Some tips for people who want to start a JS user group in their city and don't know where to start.
A short and general handbook based on our experience with Milano JS. Maybe it won't work for your group, but it's highly likely it will. :)
🇮🇹 Speaking Italian? Check the Italian version!
- 5-minute introduction with updates about the community
- One talk each night, lasting between 40 minutes and an hour
- Questions & Answers
- Information about the next meeting
Try to avoid "introductory" talks, YouTube is full of them. Real examples and practical applications always generate more interest.
A talk of this length allows to go deep in the chosen topic and leaves space for a short introduction for those who know nothing about it.
- One meeting per month is optimal
A regular frequency is very important also to let the people attending get used to it. Choose a day and try to always follow it. Milano JS, for example, is on the first Tuesday of every month (excluding bank holidays or exceptional situations).
Initially it won't be easy to find speakers, so start with the people you know and trust (for their competence).
Use some guidelines for the speakers you do not know.
Some people love Meetup, some don't. We use Eventbrite because it allows you to handle many things well, like tickets, waiting list, check-in, etc.
- Newsletter
- Website
Twitter could be the best channel, but unfortunately not all developers use it regularly.
Facebook can reach many other people. You can use an IFTTT recipe to automatically post your Tweets to a Facebook page. Minimum effort, maximum return!
A website (a simple static page using GH pages is fine) must be the reference point and must be always up to date with the information about the next meeting. You can use a free subdomain offered by http://dns.js.org and redirect it to your GitHub Pages.
A newsletter might sound vintage but is a great tool, just don't abuse it.
The location is obviously very important. First of all it must be very spacious and, if possible, easy to reach with public transport.
A coworking space is ideal, but also being hosted by a company is a good option. In this case you could have some limitations due to sponsors.
- Regular sponsors
- Sponsors for one night
Finding regular sponsors to give away gadgets, software licenses, etc. is not hard after you have a consolidated group. Jetbrains for example has a programme for communities and offers licenses for its products.
Finding someone to sponsor a single night or a special event could instead be more difficult. Before asking a sponsorship to a company, find something to offer in exchange. If you group is big, companies will definitely be more interested in sponsoring your event.
A logo is very important to get recognised. A classic is to use JavaScript's "official" logo adding a detail that represents your city.
The Milano Js logo representing the Milan Cathedral.
The map of JavaScript user groups in Italy. Contact us to add yours.