We established an in-person meetup group featuring knowledgeable presenters speaking about topics relevant to the regional agile community. The events provided an opportunity for members of the community to meet and network at no cost, while simultaneously offering a platform for more experienced agile practitioners to share their knowledge and raise their profile. Meetups also served as a forum for both job seekers looking for new opportunities, as well as companies trying to fill positions.
Our venue sponsor provided space for the 100-plus attendees for our six events per year, as well as free pizza and beer for all. They also employed an audio-visual specialist who was critical to our success in capturing videos and simulcasting to a broader audience.
During the COVID-19 pandemic we pivoted to more frequent virtual “QuickTalks” about 15 minutes in duration. Without the need to source presenters locally, we were able to provide our community with opportunities to hear from a much more diverse array of thinkers from around the globe.