Meet and greet events provide valuable opportunities to bring together different groups of people for networking socializing and relationship building. Hosting a well-run meet and greet leaves attendees with positive impressions of your organization and event.
Follow this comprehensive guide to learn proven tips and best practices for planning and hosting a smooth engaging meet and greet that meets your goals.
Set the Purpose and Goals
The first step in planning any successful event is defining your purpose and goals. Be clear about what you want to accomplish.
Some common meet and greet goals include
- Introducing a new organization, business, or products/services
- Networking and relationship building
- Recruiting volunteers or members
- Fundraising or securing sponsors
- Building community goodwill
- Celebrating milestones or achievements
Whatever your objectives, keep them in mind throughout the planning process to stay on track.
Choose an Appropriate Venue
The venue sets the tone for your meet and greet. Look for spaces that match the type of event you want to host.
For formal events, reserved rooms at hotels, country clubs or museums convey professionalism. For more casual community gatherings, parks, libraries, or neighborhood centers may be ideal.
When evaluating venues, consider:
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Capacity – Will it accommodate your expected guest numbers?
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Layout – Does it have open spaces conducive to mingling?
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Accessibility – Is it ADA compliant? Convenient for attendees?
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Atmosphere – Does it have the right ambiance?
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Audiovisual – What A/V capabilities are included?
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Budget – Does the rate fit with what you can spend?
Time It Strategically
Choose a start and end time convenient for your guests. For corporate events, early morning or late afternoon during the workday may work best. For social community meet ups, evenings or weekends are likely better.
Keep the length appropriate – 1-2 hours is ideal for most meet and greets. Any longer risks attendees getting tired and dropping out early.
Plan the Agenda
Creating a detailed minute-by-minute agenda provides structure and keeps your meet and greet flowing smoothly.
Include timing and who is responsible for:
- Set up and event prep tasks
- Guest arrival and check-in
- Welcoming and opening remarks
- Any speakers or presentations
- Facilitated networking activities and icebreakers
- Food and beverage service
- Wrap up and closing comments
- Clean up duties
Build in flexibility in case elements take longer than expected.
Send Invitations
Create both print and email invitations to send out 4-8 weeks in advance. Include:
- Name and purpose of event
- Date, time, location details
- Brief agenda overview
- Directions and parking information
- RSVP instructions
Follow up with phone calls and reminder emails to prompt invitees to RSVP. This gives you a headcount for planning.
Assign Responsibilities
Recruit a team of volunteers, staff, or vendors to oversee key aspects:
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Set up/tear down crew – Arrives early to arrange furniture, signage, and decor. Stays late to clean up.
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Registration table staff – Greets and checks in attendees.
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Photographer – Takes candid photos during event to share online and use in PR.
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MC/host – Makes announcements and introductions.
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Food and beverages coordinators – Plans menu, orders catering if needed.
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Security personnel – If warranted, provides peace of mind for large events.
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** shuttle drivers** – Provides transportation if parking is limited.
Create detailed timelines and instructions for each person covering their specific duties.
Plan Icebreaker Activities
Icebreakers get attendees comfortable engaging with new people. Intersperse 20-30 minute blocks of free networking with structured icebreakers.
Fun ones to mix in include:
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Bingo – Guests mingle to find people matching spaces on a bingo card.
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Scavenger hunt – Attendees seek people who meet fun criteria like “traveled to 3+ countries.”
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Speed networking – Guests spend a few minutes chatting one-on-one before rotating to new partners.
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Trivia – MC asks light trivia questions and people team up in groups to come up with answers.
Provide Name Tags
Name tags allow guests to easily identify and address each other during networking. Provide badges with large legible text including attendees’ first names, city/state, organization.
Tip: Have name tag stickers and markers available so guests can modify and update their affiliation or location during the event.
Offer Food and Beverages
Providing complimentary drinks and snacks encourages networking by giving people a natural activity as they mingle. Finger foods that are easy to hold and eat make the most sense.
For daytime meet and greets, coffee, tea, soda and light fare like pastries, fruit, and cheese are appropriate. For evenings, wine, beer, sparkling water and heartier hors d’oeuvres hit the spot.
Arrange a Coat Check
In winter months when guests will be wearing bulky outerwear, arrange coat racks or a staffed coat check area. This allows people to easily remove coats and mingle without juggling all their belongings.
