I have wanted to write this blog post for a long time. I finally found the time to do it. Below is my story of how I got involved with the UK Microsoft Community back in 2021 and how I started a user group. I’ll explain what I’ve learned in the process and what you should think about before you start your own group too. Here we go…
How it Started
I first got involved with the Microsoft Community in 2021 when I was fortunate to be a speaker at the very first South Coast Summit. I got ‘the bug,’ as some people say. I knew I wanted to help others in the community more. I wanted to share what I could to contribute to it and help it grow.
I had moved to Reading the same year and wanted to meet and network with others involved in the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform space where I lived. However, I found there was no user group at the time local to me so I reached out to the UK Dynamics 365 and Power Platform User Groups and asked to set up a local user group in Reading with the Group’s help.
Finding Your Team
Since starting the Reading user group in 2021, we have hosted 4 events a year. We had to change venue 3 times and faced several challenges (did you know vegan pizza comes uncut?). We learned a lot about hosting user group events in the process. I say ‘we’ as running a user group is not a one-person undertaking. It needs a community to get going and keep going.
As soon as word got out I was looking to start a Reading User Group, those in the community that knew people local to me (even if they didn’t know me personally) did what they could to help me find some willing supporters. This is one of many examples why this community and the people in it are so wonderful and I am still very grateful for this. I was lucky enough to meet Fraser Dear and Tim Leung who were as excited about starting the Reading User Group as I was and we became the organisers of the Reading User Group. Since then the team has expanded to include Ban Hasan!
From left to right: Fraser, Tim, me, Ban
With the support of the UK Dynamics 365 and Power Platform User Groups we managed to secure a room at the Microsoft offices at Thames Valley Park. Local MVPs Chris Huntingford and Carl Cookson offered to be our first speakers and get the word out to promote our event – what a first speaker line up!
Not Everyone will Turn Up
As user groups are community events and often free to attendees (and the ones within the UK Dynamics 365 and Power Platform User Groups always are as we have annual sponsors), our Reading user group events were also completely free. We had over 50 people sign up for our first event and I was looking forward to meeting them all! I got to meet about 20 of them.
As I found out, with free events there is often a 40-50% drop out as people lose nothing by not showing up. I can’t tell you why people don’t update their RSVP status (don’t get me started). All I can tell you is that they don’t. Be prepared for this. Don’t be disheartened if you have a low number of sign ups and/or a low number of attendees for your first event. It takes time for the word to get out, no user group is a success overnight.
What You Need to Know
But there are things you can do to help it grow. Queue the Hints and Tips! These are broken down into the areas of:
- Venue
- Date and Time
- Speakers
- Attendees
- Promotion
- Communications
- On the Day
If you remember one thing, make it this: This is supposed to be fun. Running a user group is not supposed to be a second unpaid job you have. If it starts feeling like that, ask for help!
Venue
When looking for a venue, consider:
- Capacity – how big do you need your venue to be? Will you have an attendee limit?
- Sponsor offices – if you have a sponsor(s), do they have a space that can be used free of charge?
- Business Parks – Is there a local business park that can attract more attendees from the businesses hosted there?
- Suitability – Does the venue have everything required for a user group (e.g. projector, chairs, tables for food)
- Availability – does the venue have availability for the date(s) you are expecting to host the user group? (see tips for date/time below)
- Cost – if the venue is not free of charge, is the cost within your cost limits?
- Insurance – does the venue need the UG to have it’s own insurance?
- Transport – Is the venue easy to get to using a variety of transport options? It will limit attendee numbers if not.
- Parking – Does the venue have parking options/free parking nearby?
- Accessibility – Is the venue easy to access for those with a disability?
- Easy to find – Is the venue and room where the UG will be taking place easy to find? If not can you put signs/banners up?
Date and Time
When choosing the date and time of your user group, consider:
- Local User Groups – do any of the other local user groups have an event close to that date or on that date? This will reduce attendees and available speakers.
- Holidays – does the date fall on any important holiday dates that will make attendance lower – e.g. half term/school holidays for parents?
- Religious Festivals – does the date fall during or close to a religious festival? Consider all faiths here.
- UG Team – can everyone in your organizing team make the date and be there to support?
- Timing – is the time of the event going to be convenient for attendees? E.g. Starting at 18:00 so people can get there after work or not finish too late for those that need to get back.
- Duration – is the duration of the event enough to cover what is planned but not too long of a commitment for attendees? We usually have evening events last between 2-3 hours max.
Speakers
When looking for and engaging with speakers, consider:
Finding Speakers
- The Community Network – The people you know in the community are part of a vast network of people and MVPs within the community that can be potential speakers – ask for help! Sessionize also has a speaker directory you can utilise.
- Speaker Form – Make sure you set up a form that potential speakers can fill in to express their interest and promote it to your attendees through a QR code – they could be future speakers!
