Meetup Changes: What We Know So Far...
Details
Lots of changes still coming to the Meetup platform -- besides higher prices and restrictions to the free members.
What's Going Away
- Event Chat. Shut down as of July 18. The promised improvements to event discussions and comments have not materialized as of yet.
- Message Boards. Gone as of July 18.
- Attendee Insights. A Meetup marketing term used to describe member age, gender, interests and joined groups. The attendee and wait lists now show this additional information -- but only if you are a Meetup+ subscriber.
What's Coming Our Way
- Advertisements on the Web. If you have not signed up for Meetup+ you will see ads when accessing Meetup from your computer. I confirmed this using a test Meetup account.
- Advertisements in the App: Confirmed for Android users. A major update is coming for the Meetup app, currently scheduled for December from what I've been able to learn.
- Price Increases for Organizers. I have been on a 6-month Meetup Organizer subscription that is billed in January and July. The annual cost, which has been $200 plus taxes for the past few years, is now being increased by $100, upping my annual outlay to $300 plus tax -- but only if I move on to a **yearly subscription**. FYI, organizers with an annual subscription are allowed 3 Meetup groups of unlimited size.
Membership in North Shore Bicycling for Fun will remain free!
The Current State of the Meetup Platform
Meetup has needed a major overhaul for some time; however, none of the platform's previous owners were willing to take on this rather formidable job. Consequently, Meetup languished over the years, becoming increasingly buggy while failing to deliver on many long-asked-for features requested by its organizers. Enter Bending Spoons and their aggressive plan to streamline the platform and rebuild Meetup from the ground up. It's a big job -- and an expensive one. With the new prices for organizers and the introduction of Meetup+, we're essentially being asked to help with the Meetup rebuild.
Is Meetup+ Right for Me?
It's been a free ride for many years. While you can continue as a free Meetup user, a Meetup+ subscription may make your life easier in the long run, particularly if you're an active member in several different groups and like to participate in many events each month. Check out the blog post to learn the benefits of a Meetup+ subscription. Priority notification of events is the biggie, as is priority on the wait list. And no annoying ads. Maybe you wait and see if Bending Spoons delivers on its promises.
See the photos below for a visual rundown on these changes.
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Meetup Changes: What We Know So Far...