Three Reasons to Host a Blogger Meet-Up

We set out to host a fabulous, networking, meet-up event for our Southern California TpT Seller and Blogger Community! Holly Hodges from Research and Play, Janice DeMarti from Island Lover Teacher, and the two of us (Caitlin Mitchell from EB Academic Camps and Aris Rossi from Sailing into Second) wanted this meet-up to be all about making it easy for everyone to mingle with all attendees. And our January meet-up at the swanky Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach was just that — an incredible event with over 40 TpT Sellers and Bloggers. The icing on the cake? Sam and Jillian from Team TpT flew all the way out to sunny Southern California to join us. Needless to say, we all felt especially honored that they would make that trek across the country just for our SoCal community!

And since we’ve been seeing these fun meet-ups pop up all across the country, we wanted to give you a little inspiration to host your own! Here’s how to get started…

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Making personal connections and creating friendships with fellow bloggers and Sellers is one of the best ways to create a strong sense of community. We spend a good deal of time on social media, but meeting people in real life makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger and something REAL! You begin to realize the much larger impact you have on the educational world — we are truly making a difference in teachers’ and students’ lives.

The aphorism “A rising tide lifts all boats” couldn’t be more true. There’s no better place to see this in action than at a meet-up (or at the TpT Conference!). Together we can all learn, collaborate and grow, and make our community even greater. As Sellers and bloggers, we all know what works and doesn’t work for us, and sharing those tips and ideas helps strengthen the entire community. In turn, we’re also strengthening and changing the landscape of education. That’s a win-win if you ask us!

Working on your store, blogging, posting to social media, and the like can sometimes be isolating. It’s such an interesting world that we live in online that not everyone “gets it.” Finding your “teacher tribe” or your mastermind group can easily happen at meet-ups! Some of the best friendships and collaborations come from those face-to-face interactions with others. Nothing can replace meeting people in real life.

Tip: Take a look at the “Conference, Meet-Ups, Get-Togethers, and More” area of the TpT Sellers’ Forum to find out about and announce events.

Are you feeling inspired and want to host a meet-up of your own? Here are some quick tips to help you throw a successful meet-up:

1. Pick A Venue. Decide what kind of a meet-up you are hosting. Do you want a sit-down dinner? Are you looking to host an entire weekend meet-up that is more conference-style? Do you want people to be able to mix and mingle? Keep your purpose in mind when choosing a venue!

2. Create A Sign-Up Form through Google Forms. This will help you keep track of your attendees and their information. Ask for their names, store names, blog URL, email address, and any other information you deem necessary.

3. Look for Sponsors. There are many teacher-friendly companies that are more than willing to make teachers feel special and appreciated! Send out a simple email to companies asking if they would like to sponsor or donate to your event. (This is not necessary for a successful meet-up, but it’s nice to make teachers feel extra special!)

4. Communicate With Your Attendees. Make sure everyone knows what to expect when attending your meet-up. Send out an email with a name tag template to printout and wear, include information about the venue (parking, food, etc.), and give them an idea of what to expect from your meet-up!

5. Discussion Starters. To help facilitate discussions about marketing, collaboration, strategies, and more, come up with a plan to get attendees talking about these topics. Maybe you include notebooks for people to jot down ideas and share them with your attendees later. Or maybe you host a more formal meet-up with panels, presenters, or round-table discussions.