- Session Details – Make sure you have a clear title and session description from potential speakers before selecting a session to verify the session is appropriate for the event. Discourage sessions that are to be product sales pitches unless they are an event sponsor.
Before the Event
- Expenses – If you are not covering any speaker expenses make sure your speakers are clear on this before committing.
- Slide Deck Template – if you have a slide deck template, encourage speakers to use it and at least have the sponsor slide in their presentations (if you have sponsors).
- Event Details – Make sure speakers are clear on the exact location and timing of the event, particularly if the event is in person.
- Accessibility – Make sure speakers have checked their slide deck for accessibility and have considered attendee requirements (e.g. having live captions for hearing-impaired attendees).
- Speakers Sync Call – consider having a planning call with your speakers before the event to answer any questions they have and offer any support they need.
- Promotion – Ask your speakers to post on their socials about the event. If they feel up to it maybe also to post a short video introducing themselves and their session. Extra points if they include a link to the speaker form and event registration to spread the word!
After the Event
- Appreciation – Speakers spend a lot of time preparing their session, consider giving them a gift (e.g. box of chocolates) at the end as a token of appreciation for their efforts and for their involvement in the event.
- Photos – Take photos of the speakers as they are presenting and share them with them afterwards. Ask them to post on their socials about the experience and promote the next event (and to include a link to the speaker form!).
Attendees
Help attendees enjoy the experience!
- Name Tags – As the organisers, consider wearing the same polos and name tags so you are easy to identify. Also offer attendees name tags (sticky labels always an easy option) to make networking easier.
- Access/Dietary Requirements – It is worth using the functionality within MeetUp (or other platform of your choice) to ask attendees when registering whether they have any access or dietary requirements. This will allow you to consider these in advance and cater for what is needed.
- Ice Breaker –Consider having something to act as an ice breaker/help people network while people arrive (e.g. a round of Genius Square anyone?).
- Swag – Official UG/Microsoft swag for your event (e.g. stickers!) can help promote the UG. This will also give your attendees something to take away with them.
- Pizza Cutter – Only relevant if you are ordering pizza and someone has an allergy/dietary requirement. Consider having a pizza cutter specifically for this (e.g. gluten free/vegan pizzas) as they often come uncut.
- Feedback – Consider creating a short feedback form and having a slide at the end with the feedback form QR code. This will help you understand how the event went and what you can do better next time.
Promotion
Spreading the word is vital.
- Meetup – If you are using a platform like meetup for your event registrations, make sure you create and announce the event.
- Microsoft Community – Set up your User Group within the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform community sites to drive awareness and list your events on there (with a link to meetup in the description if you are using that).
- Socials – Consider setting up a Linkedin page for your user group and add your event on Linkedin as well. As people within the community to share/comment/repost to share the word! You can also set up a Whatsapp Community (or just a chat) to allow instant comms to those interested.
Communications
Before the event
- 1 to 2 Weeks Before –The date/time, venue, speakers may have changed since the event was announced so it’s worth sending a message with key information to those already registered for the event one or two weeks before it and asking them to update their RSVP if they can no longer attend.
- Day Before – Final reminder for the event, asking them again to update their RSVP if they can no longer attend and providing any last-minute information, guidance, contact details for ‘on the day’.
After the event
- Thank You Message – Message sent to all attendees that RSVPed (regardless of whether they attended or not) to thank those that managed to attend for joining and to encourage those that didn’t to join next time! Give a link to the speakers’ LinkedIn profiles and promote the next event for them to sign up.
On the Day
The big day is here – all the excitement! But don’t forget….
- Banners – If you have them, place them strategically so they help people find you.
- Music – Consider bringing a Bluetooth speaker. Having music on as people come in creates a nice atmosphere! We have even had people from the community play a few songs live. You will be surprised at people’s hidden skills.
- ‘Stuff’ – Refreshments/Ice breakers/Swag, make sure it’s all out there.
- Slides Reel – Consider having a timed slide show that provides key info to attendees as they wait for the event to start (e.g. today’s agenda/timings, sponsor slide, next event registration QR code, info on the UG team, speaker form QR code).
- Speakers – Make sure they have everything they need/happy with the set up, big them up if its their first time presenting!
- Spread the Love – Consider having a closing slide at the end promoting other local UG events or community events your members might be interested in.
- Have Fun – Take the time to enjoy it all, and if something doesn’t go to plan, there’s always next time. Just keep going!
So remember…
So as you can see, a lot of things to consider when looking to put a user group event together. This is why it is a team effort and why you shouldn’t try to do this alone. It is a lot of work. I promise you it’s worth it. You will see the difference it makes to the attendees, to the speakers and to you.
Good luck and keep me posted how you get on! I am cheering you on!
Areti Iles 