GAMES FOR CHANGE MEETUP EVERYWHERE ORGANIZER’S TOOLKIT

OVERVIEW Congratulations for taking the initiative to organize a “Games for Change” Meetup event! The most important thing to remember: you have raised your hand to lead an experience for a couple of hours with a group of individuals, most of whom you may not know. That’s exciting, but if you haven’t organized something like this before, we know that after the initial rush of enthusiasm, it could feel a bit overwhelming. Don’t fear. We’re here to help. We recommend that all Games for Change Meetup Everywhere organizers take a few moments to read through the following “tool kit”. In it you’ll find some useful advice to help you answer such questions as:

• Whom do I want to attract to the event? • What’s the best format for the event I’m organizing? • How will I market the event and how will people know it’s happening? • How can I set reasonable expectations so that I can create a

successful event? We’re here to help make your first Meetup an excellent and well-organized experience. After you’ve read through the tool kit, feel free to contact our Community and Content Manager, Jeff Ramos, to share your experience. REMEMBER: It’s your event, for your community. We’re just here to troubleshoot any questions you might have.

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THINK OF YOUR FORMAT... The first step in planning a Meetup is figuring out the best format. There are 3 basic scenarios you can consider:

• The Informal Meet and Greet • The Presentation or Panel • Demos / Play testing

Communicating the format and intention of the session with clarity is one of your most important tasks in volunteering to lead a Meetup. The amount of time you spend organizing and your priorities will depend on what kind of Meetup you want to do. Let’s take a look at some examples... 1) THE INFORMAL MEET AND GREET This is the easiest Meetup to organize. It works especially well for those who haven’t organized public events previously. Organizers are typically outgoing personalities who are comfortable with meeting people they don’t already know. You can host it at a public venue like a bar, coffee shop, or park. Just tell everyone to meet at a public place and let the event take its own shape. REMEMBER: Make sure to inform the venue in advance that a few people may be showing up. PROS

• Great way to find out who is in your local community • Easy way to create a core group for future Meetups • Perfect for open dialogue • No need to worry about microphones, video projection, or technical

issues

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CONS • Lack of agenda may make it harder to get people to come • Open dialogue may be off-putting for some. • Finding an adequate public venue for discussion may be hard • Possibly more work for you to act as “host” during the event to

facilitate conversations amongst people who turn up and might not have very much in common

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Even if your goal is to create a loose, informal networking opportunity, you should consider using specific language in the Meetup description to call out what kind of people you want to attract. For example, “Game designers looking to meet developers...” or “Educators looking to meet game developers...”

• It might sound corny, but nametags can help break the ice, particularly for larger groups of 10 or more. (Handwritten labels are fine!)

• Be clear about any particulars. For instance, if you’re having a Meetup at a cash only bar, let people know in advance.

2) THE PRESENTATION OR PANEL This is the most popular type of Meetup. It’s also the most labor intensive. If you’re organizing a presentation or panel, you should allow at least four to six weeks to organize and promote the event. We also recommend enlisting others to help you plan. A presentation or a panel is a great way to feature projects or have established speakers present information. These types of Meetups can also have excellent post-presentation Q&A sessions. PROS

• Perfect for a formal, informative Meetup • The promise of an interesting presentation or panelist generally

draws many attendees • If you can manage it, these Meetups also lend themselves to the

possibility of live streaming CONS

• Requires a lot of set up and rounding up relevant and related panelists may be difficult if you don’t have access to them through your own network.

• Organizing a large event opens the possibility of many technical difficulties like microphones not working, slide show files being incompatible on other computers or the live stream failing. Be prepared to handle any problems that may arise. Your buzzwords to remember: professionalism and improvisation.

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RECOMMENDATIONS • Keep it simple. Don’t aim for more than 3 speakers, especially if it’s

your first time organizing a Meetup. More speakers means exponentially more work.

• If you have a tech heavy event, you should consider having a collaborator help organize. One person can focus on the speakers; the other can focus on the production and audience experience.

• Have a clear concept in writing of what you would like the speakers to discuss.

• Confirm your date, time and venue prior to inviting any speakers. If you’re creating an event around one speaker, you should obviously work in finding a date/venue based on his/her availability.

3) DEMOS / PLAY TESTING

We see a lot of requests on our Google Group from individuals all over the world interested in having their games presented and tested while still in the alpha or beta stage. We think it’s an interesting way to bring together a range of members in your community from designers, educators, experts in monitoring and evaluation, civil society organizations, and members of the intended audience for the game.

