My first Meetup: DC PR Flacks
In keeping with my recent streak of firsts, I created a Meetup group this evening! If you are a PR flack in the DC area, I really hope you’ll join us for happy hour on August 18 at the Chop House upstairs bar (it has its own bathroom!).
I recently accompanied Dave on two Meetup happy hours: DC Bloggers and DC Photography. Their respective organizers have polar opposite visions for their groups:
The DC Bloggers Meetup was a blast – cool, funny people – but the gal running it has since made it clear the causal attendee isn’t her target audience. That’s her prerogative, of course, but I just want to MEET UP with folks, not take on a part time job. (sigh) It honestly made me sad to learn folks like me aren’t welcome. Oh, well – at least I got introduced to the DCBlogs dude!
But tonight’s DC Photography Meetup, led by the fabulous Jim, ROCKED. Great turnout, sincere and talented folks – and the entire point really was simply to meet up and get to know each other. And look: the photo dudes have already posted a pic of me and my baby! I had so much fun, it inspired me to start my own for PR peeps.
Right now, the only members are me and hubbs (thanks, baby!). But even if it’s just the two of us who show up, it will still be a fantastic adventure for me, the Meetup newb.
Are you active in Meetup? Do you find them fun or beneficial? Have you ever started a one?
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Very cool that you’re doing the PR Meetup. (And thanks for the link above — rock star!)
Bloggers Meetup was my first experience with a Meetup group — interesting that they can be structured so differently.
Good to meet you and Dave!
Your site layout is what I dream about. Someday…
Kathleen´s last blog ..Where Were We?
If I was in DC, I would totally be there (even though I’m not necessarily a PR flacker).
I hope it goes well and that you have a great attendance!
Margie — good seeing you at SMCDC last night. Regarding the Washington Blogger Meetup — I hope we didn’t give you the wrong impression – I don’t think we’re trying to drive any bloggers away; you’re precisely the kind of blogger (well, one of many kinds of bloggers) we’d like to have in the meetup.
I think the purpose of the mail was just to identify folks who are still interested in attending meetups. The group has been around since 2002, and there are a bunch of folks who’ve moved out of the area or are otherwise inactive.
Anyway, I hope after talking to you last night that we’ll see you at the August meetup — we’d love to have you. — Joe
[...] new to this city and needed a way to meet my fellow public relations and public affairs pros. So, I declared a happy hour and folks actually showed up. At first, there were just a handful of us. Then Twitter [...]