This Handbook is here to help you run your local OpenStreetMap focused community.
Meetup has proven a good (if perhaps pricy, but read on) platform to host meetups. They provide event and member management, communication tools, and perhaps most importantly a huge community of individuals looking for interesting things to do and learn locally.
- Make sure you keep your members engaged by welcoming them and keeping them updated about the goings on in the group.
- Work together. Hardly anyone has the time to run a meetup group by themselves. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
- Do not be discouraged if your events initially draw only a few people. Persistence is key.
- Hold regular events at fixed days in the week or month so people can plan for it.
- Make an effort to be as inclusive as possible. Consider that people have different lifestyles that come with different scheduling / dietary / travel constraints.
- Always have at least one future event listed so people know that your group is alive and well.
Here are some examples of active OSM Meetup groups in North America. Visit their pages to help you get inspired! For a complete list of active OSM groups in the U.S., please see the OSM wiki.
- OpenStreetMap Seattle
- Toronto OpenStreetMap Enthusiasts
- OpenStreetMap Boston
- OpenStreetMap Salt Lake City
- OpenStreetMap Ottawa
- OpenStreetMap Colorado
If you can find local sponsors who are willing to donate money to help pay for your Meetup.com organizer costs and other expenses, or help out by supplying a venue or other things you need to organize your events -- Fantastic! Local tech companies, co-working spaces, colleges or universities, and even locally owned cafes etc. are good places to start.
If you cannot find a local sponsor to pay for the meetup.com costs, OpenStreetMap US is happy to sponsor you by reimbursing the $14.99/month dues. We ask that you run a minimum of four events a year that have five or more attendees per event. We also ask that your meetup.com group has existed for at least six months and is clearly and mainly focused on OpenStreetMap.
Also consider this. Meetup.com has a somewhat hidden feature that lets you organize three independent Groups per subscription. If you have Group slots to spare, please let others who may be looking for a slot know through one of the channels below.
The OSM US board is always happy to help with advice and ideas for your group. Please email us at [email protected].
We have a Slack channel for local organizers. Slack is a group messaging system that can be used from your browser or apps for your computer or smartphone. You can sign up to join the Slack channel here.
The talk-us mailing list has been around for years and is a great way to announce your group or its events to the U.S. community at large, or ask the community for feedback or help. You can sign up for the mailing list here.