Let’s start off with the definition of a Meetup. A Meetup occurs when a group of people with a common interest get together to discuss their common interest for work or play. Meetups are put together by an organizer or two in an attempt to bring everyone with that common interest together in one locale. Meetups, in short, are awesome!

Why? What is so great about putting together or attending a Meetup?

There are 2 reasons.

First, there is nothing more empowering than finding yourself in a group of relative strangers and discovering everyone shares your passion!

Second, Meetups are INCREDIBLE ways of meeting new referral partners as well. Remember this: people love referring friends and family. They just want to ensure they are referring their friends and family to the right person. Hosting or attending a Meetup ensures that the people you are going to connect with already share something in common with you. This common interest is a great place to start on the road to building referral partners.

WARNING: This is not about getting 5 “deals” this weekend. This is about building long term relationships that become mutually beneficial.

Let’s go over the 5 things you need to know to pull off a killer Meetup.

#1 - Who? Who do you want to attend this Meetup? Do want to meet more Real Estate agents? Then invite them. Do you want to meet local Business Owners? Then you will invite them. This step is an extremely easy one to grasp. If you want to connect with a specific people within a specific industry, invite them!

#2 - How? Ok, there’s the question you wanted to ask. You want to meet more Real Estate agents but, don’t know how. This part is easy too. Let’s look at 4 “hows” specifically.

A.      Are you an early adopter? Do find yourself on Twitter all day long? If so, then a Tweetup is for you. A Tweetup is when a few Twitter users send out the call to connect and meet somewhere to get in some “face” time. It doesn’t matter if you have 20 Twitter Followers or 2,000, you can still pull off a successful Tweetup. Send out the initial “tweet” with an invitation for those that receive it to pass it on. Do this every other day or so for a couple weeks before you meet.

Also, for a great list of Twitter users in your area or industry, check out TwitterPacks. This is a great resource for anyone starting out and setting up their very own Tweetup.

B.      ActiveRain users unite! ActiveRain has done an incredible job of building an active community among its many users. Use the “post to group” function to get the word out for your Meetup! Do want to meet other lenders in your local area? Find the group on ActiveRain representing them, join that group, and write a blog post about your Meetup. Do you want to meet Real Estate Agents in your area? Do the exact same thing.

What?! You don’t have an ActiveRain membership? Go get one, it’s free.

C.      Do you blog? Checkout Meetup.com for a list of other bloggers and their meetup time in your area. If you don’t find one then start one! Bloggers love connecting with each and sharing ideas. Who knows, you may even find someone to write that guest post you’ve wanted for your blog. This is also a great thing to invite your blogger and non-blogger (but curious) friends to. This is especially a wonderful thing to invite a blogging referral partner to!

D.      Do you have a hobby? An interest? Even if you don’t fall into the groups above you can still host a Meetup. Are you a scuba diver? Then host a Meetup for other scuba divers to connect, chat, and share stories and adventures. When you discover that you are sitting next to a real estate agent, a financial planner, a CPA, etc. you will be pleasantly surprised that you have a new friend and a possible new source for referrals.

NOTE - Remember, in today’s market, having 70 referral partners does not mean squat if none of them produce. I personally get more transactions from friends and acquaintances that know me and have met me (many from Meetups) right now than from referral partners. Times are tight and a genuine person is in high demand in this business.

#3 - When? I would schedule your Meetup about 3 weeks out on a Tuesday or Thursday. That gives most people plenty of time to get it on their calendar.

#4 - Where? If you can find a place that is not a bar but, serves drinks and has wifi, then you have found the Holy Grail of Meetup locations. Everyone has different expectations. It would be wise to know exactly where you are meeting 3 weeks in advance as well. The last time I hosted one, I found a local tavern in downtown Denver that doesn’t charge for its rooms as long most people order a drink or appetizer. I also recommend scheduling your Meetup on a Tuesday or Thursday. These two days seem to be the slowest days for those types of establishments and they tend to be more accommodating.

#5 - What? So you have the perfect time and place. You know exactly who you want to invite but, what do you use to make sure everyone gets the exact same information? I have included below a couple of free sites that will host your Meetup’s details.

A.      Upcoming - I use upcoming to schedule and advertise all of the events I speak at or attend. Upcoming also gives you the ability to create a badge that you can add to your website. I will normally take the link to the event and embed it in an email or a “tweet.” This ensures that everyone gets the exact same info. People who register for your Meetup can also upload their picture and comments about the event.

B.      Meetup.com - You can find a number of Meetups already occurring in your area.  If you sign up (free) then you can join groups and RSVP for events.

I know this list isn’t exhaustive. My question to you is what am I missing? What has been your experience with hosting or attending a Meetup? What other sites would recommend or have you used to get the word out?