818: CJ × Hosting Meetups - Lunch and Learn

In this episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott talk with CJ Reynolds about the resurgence of meetups in a post-COVID world. They discuss the benefits of attending and speaking at meetups, and the logistics of organizing them. CJ also shares his experiences running the DenverScript meetup, including sourcing speakers, finding venues, and ensuring a welcoming community. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:35 Brought to you by Sentry.io 01:49 CJ’s history hosting meetups DenverScript Code Talent 06:35 How do you structure a meetup? 09:50 How do you raise awareness for a meetup and get people to attend? Meetup.com Guild 13:27 How to pay for a meetup 15:22 How to get speakers at meetups 16:50 The length of these talks 17:03 Does live-streaming hurt attendance? Syntax 806 - The King of Drag and Drop: Alex Reardon 19:32 Is there a vetting process for finding speakers? Syntax 019 - How to Get Into Speaking at Conferences 24:26 A meetup doesn’t have to be talks Develop Happy Hour 27:48 What’s the worst part about hosting a meetup? 29:37 What was your first meetup like? 33:27 What’s the best meetup you’ve been to and why? 37:10 How to be a good attendee 40:45 Are meetups back? 44:00 Tips for organizing a great meetup 45:29 How to find a meetup 47:37 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs Sick Picks CJ: Fillo’s Walking Tamales Shameless Plugs CJ: DenverScript You Should Use Hono in your Next Project Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads