We're making some adjustments to how we manage RSVPs and event communication. The goal is to provide you with a better, more feature-rich, and more reliable event experience while navigating rising costs and limitations on the Meetup platform.
We started a new mailing list. Signup to the new list and get direct invites to all future events.
Over the past year, using Meetup has become increasingly challenging and costly, impacting both you (our members) and the group's operations.
| Fee Type | Impact | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Organizer Fees | My annual operating costs have soared. | My annual organizer fees have risen to nearly $500 CAD—up from just $90 when I started! |
| Mandatory Dues | We lost 75% of our communication reach. | The new membership Dues process now requires a mandatory $5/year fee. While I use this to cover the organizer fee above, members who are "awaiting fees" no longer receive any of our event announcements. |
| Member Charges | Meetup takes a cut of your fees. | Meetup now surcharges members about 4% on event fees, and this money goes directly to Meetup, not towards models or studio fees. |
| Meetup+ Requests | Causes confusion and adds little value to our events. | Members are often prompted to pay $15/month for "Meetup+." This removes ads and allows messaging, but it does not enhance the actual event experience. |
The Meetup platform restricts my ability to create and manage the high-quality events you expect:
To solve these problems and give you a better experience, we are transitioning our event management to two new platforms:
| Platform | Role | Benefit to You |
|---|---|---|
| 1. RegFox (Our New Site) | Event Details & RSVP Hub | This is where you will now RSVP for events, see more detailed concept images, select time slots, pay any event fees, and officially add your name to a waitlist if the event is full. |
| 2. Facebook Events | Announcements & Image Sharing | We will use Facebook for quick event announcements and continue the popular tradition of sharing images after the event. |
What about the event comment section? We know you use this for questions like "Where do I park?" or "Can someone offer a ride?" We will move these conversations to the **Discussion area** within the Facebook Event page!
Since many of you are no longer receiving our event announcements, it is vital that you connect with us on our new primary communication channel:
1. Join Our Facebook Group: This is now our main hub for all future announcements, discussion, and image sharing. **If not already a member, you should join this group to stay informed, see pre-event comments/updates and share the post-event images.**
2. Signup to the new mailing list to get direct invites to all future events. This is now the place to RSVP as well as manage your email/text contact info used for all future events invites.