Sallie Goetsch (organizer of the East Bay WordPress Meetup) explains how consultants can benefit from joining and starting meetups.

1. Bits and Bytes
BACN www.bacnetwork.com

2. What Is Meetup.com?
• An online tool for offline networking.
• “The world's largest network of local
groups.”
• “Meetup helps people find others who
share their interest or cause, and
form lasting, influential, local community
groups that regularly meet face-to-face.”
BACN www.bacnetwork.com

3. To Find a Meetup
• Go to Meetup.com.
• Enter your Zip Code and the
distance you’re willing to travel.
• Choose a meetup type or enter a
search term.
BACN www.bacnetwork.com

4. There Are All Kinds of Meetups
BACN www.bacnetwork.com

5. A Few Local Meetups
BACN www.bacnetwork.com

6. Why Join a Meetup?
• To Network
• To Learn
• To Have Fun
BACN www.bacnetwork.com
Members 15.92 million
Meetup Groups 142,319
Countries 196
Monthly Meetups 315,827
Monthly RSVPs 2.07 million
Meetups Happening Now 2,890

7. Start Your Own Meetup
BACN www.bacnetwork.com

8. Why Start a Meetup?
• Position yourself as a thought leader
• Force yourself to become a thought
leader
• Meet potential clients and people who
can refer you to them
• Meet people you can refer clients to
• Give back to the community
BACN www.bacnetwork.com

9. East Bay WordPress Meetup
BACN www.bacnetwork.com
• Started 2009
• 853 Members
• 10-50 people per
meeting
• 62 Meetings
• Organizer: Sallie
Goetsch
• Format: Intro,
Q&A, Presentation
• ≈50% of
presentations by
Sallie

10. Conclusions
1.Yes, it’s work.
2.No, I’ve never regretted it.
3.We meet the third Sunday of the month
in Oakland, if you want to come.
4.BACN has started a Meetup.com site to
attract new members. Feel free to sign
up to help welcome them.
BACN www.bacnetwork.com