WHEN: Monday, November 4, 2024 - 6-8p
WHERE: Secret Riso Club, Bushwick
WHO: Event organizers, non-profits, community builders, and anyone involved in running events.

IMAGE: Event image is a diagram of a theoretical framework called the Community of Inquiry representing a process of deep and meaningful learning experience. It is cropped from a beautiful poster designed by Handshake and printed by Secret Riso Club. You can see (and buy!) many more inspiring, informative, and educational posters here: Secret Riso Club Posters.

TL;DR

Join us for a laid-back meetup at Secret Riso Club in Bushwick, where event organizers can gather, share insights, and exchange solutions. We’ll talk about current challenges, explore strategies for the upcoming holiday season, and hear what others in the community are doing. Bring a challenge or idea to share, and let’s learn from each other! If this goes well, we’re excited to make this a regular thing at different spaces we love.

Real Talk

I just got back from San Francisco, where I met up with a community of startup founders through Y Combinator, an accelerator Withfriends is a part of. The meetup was fun, but more than that, it was an amazing opportunity to connect with others working through similar challenges. We shared strategies, discussed opportunities, and learned from each other. In the startup world, these informal gatherings are part of the culture—people are hungry for this kind of exchange because most spend so much time working alone.

It made me want to see more spaces like this for Event Organizers. Whether you’re organizing DIY events or larger productions, it’s rare to have dedicated time to talk with other organizers. We often end up chatting with artists or attendees, but not with fellow organizers because we’re all busy running our own events. So, inspired by that experience, I want to gather some of the talented event organizers I know for a casual meetup at Secret Riso Club in Bushwick.

We’ll hang out, I’ll grab some food/beverages for everyone, feel free to bring something to share if you feel inspired, and we’ll dedicate at least an hour to actually talk through what we’re working on. It doesn’t need to be formal—everyone can share a challenge they’re dealing with, or something they’ve recently discovered that’s been helpful.

What To Expect

- Each attendee is encouraged to bring up a challenge they’re currently facing in event organizing or something they’ve solved recently that others could benefit from.

- I’ll share some insights from our work with Withfriends and talk about new features and infrastructure we’re building for organizers.

We’ll also bring in insights from our conversations with organizers who couldn’t make it but are facing similar challenges in other places.

Possible Theme?

Since the holiday season is coming up, one theme to consider could be the challenges and opportunities this time of year brings. Non-profits might be thinking about how to tackle Giving Tuesday or end-of-year donations. For those not focused on fundraising, the holiday season can mean lower attendance, which can be tough on budgets. We’ve got some interesting data on community behavior during this time that we’d be happy to share. But really, any topic is welcome!

Logistics:

- Projector could be available if needed.
- We may record the session (with consent) to share insights with those who can’t attend. If you’d prefer not to be recorded, just let us know, and we can pause the recording during your part. Off-the-record challenges and solutions are just as valuable!

I’m inviting a lot of organizers I’ve worked with on Withfriends, but this is open to anyone who organizes events—no matter how you define that. Let’s come together, share what we’ve learned, and see how we can help each other. Please bring a friend, too!