Welcome and Kick Off Attendees
Once most guests have arrived, the host should kick things off with brief welcoming remarks introducing themselves, their organization, and the purpose of the gathering. A short icebreaker activity is also a great way to get people interacting.
Next, invite guests to network and enjoy the refreshments while reminding them of locations for food, drinks, bathrooms, and coat check. Your meet and greet is now in full swing!
As a host, facilitate conversations by introducing attendees to each other based on common interests or backgrounds.
Watch for “wallflowers” hovering alone and draw them into different groups. Introduce new arrivals to several different people to get them involved.
Manage the Schedule
Stay on top of the agenda and time things appropriately. Give polite 5 minute and 1 minute warnings before shifting into speaker presentations or new activities.
Adjust as needed if particular elements are running long. Keep the atmosphere lively by moving people on to the next portions of the event on time.
Offer Parting Gifts or Takeaways
Send guests home with a small takeaway gift or informational materials to remember your meet and greet and reinforce key messages.
Good parting gifts include things like:
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Branded items like pens, notepads, water bottles, or tote bags
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Coupons or gift cards
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Product samples
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Informational brochures or catalogs
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Contact lists and sign up sheets
Follow Up and Evaluate
After your successful meet and greet wraps up, follow up by:
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Emailing thank you notes to attendees for coming.
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Sending event photos or recordings to share.
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Measuring feedback via thank you letters.
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Issuing press releases and media highlights.
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Assessing whether you accomplished your goals and how you can improve future events based on lessons learned.
Well-run meet and greet events bring people together to network, socialize, and build relationships. By carefully defining your purpose, finding the right venue, promoting the event, managing logistics and details, and facilitating introductions, you can host meet and greets that leave memorable and positive impressions on guests.
Following this comprehensive guide provides a roadmap to seamlessly planning and executing a meet and greet event that furthers your organization’s objectives and satisfies attendees.
Schedule your Meet and Greet ASAP
After you’ve created a new Meetup group, getting a Meet and Greet event on the calendar should be one of your top priorities. When people are surfing Meetup, they engage more with groups that have upcoming events—it’s a sign that your community is active and growing.
When you start to see new members joining your group, you don’t want to stifle that momentum. In the early stages of organizing, a proactive approach is a powerful indicator to members that you value their presence, their time, and their participation. No matter what topic you’re organizing around, every kind of group can benefit from this bedrock of social connection.
Keep it short, have an agenda, and use icebreakers
The goal of your Meet and Greet is really to get the main activities of your group in motion. It’s a means to an end. So keep it simple, keep it light, and keep it short. You’re likely to get higher RSVP numbers if people know they’re signing up to pop in for a quick hello.
Create an agenda, then share it loud and clear in your event description. You want potential attendees to know that your event isn’t work—they can rest easy knowing you’re the organizer, and that you’ve already taken the responsibility of planning. If you’re organizing a book club, your agenda could be as breezy as having each person spend five minutes talking about their favorite writers.
When your Meet and Greet actually begins, consider using a fun and easy icebreaker activity to kick things off. The value of getting everyone involved and talking from the get-go is that you immediately develop a sense of community. Plus, that structure makes it easier for shy people to speak and for conversation to flow after the icebreaker is finished. Check out some in-person and online icebreakers for inspiration.
How To Launch & Host Your Event with Meetup [Step By Step | Meetup For Beginners]
How do I host a meet and greet event?
The first step to hosting a meet and greet event is to decide on a format for the event. There are two formats you can choose: Virtual: One format option for a meet and greet event is a virtual event using videoconferencing software. This can allow professionals from several locations to connect virtually.
Should you host a first meet & greet?
While informal outreach events can help make some of those connections, hosting a formal FIRST Meet & Greet in your community. A FIRST Meet & Greet can be small and personal, with one or two potential sponsors, an open house type event, or a gala type event.
What is a meet and greet?
Your Meet and Greet doesn’t have to be the most dazzling, unforgettable social event of the year. It’s a low-key gathering that serves a basic function: getting people together to say hi and chat. The more group members you can get to attend this introductory event, the better.
How do I organise a virtual meet & greet?
You can easily organise virtual events right from your YouTube channel. Just host a live stream and let people join in. Let your subscribers know about your virtual meet and greet session atleast 1-2 weeks in advance. This should give fans enough time to see the announcement and schedule time to attend.
