In response to the guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, advice from the World Health Organization, and to protect the health and safety of the Meetup community during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re working on solutions that help organizers host events online to keep their communities safe and connected. 

We’ve also temporarily updated our in-person event policy to permit groups to host events online.

Choosing a video conferencing service

Meetup now includes the option to add a video conference link to an event instead of a location. We recommend using video conferencing services like Google Hangouts, Zoom, or Jitsi. Learn more about a few popular video conferencing services.

How to create an online event

1. Create a new event draft.
2. Designate that your event is “Online” at the beginning of the event title. 
3. In the event description, invite members to join your event online by following the link listed in the event location.
4. Click Make this an online event. Your event location will display your video conferencing link.
5. Add a link to your online event in the field below. Your link must be related to a video conferencing service. Don’t include any additional text aside from the link.
   
   
6. Complete any optional settings.
7. Publish your event.

You won’t be able to make online events recurring, they must be scheduled individually.

iOS / Android

1. Create a new event draft.
2. Designate that your event is “Online” at the beginning of the event title. 
3. In the event description, invite members to join your event online by following the link listed in the event location.
4. Click Make it an online event. Your event location will display your video conferencing link.
   
5. Add a link to your online event in the field below. Your link must be related to a video conferencing service. Don’t include any additional text aside from the link.
6. Complete any optional settings.
7. Publish your event.

You won’t be able to make online events recurring, they must be scheduled individually.

Third-party services disclaimer

When using the Meetup platform to host an online event, you and your event attendees must comply with any terms and conditions set by the third-party provider of the meeting or video conference services used. Meetup does not provide these meeting or video conference services, is not a party to your agreement with the third-party provider, and will not be liable or responsible for your use of the third-party services.

Schedule your group’s next event in a few simple steps. You can start a new event from scratch, copy a past event, or edit a draft you’ve saved.

To get started, select Create event and then Create a new event on your group’s homepage.

To schedule an event, enter your event details (title, date and time, description, host), adjust the optional settings (repeat event, attendee limit, etc.), and announce your event to members or save a draft for later.

Event details

Title (required)

A good event title should introduce your event topic and encourage people to show up.

Date and time (required)

Choose a start date and time and select the duration of your event (1 hr, 2 hr, etc.). The end time will be created automatically. Select Set an end time to choose a custom end date and time.

Repeating event settings are located in the “Optional settings” section below.

Featured photo

A featured photo will display on your event page and give members a better feel for your event.

Photo files should be either JPEG, PNG, or non-animated GIF under 10Mb. Horizontal (landscape) photos that are at least 1200 x 675 pixels fit best.

Description (required)

Start with an overall description, the location, and a basic agenda of your event. Give your attendees an idea of what they can expect during the event and what they need to know before they arrive.

Location

Give your members an address and map pin to find your event. Use the movable map pin to designate an alternate location if you’re meeting away from a street address.

Hosts (required)

The event’s creator is designated as the event host by default, but any member of the group can be an event host. Type in the “Add a host” textbox to change the primary event host or select co-hosts.

Event hosts can edit event details and message attendees. Every event must have at least one event host.

Optional settings 

• Repeat event: Choose how often the event will repeat (every week, every 2 weeks, etc.). Select Set an end date to choose an end date for the repeating event.

• Ask members a question: Pose a question for members who RSVP for the event. Questions are not a requirement to attend.

• Attendee limit: Set the total number of attendees for the event. Members will see how many spots are available and a waitlist will automatically be created when the attendee limit is reached.

• Allow guests: Allow members to bring guests and set a limit of up to 5 guests per person.

• RSVP start and end time: Set an open and close date and time for members to RSVP for the event.

• Event fee: Set an event fee to be paid in cash or credit card. For cash event fees, select the currency, amount, and create a refund policy. To manage credit card event fees in the U.S., create an account with WePay.

Organizers outside of the U.S. can use PayPal to charge event fees by credit card.

Preview, save a draft, and announce your event

• Select Preview to view your event from a member’s perspective.
• Select Save as draft to complete your event later.
• Select Publish complete your event to add it to your group calendar.
• Select Announce it now to share your event with members or Do it later (available on desktop and mobile web browsers).
• To announce your event later, click Announce on the event page.

When plans change or new details arise, it’s important to keep your members informed. You can edit an event title, description, location, and more from the event page.

If you edit one event in a series, it will separate from the other events in the series and you won’t be able to make any further changes to that series by editing that event. Learn more about editing a repeating series of events. 

To edit an event

Desktop and mobile web

1. Select Events.
2. Find the event you want to edit, and click the Manage drop-down menu.
3. Select Edit Event.
4. Make your changes.
5. Confirm your edits by clicking Save changes.

iOS and Android app

1. From the Home tab, tap your circular Profile icon in the upper right-hand corner.
2. Under the "Organizer" section, tap the Meetup group.
3. Under the "Events" section, choose the event you’d like to edit. Tap See all to view more events.
4. Tap Edit.
5. Confirm your edits by tapping Publish or Save.

