Starting and Growing a Meetup® Group By

Christine Day, VLCE February 3, 2015 by MSV Alumni

Twitter 0Facebook 18Pin It Share 0Google+ 0

Email --Email to a friendFilament.ioMade with FLAREMore Info

Finding other vegans to support and befriend one another is an important part of growing a social

network. But how do you find others who share your interests? Check out Meetup.com for a great

way to not only find compatible people but to also organize and enjoy activities together.

If you haven’t done much with Meetup.com before, get to know this website that serves as a

network of local groups allowing like-minded individuals to find each other and get together. Your

free membership allows you to browse and join the various existing groups or, for a fee, start your

own Meetup group. According to their website (www.meetup.com), there are over 9,000 groups to

choose from. Looking for a hiking group? Just type it into the search box. Or how about stuff to do

in Ottawa, Ontario, if you’re “silly” twentysomething? Join one of the other 499 “Silly People in

their 20’s Who Like Doing Stuff”? There’s a Meetup group for everyone!

When I first joined my vegan Meetup group, it had only a few members. The original organizer

stepped down from that role and asked for someone else to take over. Because I believed in what

he’d started, I decided to step up and run it.

Since I’m never afraid to use the v-word, one of the first things I did was change the name from

“Southern Tier of New York Plant Eaters” to “Triple Cities Vegans” which I felt was more succinct

and easier to remember. It was also important to me that the group not be exclusive to vegans so

I made sure the description encouraged vegetarians and omnivores to join. No sense preaching to

the vegan choir if your goal is to spread veganism.

My second goal was to grow our membership. Meetup gives organizers tools to promote their

groups so I took advantage of one which allowed me to print off customizable flyers with pull- off

tags. I took these flyers to libraries, health food stores, naturopathic practices, yoga studios, and

anywhere else with a community billboard. I also promoted the group on my personal and business

Facebook pages and Tweeted upcoming events.

The result? We went from six members to 46 in just a few months and we continue to grow. At a

recent Health and Wellness Expo I participated in, I had over 20 people enthusiastically take

information on joining.

If you’re wondering what kinds of activities to plan for your group, it’s a good idea to keep your

eye on other vegan Meetup groups to get ideas. I’m a member of the Albany Vegans and

Vegetarians and even though Albany is a two-hour drive for me, I’ve gotten lots of good ideas from

them for events for my own group.

It’s also smart to draw attention to other vegan groups that may be located within an hour’s drive.

The Ithaca Vegans Meetup group is 50 miles from me but it organizes Vegan Drinks, as well as

various presentations and events in that area. When I share their events with my group, it gives

them the option of attending. Lots of people don’t mind traveling if it’s not too far.

Finally, once your group is up and running, it’s important to share pictures from your events on

the Meetup webpage. It helps potential members understand the community they’re considering

joining and demonstrates the kinds of activities that can be expected at each gathering. Whether

it’s a potluck at someone’s home, a screening of a movie, or meeting up or carpooling to a local

vegfest, you will find lots of other vegans eager to share the experience with one another.

Search your area for a vegan Meetup near you!

Christine Day is a Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator (VLCE)

living in Vestal, New York with her vegan husband, teenaged daughter, a retired racing

greyhound and two cats. She is world traveler as well as a freelance writer and owner of A

New Day Vegan Lifestyle Coaching. Check out her website at www.anewdayvegan.com