Growing Your User Group - OpenWest 2014
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Growing YourUser Group
OpenWest 2014
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Hi, I’m Kara Sowles
Community Initiatives Manager
Puppet LabsPortland, ORTwitter: @feynudibranch
Email: [email protected]
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Where are we headed?
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I made a user group!
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Awesome first meeting!
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ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD
And then...
- from The Lion King copyright walt disney pictures -
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“The internet is littered with ghost towns where communities used to be. The people
still exist - but the structure fell apart.”
- I couldn’t find a quote about this so I made one up
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Obstacles•No Speaker
•No Venue
•No Food
•Few Members
•No Momentum
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Obstacles•No Speaker
•No Venue
•No Food
•Few Members
•No Momentum
Let’s fix this!
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WAIT
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First, let’s start at the beginning...
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Starting a User GroupStarting a User Group
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THE BASICS Date / Starting Time
Venue
Speaker
Way to communicate with members
Let the world know it exists
Maybe food?
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RECONNAISSANCE
When do similar groups meet?
Is there already a group about X?
What works well for other local groups?
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Choose an online home for your group
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SET EXPECTATIONS
Find a cadence and stick to it.
We’ll come back to this later...
setting expectations is key.
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PURPOSE
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Ok, let’s start removing some obstacles!
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Finding a Venue
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MAKEA
LIST Brief description of group’s purpose
Average # of members at each meeting
Date / Time of meetings
A/V requirements
Any other space requirements / needs
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THINK ABOUTPERKS
“The hosting company is invited to announce any open jobs at the beginning of each meeting.”
“The hosting company is listed as a sponsor on our meetup page, and at our yearly event.”
“The hosting library has interesting events to advertise and bring in more people.”
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Ask your company
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Ask your friend’s company
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When thanking those that said ‘no’, ask them for
recommendations.
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Are there any local companies that
cater to your attendees’
demographic?
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Ask your user group
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Local Universityor
Local Library
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Check where other user groups are
hosted
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Get flexible
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STILL NO HOST :’(
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Temporary or alternate locations
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BE A GOOD GUEST
Leave the space clean
Turn off the projector
Don’t act entitled to the space
Check back in every month
Thank the host regularly
SET EXPECTATIONS - no surprises!
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Finding Speakers
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“What topics would you like to hear
about next month?”
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“Does anyone have
experience with [X topic]?”
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Post the list of suggested topics
to the group online, and ask
again.
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Ask individual members what they’re doing.
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Cultivate those who don’t give
talks (yet)
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At your company:Look for managers that want to foster
speaking opportunities for
their teams
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To companies:“Would you send
someone to give a talk
on [X topic]?”
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Still no speakers?
Hold a...Discussion
SessionHack Night
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Finding More Members
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Local Community Sites
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Local Conferences
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Joint Meetings
Find a similar user group, and team up for a talk
aimed at both audiences!
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Keeping Momentum
Meet regularly
Same cadence (“Fourth Thursday”)
At the end of each meeting, talk about next time
Set expectations for yourself
Co-Organizers
What happens if you leave?
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Finding $ponsors
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The company that’s hosting
you
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Your Company
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Other Companies
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Perks
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SWAG
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Your Company as a Support
Structure
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Think Like Other Departments
Leverage Sales team
Leverage Professional Services team
Leverage Education team
Leverage Marketing team
Leverage Engineering team
Leverage Community team
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Making your group inviting:
Setting Expectations
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Anatomy of a Meeting
Socialize
Introduction
Presentation
Next Meeting topic & talk sourcing
Socialize
Just an example....
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Clear familiarity level
Are the talks this month for intermediate users?
Is this session accessible for absolute beginners?
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ACCESSIBILITY
• Is it easy to find the venue?
• Is there parking nearby? Bike parking? Bus access?
• Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
• Who can people email with special accessibility requests or questions?
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Have a Code of Conduct
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If you’re going to pay attention to one thing:
pay attention to your humor
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Did wemake it?
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Kara Sowles
Community Initiatives Manager
Puppet LabsPortland, ORTwitter: @feynudibranch
Email: [email protected]
Thanks for listening!