Tips on how to start a meetup group

[Kana]

I've searched the posts and have found some great advice about starting up a new group but I still have some questions. If there is a post that will answer them for me can you please post the link so I don't waste everyone's time.

Everyone suggests having rules but I can't find anything specific (I really need something that covers all of the bases cause there is no way that I'll think of everything and I want to do this right).

I checked meetup.com and there are 6 people interested in a meetup group in Albuquerque. Is meetup.com the best way to go?

Do you meetup in Dog Parks or City Parks?

I hope I'm not getting over my head by doing this but, I have a friend that is interested in doing this with me so I won't be doing it alone. I know that I'll have more questions as the days go by. I'll be ever so thankful for any advice that anyone can give me.

[Ward]

We use Meetup.com. You have to pay, but it's a great way to have everything organized. And it's much easier to just tell people to go to the Meetup site.

I created our rules by looking at other dane Meetup groups and picking out what we wanted in ours.

Unfortunately, our town doesn't have any dog parks, so we meet either at a baseball diamond, soccer field, or a member's house (for those who are generous enough to offer!).

Good luck!

[dansdanes]

Puting together a meetup can take time

Good luck with your meetup. Last fall I ran an ad on craigslist in the "pets" section. I gathered a few names and then it got cold. So in April I ran another ad on craigslist. I got a few more names and scheduled a meet via e-mail. Each time I schedule a meet I run another ad and get a few more names. I maintain a list on contacts on my computer and we have just over 30 people on the list (some have 1 dane others have 2 or 3). I send out personal invites to the whole list of people and post a general invite her on the DOL forum.

We had our first meet in May, another in June, and we will have our third this coming Sunday. I am in the Chicago area so I try to move the location around because we are all spread throughout the metropolitain area. We did our first one at a city park without fences. All the danes were so excited to see each other none wandered or ran off. Our second was at a fenced dog park and our third will be too.

As far as rules go I would check for any rules at your meet location. For example, the location we are going to has a set of rules on their website that everyone must follow while at that facility. Check out my posting under IL Special Events to see how I posted our upcoming meet. Let me know if you have other questions & good luck.

[Kana]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I contacted a local meetup group for Pugs and she gave me some great suggestions as well.

I work out of my house and my husband travels a lot so Mandi and I get more than bored (yes, that is possible). I thought this would be a fun way to meet some new people and Mandi could make some friends as well.

They're having a "Tail Date" at a local bar this Saturday and Mandi are planning on going to that. Don't know if there will be any Danes there but it should be fun .