Hosting events is the most important way to meet your group members. Here are a few simple steps to schedule your group's next event.
Use the links below to jump to that section:
- Preparing to schedule an event
- Filling out event details
- Publishing your event
- Hosting a successful event
To get started, visit your groupâs homepage and select the black Create event button.
Selecting this will open a dropdown menu, where you can create a new event, copy a past event, generate event with AI, or edit a saved draft.
Select Create a new event to go to the event scheduler form.
Preparing to schedule an event
Making decisions beforehand will help you plan your event. Some things to consider:
- What is the purpose of this event? (To discuss, to collaborate, to watch, etc?)
- Will this event be in person, online, or a hybrid of both styles?
- What resources will you need to host this event? (A venue, a leadership team, etc?)
First-time hosts (or seasoned organizers looking to revitalize their group) may use the Meet and Greet event template to automatically make some of these decisions.
Filling out event details
The event scheduler form guides you through each step, including tips on best practices.
Title
Your event title should be less than 80 characters and describe the event with relevant keywords.
Keywords are a crucial way for prospective attendees to discover your event when they search on the Find page. Learn more here.
Date and time
Make sure to schedule your event far enough in advance so that your members can plan to attend. Scheduling your next event within the next two weeks can improve the likelihood of your event appearing in search results.
Duration
Most organizers schedule a socializing event for about two hours. The length of your event can vary depending on the needs of your community or the theme of your event.
Featured photo
Use a photo from a past event to give prospective attendees a better idea of what to expect. If youâve never hosted an event before and donât already have a suitable photo, try downloading a stock photo from services like Google Images, Shutterstock, or Unsplash.
When an event is created without a custom image, Meetup will display the groupâs photo as the event image. If no group photo is available, a default image will be shown instead.
Adding a specific image during event creation is a great way to ensure the event visually reflects its unique theme or purpose.
Description
Your event description should explain everything your attendees should know about the event. Include details like what to expect, the agenda, what to bring, and any other important information. Use the rich text formatting toolbar to make keywords and ideas in your event description stand out.
When writing your description, you may use a ChatGPT integration to generate a basic paragraph. For a more successful event, we encourage you to edit the AI-generated description to be more personalized and human. You can always edit your description after publishing your event.
Speaker
Meetup Pro subscribers can include details about a featured guest speaker for their events.
Topics
Add up to five (5) topics so prospective attendees with relevant interests are more likely to find your event in search results or suggestions.
Location
Selecting the right space for your event can improve your attendeesâ experience. Learn more about finding the right venue for in-person events or setting up online events.
Add venue & How to find us
Search for your venue and move the map pin to display the exact location.
If the venue you're looking for doesn't appear in the search results during the event creation flow, you can manually add a new location. To do this, click the New location button at the bottom of the list of suggested results. Youâll also have the option to keep the added location private, so it will only be visible to you and your group members.
Note: When manually adding a location, please keep in mind the following:
The location search works by venue name only â searching by address wonât return results.
Search results are limited to venues within approximately 10 miles of your groupâs set location. For example, if your group is based in New York, a venue you create in California wonât appear in the suggestions, as it falls outside the supported local search area.
To share where youâll meet, use the âHow to find usâ field.
Hosts
Assigning leadership team roles to trusted members can help you manage group responsibilities. By selecting members as event hosts for an upcoming event, you can give them an opportunity to show what a great partner they can be. Learn more about selecting event hosts.
Setting event fees
Collecting a fee from attendees when they RSVP to an event offsets your organizing costs. Learn more about setting event fees and why ticketed events can boost your community.
Optional settings
Review your Optional settings to manage whether you'd like to create a recurring event, a waitlist, and more.
- Repeat event
- Ask members a question
- Attendee limit
- Allow guests
- RSVP start and end times
- Fundraising
- Registration form
Publishing your event
Once you've filled out the form, select the Publish button at the bottom of the screen.
You can always save a draft of your event to finish later, or edit an event after it's been published.
Be sure to announce your event to members, so they know it's time to RSVP. And most importantly, have fun building your community!
Additionally, don't forget to take a look at our blog post with useful tips on how to make your events increasingly visible to potential attendees: Personalized event recommendations that deliverâ5 tips to boost your RSVPs.
Tips for hosting a successful event
Want to connect with top organizers who use Meetup to build thriving communities? Join the Meetup Organizer Community on Discord and learn more about great event hosting strategies!