Announcement: Decision making checklist for in-person meetups now available

The Community Team now has new handbook pages that give guidance to meetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. organizers thinking about whether or not they can host in-person meetupsMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook.. Please understand that the team recognizes that it is still very unsafe to meet in person in many areas around the world. The vast majority of meetups will need to continue to be online. However, this new checklist will help meetups in areas that have more effectively contained COVID-19 (like New Zealand, Australia, and Taiwan) to begin meeting in person again. 

If you are a meetup organizer and would like to get the Community Team’s recommendation on whether you could proceed with an in-person meetup, please visit the following pages, now part of the Meetup Organizer Handbook.

  1. In-Person Meetup Decision Checklist Organizers can use this checklist to assess whether they can proceed with hosting in-person meetups, based on health authority data and organizer readiness. If you plan to move forward with an in-person meetup, you must submit this checklist to the Community team. 
  2. References and links to Health Authorities Because the checklist asks organizers to reference health authority data, the team has compiled a list of resources for organizers.
  3. Templates for Meetup OrganizersSome helpful language that meetup organizers can use to explain to members how in-person meetups happen (or not). 
  4. Report formIf an organizer or community member needs to connect with Community Team DeputiesProgram Supporter Community Program Supporters (formerly Deputies) are a team of people worldwide who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about program supporters in our Program Supporter Handbook. with concerns about local meetups, they can use this form.  

This checklist and process are new territory for the Community Team, in the face of a deeply challenging situation. As more people get vaccinated and regions are able to better address COVID-19, this process will need to evolve to reflect that, and to support the WordPress community’s other beloved in-person event formats (I miss you, WordCamps!). If anyone has questions or feedback on the current checklist and process, please do share that feedback by emailing support@wordcamp.org.  

My deepest gratitude to everyone who participated in the many discussions, and helped to thoughtfully think through and create this process now available to meetup organizers. Shout out and kudos to @sippis, @andreamiddleton, @evarlese, @jenniferswisher, @courtneypk, @harishanker, @kcristiano, @kdrewien, @nao, @_dorsvenabili, @jominney, @mariaojob, @tacoverdo, @ashiquzzaman, @adityakane, @samsuresh

#highlight