PROS

• It’s a great way for creators to hear valuable feedback while they are still in development.

• It’s an opportunity to bring together a dynamic discussion with a range of perspectives from your own community.

• It could be an opportunity to form new collaborations and partnerships.

CONS It will require creativity on the part of the Meetup organizer to think of the best way to solicit potential projects and determine the best format for a live discussion. For example: Do game creators bring their own laptops and demo games during the session? Is it structured or free form? Is there a facilitated discussion following the game’s presentation?

RECOMMENDATIONS

• When presenting a demo, it’s best to show everyone the most stable build, not the latest. Considering your audience is viewing a work in progress, the safest bet is to show them the one that works the best.

• If you’re presenting a demo on a computer, make sure you have the appropriate cables to plug into a projector. If you’re demoing from a handheld device, consider connecting a camera to a stand so the audience can see the game.

• Remain calm and be prepared to improvise if your game crashes or any unexpected errors occur.

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OR THINK OF YOUR OWN FORMAT! Meetups don’t need to follow these strict formats. You may have other ideas like game design jams, workshops, story telling nights, and more. The main point is that you’re organizing a Meetup around games that can make the world a better place. The message is key; the format is just the vehicle.

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FINDING A VENUE AND DATE Now that you have a great idea for your Meetup, you’re going to need an appropriate place to have it. You’re not going to want to do a presentation at a noisy bar and you may not want to have a game jam at a coffee shop! Time and day are also important, so here are a few things to consider... 1) DAY OF WEEK Different days are better for different types of Meetups. Our experience is that:

• Tuesdays and Wednesdays are good for more direct Meetups like presentations and panels

• Thursdays and Fridays are great for social gatherings like the Meet and Greet

• Saturdays and Sundays are perfect for longer, event-based Meetups (like a game jam or outdoor event)

When it occurs is just as important as where it takes place. A bar may have more availability earlier in the week and people are more likely to join you in a park on the weekend. In order to attract the greatest number of attendees, keep in mind their personal time and how much effort it takes to participate in your Meetup. 2) THE VENUE Setting up the venue can be the biggest hurdle for someone putting together a Meetup for the first time. It’s important to find the right venue to help the Meetup run smoothly. But don’t worry! If you already know your format and date, finding the right venue will be easier.

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RECOMMENDATIONS • If you’re doing a Meetup at a bar, go for anything after Happy Hour.

The bar will have a few patrons, but it won’t be too busy or too loud, which is perfect for informal Meetups.

• If you’re doing a presentation or panel, you should consider approaching a university or local business with an interest in having game creators in attendance. They may have the equipment you need and they also may be able to help promote your event.

• Figure out if your venue has access to wireless Internet. Don’t be surprised if your attendees want to post to Twitter or Facebook while they are at your Meetup. This can be a good thing and you want to make sure your venue can accommodate attendees who are active on social networks.

• The main objective: aligning the event with an appropriate venue.

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PLANNING YOUR MEETUP Now that you know the basics of Meetups, it’s time to plan your own. If you need any help getting started, here’s a suggested timeline you can follow... FOUR WEEKS PRIOR

• Decide on a format. • Start searching for venues. • Decide what day of the week you’re going to organize your Meetup. • Search for volunteers.

If you’re thinking about doing a panel, now is also a good time to begin looking for speakers. Also keep in mind that it’s okay to overbook your RSVPs by 50%. Just because a lot of people begin to RSVP, it is unlikely all of them will turn up. Overbooking ensures that your Meetup will maximize its potential attendance, instead of turning people away because you think you’ll overcrowd a venue.

THREE WEEKS PRIOR

• Start sharing on your social networks. • Confirm your volunteer list. • Finalize your speaker list and update your Meetup Everywhere page

with relevant links and bios to give attendees context.

Once you get the ball rolling, feel free to brand your city-specific Meetup Everywhere with a Twitter account or Facebook Page. Having dedicated social networks will give your attendees another way to keep up to date with any changes or announcements. Also remember to use the #G4CMeetup hashtag when tweeting!

TWO WEEKS PRIOR

• Begin trying to capture contact info for attendees. • Send out a reminder comment on the Meetup page – this will send

out an e-mail to attendees that have opted in to get updates via Meetup.

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ONE WEEK PRIOR

Send out another reminder if there are any changes. Also feel free to send a reminder about the event, just make sure that you do not overwhelm people with too many status updates.

