User group communities are a valuable resource for individuals looking to connect with others in a particular industry, system ecosystem, or functional area.  Growing a local chapter or user group can be challenging and involves many factors.  Meaningful content, engaging presenters and good venues are important to maximize value and create that hook to bring folks back.  Remember that there are three groups of people no matter how successful meetings are:  those who always attend, those who selectively attend, and those who are one-and-done.  It’s the last group that increases the importance of continuously marketing your community to get more of the first two groups.

If you lead a group or are thinking about it, here are some tips to help fuel your growth:

1. Don’t go it alone – recruit another leader to help you manage.  This may be easier said than done and you want people that are as engaged and motivated as you are, but it is invaluable to keep your chapter fresh and energized. Spread duties between leaders rather than going at it alone.  You will soon see how polished things become and better organized you are.  It pays off!

2. Interesting venues – this takes some creativity, and you need to consider your members’ travel distances, but if each meeting is in the same place with the same routine, it can potentially become stale. People are giving up a portion or all of the day to attend and while content is king, it’s great to give that little extra to help nudge those that are on the fence about attending. Some ideas to consider include:

• • Member sites - let them show off their place of business and how their systems are used internally.  It’s amazing the ideas that come out of this and benefit other members and their companies.
  • Volunteer fire stations – for a small donation you get a meeting space and get to see the day in the life of these brave folks.  Hold firehose challenges or see who can get dressed in their gear in the fastest time.  Not only does this help break up their day, imagine the pictures and stories that come out of it!
  • Parks – picnic style, great weather, throw a ball or Frisbee around or just take in the surroundings.  Parks are budget-friendly and offer many activities.  My user group did one at a toboggan park over the winter and got our sledding on after the meeting – 40mph and a ton of fun!
  • Microsoft offices – they always have meeting spaces available and if you get the right contact, try to work in a presentation by someone there and get some product insights.  At a minimum, you will have an awesome AV setup and professional showing for your sessions.
  • Sports complexes – ballparks, stadiums, etc.  This is usually the most expensive meeting space, so be mindful of your budget J.  Always work in a tour before committing to the space – two of my favorites have been Progressive Field (Indians) and Quicken Loans Arena (Cavaliers).  You need to arrange these 2-3 months in advance and most have departments dedicated to accommodating meetings like this.  Kill them with kindness for the best deal!
  • Breweries – who doesn’t like Happy Hour?  Assuming you can get a private room or somewhere outside of the crowd, these are fun places to conduct meetings.  Don’t forget to request a tour - seeing the beer making process is interesting, especially after you’ve had a few.
  • Museums – my inaugural chapter meeting was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and what a great place to check out!  Places like this have meeting spaces and charge a nominal fee.
  • Yacht clubs and country clubs – Yacht clubs are perfect summertime locations for weather and scenery.  Country clubs are great as well – bring some putters and golf balls and hold putting contests on the practice green (with club permission, of course).

3. Members Showcase – give your membership a chance to show how they use their

systems (ERP, CRM, etc.), share stories about an upgrade or reimplementation, talk about a 3^rd party add-on or use of Power Platform, etc. There is ALWAYS something to gain from this.  Members learn tips and tricks from each other and can leave a meeting with the needed confidence to proceed with a project or think about different options.

4.  Community Updates – As a group leader and if you are part of a larger organization of user groups, you have many resources and news tidbits at your disposal for the overall organization.  Work with the organization’s leadership to obtain slides or a “Meetings in a Box” concept, which can contain PowerPoint slides, important dates to remember, etc.  Kick off each meeting with this and highlight upcoming events that can benefit the membership.  Sponsor videos or highlight videos from a recent conference are always good to share and helps to cement that this is more than just a local user group; it’s part of a larger growing community with a lot to offer!  If the organization has a community forum site, show off a discussion thread to highlight the benefits that come with community.

5.  Proactive Outreach – As stated earlier, there will always be a segment of members that attend 1-2 meetings per year, some that will attend only one, and some that show up every time. Communication is important to keep your group in the spotlight and draw attention to it.  Use vendors and partners in your area to help bring end-users to your meetings.  The more you can expand your communication footprint, the better.

6.  Round Table Discussions – Every group will have stories to tell. Pain point topics are my favorite and tend to draw the most participation.  Use your own personal experience at work to gather some topics for a 30–45-minute session at your meeting and end that session with some idea gathering for the next meeting.  Letting the group dictate this helps create return value.

7. Manage your Sessions – What I mean by this is keep the discussions going and read the room. If a speaker is not getting the desired audience participation, you be that voice that emphasizes a point just made, reflect on an applicable moment at your place of business, or ask the room yourself about something the speaker just illustrated. Not only does this improve the session, but it also helps create a better impression on the speaker and you want that for your group.  Sometimes you need to play bad cop if an ISV is pushing their solution beyond a reasonable point on the group – the last thing you want is a member thinking your group is an organized sales pitch.

8.  Food – whether it’s lunch or snacks, you want to feed your audience! This is a great opportunity for a vendor or partner to sponsor and these breaks are great times to network and get to know those around you – it’s another added touch to a great experience that you are helping to create.

Feel free to reach out anytime if you’d like to learn more - user groups are worth the effort and a fun way to expand your network and knowledge!

Author: Tony Darden