Waitlists are automatically enabled for events that have a set attendee limit and do not have a mandatory event fee. If an event with an attendee limit charges an offline event fee, a waitlist will be enabled. 

If spots open up, members are automatically RSVPed to the event in the order that they joined the waitlist. Members will receive a notification if they are moved from the waitlist to ‘attending’.

If a member has RSVPed with guests, they will be skipped on the Waitlist until enough spots open up for both the member and their guests.

In order to avoid complications caused by automatically charging members' credit cards when they are moved from a waitlist to ‘attending’, it is not possible to set up a waitlist for events that are charging an event fee. 

If a spot opens up for an event with a mandatory fee, organizers can let members know that a spot has become available by using the Email Members tool.

In order to enable a waitlist for an event, you’ll need to set an RSVP limit.

Desktop and mobile web

1. Create a new event or edit an existing event.
2. Scroll down to the "Optional Settings" section.
3. Using the "attendee limit" toggle, set your attendee limit.
4. Save your event by clicking Publish.

Android app

1. Tap on the upcoming event you’d like to set an RSVP limit for.
2. Tap Edit event.
3. Move the slider to red next to Limit number of attendees.
4. Tap the attendee limit number and choose your desired number from the menu.
5. Tap Save to confirm your update.

iOS app

1. Tap on the upcoming event you’d like to set an RSVP limit for.
2. Tap Edit Event to open Mobile Web.
3. Follow the above Mobile Web instructions to set an attendee limit.

Organizers and event hosts can view a summary of feedback their members share about events. 

Members are invited to share a rating of the event and can choose from a list of follow-up responses. Members who did not attend the event but RSVPed as attending can opt out from leaving feedback.

View an event feedback summary

Desktop and mobile web

1. Navigate to your group’s homepage.
2. Go to your Events tab and click Past.
3. Choose a past event and select Manage (or select Organizer tools from any past event page).
4. Select View feedback.

Who can share feedback?

Members who have RSVPed as attending an event are invited to share feedback after the event has ended. All feedback is shared anonymously and cannot be edited once it’s submitted.

Learn more about how members share feedback about an event.

Once you've scheduled your event and people have RSVP'd, you can download a spreadsheet of your attendees. 

To download a list of your attendees on desktop and mobile web:

1. Navigate to the event's page.
2. Select Organizer tools and choose Manage Attendees.
3. Select Tools and choose Download attendees.

This will download your RSVP list to a spreadsheet document, where you can sort and print their names.

A map pin shows the exact location your group is meeting. If you organize outdoors or if Google maps doesn’t accurately display your event on the map, you can edit your event's map pin.

Moving the map pin will not change the address in the "Location" section. 

Instructions

Desktop and mobile web

• From your group’s homepage, select Create event then Create a new event.
  
• Under Location, enter your event address.
• To edit the map, choose Edit map pin.
• Click and drag the map until the pin is in the right spot.
• Choose Save to confirm your edit.

Android & iOS apps

• From your Meetup group’s homepage, select Schedule a Meetup
• Tap Location and enter the venue or address where you’ll be meeting up
• To edit the map, choose Edit map pin
• Drag the map until the pin is in the right spot
• Choose Save to confirm your edit
• Select Publish

Organizers and leadership teams have the ability to manage RSVPs before an event, then adjust attendance after the event if needed. 

To manage RSVPs for an upcoming event:
 
Desktop & Mobile Web: 

- Go to the Meetup event page
- Select Manage and choose Manage Attendees from the menu
- Beside a member’s name, select the ... icon
- Select Going or Not going
- Select Search members to type a member’s name and add them to the RSVP list
- When RSVPs are set, select the name of your Meetup to return to the Meetup event page

Tip: If you're hosting a paid event, select the ... next to a member's name to choose Mark as paid. 
 
Android & iOS Apps:

- Go to the Meetup event page
- Select # people going
- Beside a member’s name, select the ... 
- Choose Move to ‘Not Going’ or Move to ‘Going’
- Select Send Message to chat about why you’re moving that member’s RSVP

To manage attendance for a past event:

Desktop & Mobile Web:

1. Go to the Meetup event page
2. From "Manage" select Manage attendees

Under the Went column:

- Beside anyone who didn’t show up, select the ... icon.
- Choose Move to 'Didn't go' if they had an excused absence
- Choose Flag as 'No show' if they were absent without notifying you
- Choose Edit guest count to edit the number of guests brought by an attendee
- To add an attendee who didn’t RSVP, enter their name in the search bar and select the ... beside their name. Choose Move to 'Went'

Under the Didn't Go column:

- Beside a member’s name, select the ... icon
- Choose Move to 'Went' if they showed up after all
- Or Flag as ‘No Show’ if they didn’t give notice

Android & iOS Apps

1. Go to the Meetup event page
2. Select # people went

Under the Went column:

- Beside anyone who didn’t show up, select the ... icon
- Choose Move to 'Didn't go' if they had an excused absence
- Or choose Flag as 'No show' if they were absent without notifying you

Under the Didn't Go column:

- Beside a member’s name, select the ... icon
- Choose Move to 'Went' if they showed up after all
- Or Flag as ‘No Show’ if they didn’t give notice
- To add an attendee who didn’t RSVP, enter their name in the search bar and select the ... beside their name. Choose Move to 'Went'

Get the word out about an upcoming event by sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

To share an event on social media:

Desktop/Mobile Web

1. Go to the group homepage and click Events.
2. Open the event you’d like to share. 
3. On the event homepage, click the Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn buttons to share.
4. In the new window that appears, add or customize the text before publishing your post. (You may need to disable pop-up blockers.)

