Time and again, the most challenging moments show us the power of coming together. This year has brought the biggest obstacle to community-building that we’ve faced in a century. It’s with great pride that we celebrate a milestone for Meetup communities across the world: 1 million online events scheduled!
When online events were launched in March 2020, we were hopeful that members and organizers would embrace them. You’ve done that and much more. Over the past 6 months, Meetup communities from over 90,000 groups have created over 1 million online events with nearly 8 million people RSVPing. Together, you’ve helped fight loneliness, reconnect with old friends, turn online connections into an IRL friends, make new friends, share your passions, learn new skills, find new careers, and build global communities.
To celebrate the organizers and members who are keeping their communities together safely, we’re sharing some of our favorite online event stories from throughout the year.
Learn how you can start an online community on Meetup. To browse online events, check out the online events page!
Online event stories of 2020
1. Learn Online Chair Yoga
Join Meetup organizer Alka Kaminer in relaxing your body and mind while improving your musculoskeletal fitness, flexibility, and elevating your overall well-being. Alka explains her best practices for hosting a chair yoga class online on Meetup.
2. Organizer Panel: Keeping Communities Connected
How can we keep our communities connected and engaged? Meetup organizers Ally Chapel and Angelica Li (L Train Brass Band) share what they’ve been doing and learning to keep their community connected and engaged in a virtual world.
3. Staying Connected Using Lean Coffee? Thumbs Up
For over six years now, the New York City Lean Kanban Meetup group has met at a coffee shop in Manhattan. Our purpose is to give our community an opportunity to share challenges and solutions with each other, and especially to teach each other how to achieve better flow in our work.
4. How Microsoft Azure Tech Communities Unlocked Online Connections
Jenn Jinhong, Developer Programs Lead for Microsoft Azure, supports a global network of local organizers and their communities in part using Meetup Pro’s community management tools. Jackson Filho, a Developer Marketing Manager for Microsoft in Brazil, partners with local organizers to help them plan and run Azure community events. Jenn and Jackson have been finding new ways to keep organizers informed and equipped with the resources they need to move Azure Tech Communities’ events online.
5. Organizer Panel: Switching to Online Events
Meetup organizers Annyce Davis (Google Developer Group Washington DC) and Nina Baltierra (Bull City Beer Runners) share their stories of switching to online events and what it takes to keep their communities connected and thriving online. Plus, a Q&A session with the panel and moderator Dan Pardes (VP of Product).
6. Who Let the Dogs In? How Corgis Went Digital
As part of Meetup’s continuing series to share how groups are adapting to hosting online events, we chatted with Derek, organizer of the Everyone Loves a Corgi group in San Francisco, CA.
7. Meeting-up in a Time of Social Distancing
Staying connected suddenly has a whole new meaning, and in many ways it’s more important than ever. Meetup groups around the world have gotten creative in how they maintain their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read a few of their stories below.
8. A Pandemic Can’t Stop This Support Group
As part of our continuing series about how Meetup groups are staying connected by hosting online events, we chatted with Jill, organizer of the Greater Long Island Divorce & Separation Support Group.
Founded in 2011, this community hasn’t let online events slow them down—even with the learning curve of mastering the Zoom call.
9. Live Demo: Healthy Snacks with a Professional Chef
Follow along live with professional chef Kelley Williamson (Professional Chef and Meetup organizer of Denver, Healthy Plant-Based Cooking Classes) as she teaches you to make Italian quesadillas, potato nachos, and chocolate energy bites. This is the perfect opportunity if you’ve ever thought about hosting your own online cooking event or just need some pointers for simple healthy recipes.
10. How to host an Online Meditation & Journaling event
Take a moment to ground your body, focus your mind, and release that which no longer serves you with Irina Demchenko from Meetup’s Community Support team. Follow Irina’s guidance and learn how to host your own guided meditation and journaling event while enjoying a guided meditation session yourself.
11. Cultivating an Offline Community Online
Community strategist, consultant, and researcher, Carrie Melissa Jones Zooms with Dan Pardes (Meetup’s VP of Product) about cultivating an offline community online. She shares some best practices and tools for setting boundaries and creating a safe space for all attendees.
Carrie is a 15-year veteran in leading communities. She has built and advised hundreds of online communities, from political campaigns to top consumer brands to tech startups.
Last modified on December 12, 2023
