Meetup OS · Printable checklist
The Meetup OS checklist, D-30 to D+90
86 items in eight phases, the ones the ELC team ticks for every meetup. The first phase is open below. The other seven open with a signup to the Leaders' Brief, the monthly ELC email, and then the whole thing prints on a few sheets.
01 · D-30 to D-28
Build everything, publish nothing
- Title and abstract written as a thesis, under 80 characters, meetup number in front
- Cover approved by a human; checked on the registration page crop and the LinkedIn crop
- Internal event page: title, abstract, cover, team contacts
- Registration page created private, exact map pin, capacity about twice the real room
- Speakers shown on the registration page as face, first name, company logo
- LinkedIn event created, name under 75 characters, nobody invited
- Meetup.com event created, not announced
- Deck copied from the master: cover slide, one card per speaker
- One calendar invite: team, helpers, venue contact, photographer, videographer, speakers
- Every link pinned in the team channel
- Venue asked whether their merch can be the prize for the best question
The long version: tech event planning checklist
Open the other seven phases.
Speakers, members first, going public, the week before, setup, the night, and the close. It's a signup to the Leaders' Brief, the monthly ELC email; the checklist opens on this page right away.
One email a month. Unsubscribe is a reply.
The full checklist is open below.
A welcome email is on its way too. Press Print for the paper version.
02 · D-28 to D-2
Speakers
- One joint intro email to all speakers: one shared call, two or three photos, the deck link
- Each speaker edits and OKs the text about their own talk on the registration page
- The ten coaching rules sent on confirmation, sent again a week before
- Speaker card with face, title and logo, plus a draft post and a tagged link, at D-14
- Each speaker asked for a personal post, not a reshare, and one line in their company Slack
- Takeaway asset received and QR generated, D-2
- Slides locked, D-2
The long version: speakers
03 · D-26
Members first
- Every speaker has OKd their description
- Members newsletter with the private link, the date it goes public, one ask
- Same message shorter in the member Slack, with the cover; the four-day clock starts
- Existing partners get their reserved seats, one personal email each
- Dated promo schedule pinned: D-21, D-14, D-7, D-1, D-0, D+1
- Brand kits drafted for partners, speakers, attendees: one post, one Slack blurb, one tagged link each
The long version: members first
04 · D-22, a Tuesday to Thursday
Go public
- A human checks title, abstract, date, venue pin, cover, capacity, slug on the registration page
- Registration page switched to public
- Web event page live and submitted to search engines
- Invites from the registration platform, 12:00 to 13:00
- Meetup.com: announce to the group
- LinkedIn event invites filtered by city and IT industry, up to 1,000 a week, repeated weekly
- Announcement in every other community Slack you belong to, D-21
The long version: go public
05 · D-7 to D-1
The week before
- D-7 logistics blast with the registration count as social proof
- D-7 pre-event poll opens: one anonymous question
- D-5 speaker teaser goes out
- D-3 People to Meet email: four to six named attendees who agreed
- D-3 first-timer email: how the night runs, where the huddle is
- D-2 bring-the-question: three pre-submitted questions open Q&A with names
- D-1 poll closed and compiled into one slide
- D-1 final reminder blast, last call to the team
- D-1 loadout packed: adapters, clicker, USB backup, mics, playlist, name tags, stickers, signs, roll-ups, gaffer tape, prizes
The long version: the week before
06 · D-day, T-3h to T-5min
Setup and pre-flight
- T-3h on site, catering received
- T-2h chairs, screen, projector, microphone, registration desk
- T-90min tech check on the real screen with the USB backup
- T-90min photographer briefed: one wide shot with the most people; videographer briefed: two or three interviews
- T-90min walk-in test from the street to a seat, signage fixed
- Audio check from the back row with music playing
- Speaker safe zone: bags, water, slides tested
- Side screen running the Q&A code and the faces to meet
- Quiz built, five questions on tonight's thesis, pin tested
- Prizes on hand: wine or merch, three status prizes, one guest pass
- Hot Takes Table marked and signed; Wall of Wins between the bar and the door
- T-60min doors, music on, greeter at the door with first-timer stickers
- T-30min first-timer huddle by the bar
- The host is in the crowd, not backstage
The long version: setup and pre-flight
07 · T=0 to T+180
The night
- Record before speaker one; separate audio track
- Frame in five minutes: mission, thesis, what the poll said, code of conduct, icebreaker, partner 60 seconds, speakers
- Talk 1, takeaway QR, live poll
- Ten-minute break: photographer shoots the room, videographer pulls interviewees
- Talk 2, takeaway QR
- Q&A: pre-submitted questions first with names, then the live feed, roaming mic
- Sharpest question prize handed over
- Quiz, top three on stage
- Article of the month, next topic vote, next meetup QR, referral link, four thank-yous
- T+78 music up, lights up, six words, host off the stage; networking carousel on
- No closed team huddles; every team member introduces two strangers and leaves
- T+90 Hot Takes Table seeded; T+130 first-timer draw
- T+150 wrap-up, venue staff thanked; T+180 cleared
- End of night: recording captured, hero shot done, interviews shot, first-timer count written down
The long version: the night
08 · D+1 to D+90
The close
- D+1 attendance from the QR scans: approved, checked in, no-shows, walk-ins
- D+1 photographer selects by end of day; videographer due D+12
- D+1 fifteen-minute debrief written on the event card
- D+2 at least 20 photos, folder shared by link
- D+2 event page: real hero photo, alt text, photos and slides links, registration closed
- D+2 one email per attendee with everything; separate missed-you email for no-shows
- D+2 speaker pack: photos, badge, alumni welcome, post kit, podcast or blog choice
- D+2 venue: thanks, ten photos, post kit, fixes, host again?
- D+2 public recap: tagged carousel, founder post, recap inside the LinkedIn event, photos on the registration page, member Slack
- D+3 partner reports; up to five coffee invites, checked against the ledger
- D+7 leaderboard: one point per meetup, five per talk
- D+7 one nudge to venue and speakers; scores shared with speakers
- D+7 numbers into the registry; invoices checked
- D+7 brand scorecard: registrations by UTM source
- D+14 videos on the event page; speakers get video and clip
- D+14 retro: every lesson tied to a launch or close step
- D+14 recap section written; meetup marked closed
- D+90 team channel archived
The long version: the close
For companies
Want ELC to run the whole night at your office?
Your venue, your speaker. The ELC team brings the topic, the audience of 3,300+ engineering leaders, the games, the host and the photos. A median of 125 confirmed registrations across the last 13 public meetups.
See what ELC runs for companiesQuestions organizers ask
Is the Meetup OS checklist free?
Yes. The first phase is open on this page. The other seven phases open on the page when you join the Leaders' Brief, the monthly ELC email. That is a newsletter signup, nothing more, and you can print the whole checklist right after.
Can I print the checklist?
Yes. Once all phases are open, press Print, and the print view shows only the checklist with tick boxes, one phase after another, nothing else from the site. "Save as PDF" in the print dialog works too.
Is there a Notion template for this checklist?
Not yet. The checklist is a printable page on purpose: it fits on a few sheets, it goes in the event manager's pocket, and it does not need an account. The long version of every phase, with the reasons behind each item, is on the four Meetup OS pages linked from each phase.