your attendees, I recommend putting a broad location in the Location field, such as a street name without a number. You can later use Connect Private Messages to connect with your attendees and share the exact meeting point.
- Finally, submit the form!
Your meet-up will be reviewed in the next few days, and once it gets approved — voilà! You have your meet-up ready to go.
What’s next after the approval?
It’s time to prepare yourself for the big day and get others prepared, too. You will be able to see who has signed up for your meet-up on Connect, so you can contact them to share the meeting location and any additional requirements.
On the day of the meet-up
Here some tips I usually follow during my meet-ups:
Arrive on time and maybe even a little earlier to greet all participants with a smile.
Explain the purpose of the meet-up so that everyone is on the same page.
Stay organized to ensure everything goes as planned.
Create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, where everyone feels comfortable and can have a great time.
Most importantly: enjoy the moment, connect with others, and make sure everyone has fun — including you!
Afterward, write your recap on Connect to share all the exciting moments with the community!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this quick introduction! You can find more information about how to use Connect in the Community guidelines section, where this mini series also lives. If there’s a specific feature you want to learn more about, let us know below, or check out the rest of the topics in the series:
- Make your Connect profile shine
- Translate what others share into your language
- Get answers from the community with polls
- Stay updated on the content you care about
- Reach Local Guides on and off Connect
- Style your posts to make them stand out
- Host successful virtual meet-ups
- Host successful in-person meet-ups (this post)
- Write engaging meet-up recaps
