TL;DR attend a few tl;dr meetups and use common sense; this is just a reference
Organiser handbook for an enjoyable TL;DR-formatted event.
Announce the date, time, and location early to give attendees notice and prevent clashes with other events.
Announce as far in advance as possible. Several months preferably.
Schedule multiple repeated meetups in advance. Shows a trend for hosts and visitors to commit to.
- Offer guest/public wifi
- Preferably provide food, though this is never a requirement it just happens
- Have a single point of contact for organisers prior to the event
- Have at least one member present throughout the entire event
Try to get a rough number of signups across all channels (FB, Meetup, etc). For free events the turn-up rate is 50%. Expect lots of sign-ups on the last few days.
Remind host contact that the event is tonight. Show up at least 30 minutes earlier.
- Put up signage to venue entrance
- Test public wifi
- Put up signs with wifi instructions
- Check on food order status (if applicable)
Welcome attendees, make them socialise a bit while everyone arrives. Now is the best time to have food.
Welcome attendees. Thank host. Explain that the meetup format differs from the traditional presentation style. Run over the format. Let host give short talk about their organisation.
Count number of attendees (tip: do it secretly while host is talking). Divide into "random" groups by assigning a letter to each attendee. Everyone clusters with others of the same letter.
Teams awkwardly introduce and propose topics. Nerds gonna nerd, so facilitate these where needed. Suggest topics based on their interests and backgrounds. Re-balance teams that are completely beginners or non-technical.
Check up on teams to ensure everyone is having a good time. As the deadline approaches give them some warning and tell them not to stress out.
Have a way to easily connect laptops to projector or TV for presentation. Test this out beforehand! Bring HDMI cable and adapters in case host does not provide. Chromecast & AppleTV work great for web/code but not great for animations.
Have a countdown with audible alarm in front of the presenter for each team.
Thank audience and host. Explain why the meetup exists (motivational speech). Invite for next time. Remind people that they can host a meetup at their office. Thanks and good night.