You can also copy the event URL and share it on your preferred social pages.

Android App

1. Navigate to the group homepage.
2. Under the events section, tap See all events.
3. Select the event you want to share from the Upcoming or Past tab.
4. Tap the Share button in the upper right-hand corner.
5. Choose your preferred sharing method. (You may be prompted to log in to that channel.)

iOS App

1. Navigate to the group homepage.
2. Under the events section, tap See all.
3. Open the event you want to share from the Upcoming or Past tab.
4. Tap the Share button in the upper right-hand corner.
5. Choose your preferred sharing method. (You may be prompted to log in to that channel.)

Depending on whether the group is public or private, the event link you share may lead to an event page or a group homepage. Learn more about content visibility settings.

When you create an event, you can share it with your members right away, or wait to announce it later. Once published, your event will appear on your group calendar and homepage, but your members will not receive a notification until you announce the event.

Note: If your members report that they are not receiving event announcements, they may need to update their email settings or they can contact us directly.

Sending the announcement

After you publish your event, you'll be prompted to announce it to your members. To send an invitation immediately, select Announce it now. Your members will receive a notification on Meetup and via email.

You will receive a confirmation email that the event has been scheduled, rather than a copy of the event announcement.

Sending an announcement later

If you’ve selected Do it later, there is an Announce button on the event page. This reminder will remain at the top of your event homepage until seven days before the event is scheduled to take place.  

If you don’t make your announcement within seven days of the event, the Announce button on the event will disappear. We’ll automatically send a reminder to your members six days and one day before the event.

Announcements on the app

When you publish your event on the iOS or Android app, the announcement goes out to your members immediately. There is no option to announce it later.

Automatic event reminders

Members of your group receive two notifications about an upcoming event, in addition to the initial announcement (if you made one).

• Six days before an event, we’ll send a reminder to members who have RSVPed 'Yes.’ We’ll also send an invitation to members who haven’t RSVPed, encouraging them to do so.
• One day before an event, we’ll send a reminder to members who have RSVPed 'Yes.'

You have two options when canceling a recurring event:

1. Cancel one event in the series
2. Cancel the entire series

It's not possible to cancel a series of recurring events from the app (iOS and Android). 

To cancel an entire series of recurring events:

Desktop & Mobile web instructions

1. From your group's homepage, select Events
2. Locate the next event in the series
3. Select Manage, then click Cancel event
4. Select Cancel and delete this and all following events
5. Click Confirm

Following these steps will completely remove a series of recurring events from your group calendar.

You have two options when editing a repeating series of events:

1. Update one event in the series.
2. Update the entire series.

If you choose to edit one event in a series, it will become its own standalone event separate from the other events in the series. You won’t be able to make any further changes to the series by editing that event and any updates you make to the series won’t affect that event.

We recommend editing a series of recurring events from a desktop computer or mobile web browser and not the app (Android & iOS).

To edit all events in a series

Desktop & Mobile web instructions

1. From your group's homepage, Select Events.
2. Click on the next event in the series.
3. Click on the Manage drop-down menu, then Edit event.
4. Select Edit this Meetup series, then click Edit.
5. Make your edits.
6. Confirm your updates by clicking Save changes

Schedule an event to repeat every week, every two weeks, or every month in the “Optional settings” when you create a new event. Repeating events will all appear on your group’s calendar and the information on the events will be identical aside from their date.

You can set an end date for the recurring series or choose for the events to repeat indefinitely. Repeating events can be scheduled on Meetup’s desktop and mobile website.

To schedule a repeating event:

1. From your Meetup group’s homepage, select Create event and then Create a new event.
2. Toggle Repeat event under “Optional settings”.
• Select how often the event will repeat, which days of the week it will repeat on, and set an end date.

You can choose to announce the first event in the series to members right away or do it later. Future events in the series are automatically shared with members 6 days and 1 day before each event.

Even the best-laid plans sometimes don’t pan out like you imagined they would. If you need to cancel an event for any reason, the steps below will guide you through it.

Desktop & Mobile Web

1. Select the Meetup event you want to cancel
2. Select Manage and then Cancel Meetup
3. Check the box beside Cancel and delete this event
4. Confirm the cancellation by clicking Confirm

Android App

1. Tap the title of the Meetup event you want to cancel
2. Tap Edit Meetup
3. Scroll down and tap Delete this Meetup

iOS App

1. Select the event you'd like to cancel from your 'Upcoming' Meetups
2. Tap Edit
3. Scroll down and tap Delete Meetup

Select Yes from the popup menu and confirm