Template

So you want to start an ideas meeting? Here are our recommended steps:

Social Media

Create

1. Wiki Page
2. Facebook Group
3. Twitter Account (@ideasvic @ideasvan)
4. Create an email list

Organizing a meeting

1. Pick a location, make a reservation.

It can be a restaurant or pub, or a free meeting space in your community. It should have little to no ambient noise so one can easily converse with the group. It should have no required cost to attend. Having an option for beverages including alcoholic is typical. Having broadband wifi access is also typical.

1. Create a Facebook event
2. Announce it on Twitter and the email list with link to FB event, place, date and time

Preparing for the meeting

1. Place some type of signage for new visitors if possible
2. Remind the staff the name of your group, and point the staff to where you will be gathered

The meeting

1. See if you can find someone from the group to take minutes (on the wiki ideally)
2. Go through the Projects page and see which projects interest your group. Contribute to the project pages that interest your group.
3. Anyone should be free to bring up any new idea
4. When you hear an idea, your first focus should be what can you contribute to make that idea better?
5. The final step is to highlight problems you can think of with the idea, and if possible, how to resolve them
6. If an idea interests you, you should offer to help the presenter with that idea. If an idea doesn't interest you, wait for the next one!
7. If you have a project that at least one person in your group is willing to commit to making that project happen, create it on the Projects page. Anyone is allowed to participate in that project.

You can also create a Projects page for your region only, Projects is for any ideas member to participate in.