Hosting a Meetup

Lolita meetups can take a little, or a lot, of organization, depending on what you're doing, so here are some guidelines for understanding how to host a meetup!


Where & Activities

You'll need to decide on a place for your meet up. In the Savannah lolita's community, we have a post designated for "loli places in Savannah" where I've put together a list of just that. I included a small description of each place, the price range, menu (if it's a place to eat), and location. You don't necessarily have to do this, but I found it's convenient to have an organized list for when trying to put together a meetup!
For example, our list includes several historic houses with tours, areas for picnics, and tea rooms.

Some other ideas, which may depend on your area, can include:
* Going to see a play, musical, concert (stick to seated ones), or movie
* Visiting a museum or art gallery
* Karaoke
* Roller/Ice skating
* Picnicing (potluck style is great!)
* Kite flying
* Crafting (deco your phones, lolify some shirts, sew head bows, make mini top hats!)
* Getting Brunch/Lunch/Dinner/Dessert

And depending on the time of year, seasonal activities such as a 'Secret Santa' holiday party, Easter egg hunt, watch fireworks, or seeing a parade!

Cost

I always like to ask the members of the community if they'd prefer a cost-free, low cost, or don't care about the cost of the meet up, so that more people can join in on the fun if the price is an issue!
This can also help narrow down your options for activities if you're having a difficult time deciding.
Whatever your cost, make sure your attendees are aware of it so they will know if they'll be paying for a grand expensive luncheon, just a light snack, how much tickets are if the event requires it, and the like.

Attendance

It's always a good idea to make an RSVP list of who's coming, and if people are bringing guests. This can be extremely important if you plan on making a dinner reservation, because most places will want an accurate head count when you're making the reservation, especially if it's a large group. Finding out how many people will be attending can also be important for potluck style meet ups, so people can have a good idea of how much food to bring.

Offer to give out your cell phone number (via PM) to those who would like it in case someone runs late or gets lost. I know I've had to make a couple calls while going to meet ups to let them know I was running late/stuck in traffic.

Take note of who is coming, and check off people as they arrive so as not to leave anyone behind! It's always a good idea to make sure at everyone has a way to contact you or someone else in the group.

And again, please make sure everyone states whether they're bringing a +1 or more! You might think you have an accurate head count, but if five people bring unannounced guests, it could cause major difficulties depending on your activity.

Attire

If you're going to be visiting an amusement park, the ideal attire will be completely different than if you're going out to dinner.
Advise people if they should wear comfy shoes, leave the hair bows/excess jewelry that could fall off at home, bring an umbrella/parasol/fan, bring a coat, or even forget the petti! Some meets can get really hot, and it's important to let everyone know that, even though it's a lolita meetup, to dress down according to weather to ensure comfort.
Let the attendees know whether they can dress head to toe covered in their finest brand, or should wear a simpler, cheaper outfit that they won't mind getting minor grass stains on.
The formality of a meet should also be taken into account. Is it formal, semi-formal, informal, casual?

Don't forget!

* If you're going to be moving around to different places on your meet, make sure they're close by, or at least easily accessible by some mode of transportation, and that everyone can find a way to get there without much difficulty by carpooling etc. Most everyone will be dressed from head to toe, and will probably not want to walk 20 blocks. If you are planning a meet in which there will be a lot of walking required, advise everyone to wear comfy shoes at least!

* Make sure nobody gets left out! If there's a large group of people who don't know each other, it will be a good idea to initiate the meet with some sort of introduction activity, even if it's as simple as going around in a circle stating your name. If someone looks a little lonely, start a conversation or invite them to join in with a group!

* Always keep an eye on the weather too - you might have to cancel and have a rain date last minute, or notify everyone to bring an extra coat, or leave the layers at home!


Hope you found this helpful,
♥ Jesi Carroll