As 2020 comes to a close and I take time to reflect on the last twelve months, it’s hard to believe how much has changed in both the world and at Meetup in such a short amount of time. Meetup may have been founded in 2002, but 2020 ended up being the year that defined our company and our community more than any other.
As it was for so many, March was a time of endurance, innovation, and renewal for Meetup. To meet recommended social distancing needs, we quickly built and launched our new online events feature, which has since reached over 1.5 million events scheduled, pivoting our core business. Later in March, Meetup was acquired by a consortium of investors led by Kevin Ryan’s AlleyCorp. For the first time in two and a half years, Meetup had ownership that allowed us the freedom to operate independently.
Endurance
March was not only a month full of enormous change at Meetup, of course. At that time Google searches for “isolation” hit a record high, magnifying an already too real epidemic of loneliness exacerbated by this pandemic. And while some social media sites have been shown to increase feelings of loneliness, Meetup has been proven to do the exact opposite and instead, increase feelings of connectedness. It is clear that Meetup has continued to be a positive force in people’s lives, especially in turbulent times.
Innovation
Meetup hasn’t just sat back and watched these global changes take place without action. This year, we unveiled several initiatives to help keep our members and organizers connected:
- Online Events: Historically, Meetup has been all about getting people off their computers and out into the world to meet in person. We’ve all had to adapt, and our platform has kept 10 million people connected, at a time when it mattered most.
- Meetup Live Events: We launched Meetup Live in April as a way to engage with and share updates with our organizers during this unprecedented time. We’ve now hosted 51 Meetup events attracting over 50,000 RSVPs across topics including organizer workshops, community updates, live demos, as well as an ongoing, monthly series dedicated to dismantling social and racial injustice.
- Communities for Black Justice and Equity: During the height of the Black Lives Matter protests during the spring and summer, teams across Meetup organized in order to launch our Communities for Black Justice and Equity network, which provides a free and safe space for these important conversations and activism to continue.
- Community Matters Blog: Our blog, Community Matters, also launched this year! With almost 10,000 subscribers, it’s a great place for organizers and members alike to gain pro tips, find out about new features, and hear stories that inspire.
- Our Technology is Improving: We’ve added new search filters so users can easily choose between online and in-person events. We’ve added labels and iconography to our event cards and home that make it clear when an event is taking place online or at a specific location. And let’s not forget, “happening now”, the ability to RSVP to and attend events that are in progress.
- New for 2021: And we aren’t finished! Keep an eye out for a new podcast I’ll be hosting, Keep Connected, launching in January 2021, which will feature inspiring user stories and advice on building community. On January 7, 2021, join me for a community update on Meetup Live, where I’ll share a roadmap of what we have planned at Meetup for the coming year.
Renewal
While there’s a lot of talk about everything changing as a result of our current pandemic, we know that the need for human connection is deep-rooted and fundamental. Come next year, and the years that follow, people will still be seeking out new experiences, pursuing passions, and desiring more connections than ever before. I plan for Meetup to be right at the center of it all.
As 2020 comes to a close, I am proud to reflect on all that Meetup members, organizers, and employees have done to keep our mission going in unprecedented times. From raising questions about racial equality to providing social contact in a distanced world, Meetup has been key to the lives of so many people throughout the year. No matter what 2021 brings, I am confident that Meetup will continue to be the platform for making genuine, lasting connections.
Last modified on December 29, 2020