DAY BEFORE

• Create a sign up sheet to collect the e-mail addresses of your attendees at tomorrow’s Meetup. This provides a means to reach out once the event is over.

• Using our special Meetup Everywhere “Your City” banner (provided in the ZIP file) make enough signs for your event. Even if you’ve made it clear you’re organizing a Meetup, people will get lost trying to find the venue.

DAY OF THE MEETUP

• Call the venue to re‐affirm the event time and update them about any last minute changes.

• Bring plenty of sign up sheets, nametags, snacks, drinks and back ups of anything important like USB drives with slides and perhaps a backup laptop.

• Be there early (at least 90 minutes) if you need to test all of the equipment, computers and files to ensure that everything will be ready to use at start time.

SOME FINAL TIPS Here are a few more things to keep in mind to make your Meetup a success:

• If you’re doing a Presentation, there will be downtime between people switching laptops or loading software and slides. Take advantage of this downtime by either reiterating good points from the previous speaker or introducing your next speaker while they set up.

• Stay on time. If your event is supposed to be 90 minutes, make sure it starts and ends at the appropriate time.

• Leave time for Q&A. The idea of attending a Meetup is to interact. 20 – 30 minutes is usually good for 90-minute events.

• And one we can’t stress enough: Test all your microphones, slides and devices before the audience arrives.

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MAKE YOUR NETWORKING COUNT The Meetup is in full swing, but now what? A good organizer will make sure all their attendees are having fun and are engaged. You may find being a facilitator can be more beneficial than being a presenter. Here are three networking goals to keep in mind... AS THE ORGANIZER, YOU’LL NEED TO PLAY THE HOST. The responsibility of an organizer doesn’t stop once a Meetup has begun. It will be your responsibility to make sure the night goes smoothly. A LARGE PART OF SUCCESS IS MAKING SURE YOUR PRESENCE IS FELT AT THE MEETUP. If it’s informal, work the room and make sure to greet everyone as they come in. If it’s a more formal event, spend some time introducing yourself as people are taking their seats or grabbing some snacks. TAKING DOWN CONTACT INFO WILL ENSURE YOU HAVE A WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR ATTENDEES AFTER THE EVENT. If people attend your Meetup, it would be a shame if your interaction with them ended once the night is over. Getting someone’s contact info while they are at your event will give you a chance to extend the conversation. It will give you a chance to get feedback after the event is over and it will give you a list of people to tell about your next Meetup! If you don’t have time to take down information, make sure you have plenty of your own business cards handy.

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STAY SOCIAL, BUT BE RESPECTFUL The whole point of the Meetup is about building your community of others interested in games for change. Don’t let the energy die after the event is over. If you are taking down contact information from people, here are some great ideas to give your attendees reasons to stay in touch... TWEETS If you have a smart phone that allows for it, try to be active on it before, during and after the event. Keep everyone up to date using the #G4CMeetup hashtag on Twitter. Tagging your tweets will give attendees an easy way to find you and others that tweeted during and after the event. We’ve even seen people put their Twitter name on their nametag instead of their real names! And if you don’t have a smart phone, but you have a laptop and wireless Internet, feel free to make posts, just don’t sit behind it all night! PHOTOS Doing something as simple as taking pictures during the event will encourage people to keep in contact with you after the event is over. Get a friend who loves taking photos to attend and make sure to publicize the online photo album after the event. If you’re posting on Facebook, why not tag attendees or speakers in the photos? THANK YOU EMAIL If you’re taking emails, send a thank you note after the event. We’re repeating this tip because there’s no point in organizing a Meetup and vanishing. The idea is to network and make long lasting connections. A thank you email could lead to interesting conversations and feedback. Also try adding links to all your important social networks in your email signature. AND REMEMBER: The single, most important thank you e-mail to send out will be to your presenters. You should send one to them no later than a day after the event. FRIEND REQUESTS AND FOLLOWS Without being too invasive, think about adding some of the individuals you connected with in person to your social networks of preference. Depending on your event, you may end up having some new Twitter followers, Facebook friends or LinkedIn connections.

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CONCLUSION Organizing a Meetup can be a fun learning experience. We strongly believe in Meetup’s goal of using the Internet to get off the Internet. If you’ve taken any advice from this tool kit, we want to hear from you! Send us feedback so we can improve the quality of this tool kit and feel free to share your successes or recommendations with us. To get in touch with Games for Change, you can contact our Community and Content Manager, Jeff Ramos: jeff@gamesforchange.org