Don’t overdo it.
When in doubt, keep it simple. If this is your first time organizing a GrommOff or Feabie Meet that goes double. An all-day event with multiple activities is great, but a lot of work to coordinate. Sometimes just a night at a local bar (with or without dinner beforehand) is enough!
Consider space/seating.
This is especially important for restaurants. Make sure you choose a restaurant that won’t have trouble seating a large group quickly. If it will, make sure you take RSVPs and make a reservation! Larger restaurants with more flexibility are significantly better than small boutique-y ones with little flexibility. Also, pay attention to what kind of seating is available--booths and flimsy chairs may pose a problem for some attendees.
Be VERY specific with meeting spots.
If an activity will be held in a large indoor space (e.g. a food court or a market), be sure to include information about where you’ll be meeting (for example: “we’ll be at the set of tables right under the main rotunda”). If an activity is being held in a large public area (e.g. a park or beach) you’ll need to be even more specific. Make sure you decide on and include in the posting both GPS coordinates (via googlemaps) and a description (e.g. “Just west of the blue tower, under the large willow tree”).
Be price-conscious.
GrommOffs and Feabie Meets have to appeal to people from a variety of income levels. If you’re planning for a dinner event, check the menu first and make sure it’s not too expensive. If you want to have some kind of a splurge event (e.g. a fancier restaurant, an amusement park, etc.) that requires a significant amount of money, be up-front about costs in the event posting. If possible, combine it with a lower-cost activity before or after.
Be aware of age-issues.
Bar nights in the U.S. prevent those who are under-21 from attending (and some other countries have similar restrictions). If you’re planning a bar night, try to couple it with an activity that those who are under-21 could attend, such as a dinner before-hand. If your last event was a bar night, try switching it up with an all-ages activity the next time.
Involve others in planning.
The best thing you can do to boost attendance is to get buy-in from locals. By involving other locals in the planning process, you’ll ensure that they feel some ownership over the event and will promote it among their friends. It can be as simple as asking what kind of activities they like and what restaurants they’d recommend or as complex as you like.
If you can, plan around out-of-town visitors.
GrommOffs and Feabie Meets always get a boost in attendance if someone new is visiting from out of town. Is a community member visiting next month? Plan a gathering around their visit!
Post the event listing as early as possible.
The more notice you can give people, the better. We recommend posting gatherings at least two weeks in advance, but a full four weeks is best. That gives folks time to plan ahead, block out dates in their calendar and make sure they can come.
Make the event listing dynamic.
When you post your gathering in the events listing, always include a photo. Be creative. If you’re doing a dinner, maybe use a photo of the food. If you’re going to be somewhere beautiful in your city, find a photo that shows that. In your event listing text, have fun. A bar night doesn’t have to just be another bar night–play around with names and adjectives–or planning around fun holidays–that will make the event sound exciting.
Promote, promote, promote.
The number one way people find out about GrommOffs or Feabie Meets is word of mouth. Post in the newsfeed. Tell your local friends. Ask your local friends to tell their friends. Try to build interest by posting links to information, like the restaurant’s menu, or fun activities you’re going to do together.
Post photos afterward.
Take photos at the gathering and post them to your profile or your local GrommOff or Feabie Meet profile (if there isn’t one and you’d like one, let us know). It’s the best way to show locals what they missed out on and encourage them to show up for the next event!
