Before Getting Started

At this point we expect that you have already initiated a community request and have a campaign page for the local area. If not fill out this form and our community manager will get in touch and help you with getting started. 

To get an overview of the technology have a look at the resources listed here:

• Wiki
• Forum
• Labs
• Slack (click on `request Slack invite`)

Start by updating the story, description on the campaign page and mark the location of the area on the map. [Please note that the draft community page will have pre-filled text which you need to change and add your customize message].

If there are existing contributors in the beginning you can now add them on the page.

(Ref: Zurich Community Page) 

Planning for a New Meetup

Now that you have updated the campaign page it is time to start arranging things in place for the meetup. Regardless if its your first meetup or your 100th meetup event it is better to start planning in advance and think of something innovative to excite the participants.

Getting ideas in the beginning is always a tricky thing but dont worry every community initiator/member has been at your position. Start by looking into the existing groups similar to The Thing Network such as Hackerspace, Makerspace, SmartCity, IoT meetups that are happening around your area. You can even partner with them in the beginning to involve them and see if we could collaborate with them.

Many communities around the world have started organizing their exclusive TTN meetups quite frequently. You can get some ideas from their pages here:

• New York
• Melbourne
• Zurich

Scheduling a Meetup

After the initial pre-requisite research, the next thing on the to-do list is to decide the timing and location for the event. If you have easy access to an available space which can accommodate the number of expected people, go ahead and finalize it.  

Make sure to post an update and sync your meetup link so it appears on the campaign page.

Promoting the event is one of the crucial tasks in this entire process. With a wide range of channels, it is essential to identify the right ones which would be efficient in connecting with the right people and help in spreading the message across. The most commonly used platform these days is Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn along with the respective campaign page. Some of the groups have also got coverage from the local newspaper and magazines. 

Day of the Event

Finally the day is here that you have been waiting for. All your hard work for the past few weeks will come into action on the day of the meetup.

Here are links to some of the resources that you can use while presenting about The Things Network. These resources have been used by the core team members and other initiators/contributors.

• Presentation

                Border Session - Building Open Infrastructure - Zurich

                The Things Network Overview

• Video

            If you need some inspiration on how to present and talk about the technology, have a look at these session recording by Wienke and Johan at various events in the past.

The Things Network Closing Keynote at IoT Asia 2016, Singapore

The Things Network during Key Conference, Seol

Building a Global - Open - Crowdsourced IoT Data Network, Eclipse Foundation

After the Event

After the successful conclusion of your first meetup, give yourself a pat on the back.  Time to celebrate your first big milestone for the community in style.

In case you need any support or help fee free to get back to us  (community@thethingsnetwork.org)