I would prefer meeting for dinner before concerts in order to get to know people. I have changed my RSVP most of the time because it still feels like I am going by myself and I chicken out. Theater group always has option to meet for dinner at a close restaurant and makes it more enjoyable for me. Even if not everyone comes to dinner or drinks it would be great to have that option. 

Robin Ireland 

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 18, 2013, at 6:35 PM, Ellen <[address removed]> wrote:

Thanks, Carol.  I'm not sure people would care if they were dropped from the group.  The majority admitted that they just use it as an event listing service and for whatever reason (one guy said the group tends to be too old for him!) don't want to meet up as a group, even to sit together, let alone go out for drinks or dinner before or after.

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From: Carol Krone Rubler <[address removed]>
To: [address removed]
Sent: Wednesday, September 18,[masked]:32 PM
Subject: Re: [atlanta-classical-music] Should This Meetup Continue?

Another meetup group I belong to had the same issue. The organizer sent an email stating that no-shows were a problem for her. In the future, after 2 no-shows that person would be dropped from the group. That is a policy with other meetups as well. I hope this helps.

On Wed, Sep 18, 2013 at 1:26 PM, Jeanne <[address removed]> wrote:

Hello Ellen:

First and foremost, thank you so much to Paul for the vision in starting this meetup group and also to you and Steve who have devoted such much time and effort to planning and organizing events and keeping this meetup so enjoyable and interesting for us.  I have met so many great people through this meetup and we have had alot of great times.  It would be such a great loss for our group to disband.  I do understand the frustration and disappointment that you must experience when you spend so much time planning an event and people do not show up.  I hope that Steve will reconsider, maybe we can try to work through the 'No Show' issue, but in the meantime,  I would be happy take over some of the events that he has already planned and will try to see if I can get in touch with the people that have already RSVP's for Chastain. Although the onus should not really fall on the organizer, perhaps we could try to get a confirmation system in place, maybe one day in advance to make sure that RSVPs are current.  The group has been really great, it's definitely gone through some changes, but it would be great if we could just forge ahead and see if we can keep it going.

Thanks again for all that you do and also to Steve for all the effort he has made to post and host so many events.

Thanks,

Jeanne

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From: Ellen <[address removed]>
To: [address removed]
Sent: Sunday, September 15,[masked]:02 PM
Subject: [atlanta-classical-music] Should This Meetup Continue?

I'm not quite sure why I'm sending this since so many people never read e-mails, especially from Meetup.  And it may not be realistic to expect behavior of members to change.  But in one last effort to make this group work, here goes.

Most of you never met Steve.  A few weeks ago, he contacted me and offered assistance to help get this group going again.  I hadn't posted much since there aren't many events during the summer and frankly, I had interest due to all the No Shows.  I accepted his offer.  He posted many events, ranging from free concerts to Emory to interesting, outside-the-box events at places like Eddie's Attic and Smith's tavern.  Lots of you RSVP'd.  Looked like this group could prosper!

But clicking Yes to the RSVP doesn't translate to your actually showing up....or attempting to find the group and mingle if you did show up.  Steve posted a sitar concert at Emory last night.  Ten of you signed up....but no one actually showed up!  Steve was left attending the concert by himself...when he had assumed he would be attending it with ten new "friends!"

This isn't an anomaly.  The week before, 46 of you signed up for the Bach organ concert at Emory...and only about 10 showed up!  And this has been going on since the group began.

So Steve has stepped down as an organizer and has quit the group.  Organizing it again falls upon my shoulders.  And I'm wondering if I should continue to do so.

I think that similar groups elsewhere in the country have this problem.  People treat it as an event listing service. You hear about classical music and other events you would never have known about otherwise.   But the idea of Meetup is to actually get like-minded people together to enjoy an activity---not to RSVP and then not come because something better came along/you forgot/you didn't want to socialize with strangers.

You may not realize that organizers not only volunteer their time to post and host events.  We also pay $150 to do so; that's how the Meetup corporation makes its money.  All organizers get for it is the opportunity to try to bring people together and meet people who otherwise would never have come into their lives.  So when that doesn't happen, it gets discouraging for organizers.  That's why people step down as organizers and groups close.

When this group first began, I tried to organize a social event before or after a performance, like coffee/tea or dinner.  Almost everyone made it clear that they were just coming for a performance and did not want to do the social part.  I can accept that.  But for people not even to get together for a few minutes before a concert really makes this just an information service.  On the positive side, events get publicity, filling audiences and maybe selling some tickets.  But on the negative side, it's a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so---so maybe it's time to fold this group.

I do realize that there were some mixed messages given.  For yesterday's concert, Steve did not post what time or where to meet.  But when I've given explicit instructions, people still don't show.  I'd rather relax than stand for twenty minutes holding up a Meetup sign when no one is going to show!

I've tried posting events I won't be attending and asking for event hosts.  All that's needed is to hold a Meetup sign and greet people---but with a few exceptions, no one wants to do that.

It would be sad for Atlanta to not have a classical music Meetup, but I think we may be haeded in that direction.

I welcome any suggestions and feedback.

 

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Carol Rubler

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