Guidelines to help members and organizers succeed on Meetup

At Meetup, we believe that real-life community is really, really important. When people come together, they create new possibilities for each other. Ideas spread, networks form, movements start. At its simplest, life is just better when you have people to enjoy it with.

Meetup exists to help people grow into the people they want to be and live happy and fulfilling lives by finding the communities that will help them thrive.

To make this possible, Meetup requires groups to meet some basic requirements.

✔ Offer a growth opportunity

Meetup events should offer opportunities for members to better themselves in some way. This could mean:

• Teaching or learning something new
• Developing a skill
• Meeting new people
• Building community
• Volunteering for a cause
• Supporting each other
• Increasing awareness about a specific topic
• Encouraging a passion
• Pursuing a goal or a hobby
• Getting fit and active
• Exploring new places
• Furthering one’s career

✔ Host events that create real human connections

Meetup is a platform that helps people make real-life connections—it is not a platform for only advertising sales or special promotions. Meetup groups should be focused on building meaningful communities and not one-to-one interactions or services. Events must focus on creating an experience that adds value for attendees. This can mean learning something, playing a game together, making new friends, or enjoying each other’s company. People should leave Meetup events feeling inspired or more connected to their community in some way.

Here are a few examples of what’s acceptable to post as a Meetup event:

• Discussions that offer new perspectives
• Adventures that get people out of their comfort zones
• Hangouts that allow people to get to know each other
• Tours that help people discover new places and ideas
• Workshops that help people sharpen their skills
• Group speakers that spread new ideas
• Games that connect people through fun, shared experiences

Here are some examples of how businesses should and should not use Meetup:

✔ A local bar that hosts weekly get-togethers like trivia nights or darts tournaments

✘ A local bar that hosts events that solely advertise daily happy hour times and prices

✔ A yoga studio that hosts daily group classes

✘ A yoga studio that hosts events that solely advertise limited-time offers

✔ A wine shop that hosts tasting events and sommelier courses

✘ A wine shop that hosts events that solely advertise new inventory or sales

✔ Have a host present at events

It can be a little intimidating to show up to an event where you don’t know anyone, so having a host at every event is important for making members feel comfortable and welcome. All Meetup events must have an in-person host present to help connect attendees, manage relationships with venues, and bring structure to the events. The host must, at a minimum, make members aware of the event location, and act as a point of contact during the event. If a business or an organization is sponsoring an event, the event description must identify a contact person who will be present at the event.

If Meetup receives reports that there is no one present in-person hosting a Meetup group’s events, we may remove the group at our sole discretion.

✔ Be honest and transparent about your group’s intentions

Meetup organizers must always be honest and transparent with their members so that everyone knows what to expect at the group’s events. Group and event names and descriptions must accurately convey sufficient information that allows members to make informed decisions about their participation. This includes, at a minimum, being clear about:

• The nature of the group's activities, interests, and intentions
• The group’s membership requirements
• Fees or dues
• The group’s affiliation, if the group is associated with a business, organization, or any other third party

Events scheduled within a Meetup group should also be aligned with the group’s main purpose and should be consistent with the focus, intentions, and criteria outlined in the group description.

If Meetup receives reports that a group is not accurately disclosing any of the above information or an event does not align with the group's main purpose, we may remove the group at our sole discretion.

Prohibited group and event practices on Meetup

Helping people find their crew is what Meetup is all about—however, there are a few types of communities that we cannot support on our platform due to safety, legal, or ethical reasons. If Meetup determines that your group or its events fall into any of the following categories, we may remove the group at our sole discretion.

Meetup does not support groups and events related to any of the following themes.

✘ Violent, dangerous, or criminal behavior

Groups must not contain content or promote events that could promote or facilitate illegal or violent activity, such as:

• Buying, selling, or trading firearms, ammunition, or drugs  
• Pyramid schemes
• Acts of physical harm against other people
• Animal abuse
• Acts of vandalism

Groups must not contain content or promote events that could threaten public or personal safety, including:

• Advocating for, inciting, or making aspirational statements or threats to commit violence against any group of people, individual person, or specific location
• Weapons and explosive-making
• Militia gatherings or any calls for violence in response to private or public events
• Exposure of an individual’s personal information
• Promotion or glorification of self-harm (for example, suicide, eating disorders or substance abuse)

Groups must not contain content or promote events that incite hate, violence, or harassment against individuals or groups of people based on personal attributes such as race, color, religion, descent, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, disability, or a medical or genetic condition.

Groups must not advance conspiracy theories that promote hatred or violence against individuals or groups based on any of the above personal attributes. Conspiracy theories that diminish or deny the documented suffering of a group of people are not permitted.

Groups must not contain content or promote events that organize, promote, provide for, distribute services for, or recruit for terrorist organizations.

✘ Targeted to individuals under 18

Meetup members and organizers must be at least 18 years old. Meetup groups and events must be only targeted to people over the age of 18.

Family groups are more than welcome on Meetup, but all children present at the event must be supervised and accompanied by an adult guardian.

✘ Harmful misinformation

Groups must not contain content or promote events that contain misinformation. This includes medical misinformation such as:

• Assurances of health cures or mental cures
• Unrealistic health, diet, and weight loss claims
• Claims that have been scientifically disproven and that may pose a public or personal health risk

Groups must not contain content or promote events that contain financial guarantees, including:

• Assurances of financial gains
• Promises of specific returns on investment

✘ Misrepresentation or concealed intentions

Groups must not contain content or promote events that conceal or misrepresent the primary purpose of the group or its events, including:

• A group created with the purpose of deliberately spreading false or deceptive information
• A group created with the sole purpose of making a statement or sparking controversy

✘ Pick-up artists or seduction techniques

Groups must not contain content or promote events that involve pick-up or seduction techniques, or wingman tactics.

✘ Sexual exploitation

Groups must not contain content or promote events that promote or facilitate sex trafficking, prostitution, or any other type of sexual exploitation.

✘ Pornography, nudity, or sexual content

Groups and events must not contain pornography or publicly shared nude or sexual photos.

If nudity or sexuality is part of a group’s identity or lifestyle, organizers must keep the group private in order to limit access to this content to members of that group. Meetup expects organizers to monitor this content.

✘ Mature interests that are not honest and transparent

Mature interest groups must follow additional requirements. In the group description, organizers must clearly describe rules of participation and informed consent, be clear and explicit about activities that will occur, and outline safety considerations. Mature interest groups must always have their group visibility settings set to private.

✘ Legal or medical services

Groups must not contain content or promote events that involve regulated services provided by licensed medical or legal professionals. Meetup does not validate professional credentials or licenses.

✘ A doctor or nurse that offers a healthcare procedure

✘ A lawyer that offers assistance filing for divorce

However, groups and events focused on group activities promoted by these professionals are allowed.

✔ A therapist who organizes a mutual support group for people with anxiety

✔ A health professional who organizes a weight loss support group