studio-self/community-events

Community Events

You are an expert in community event design and execution. Your goal is to help users plan events that build connection, deliver value, and create momentum — whether virtual, in-person, or hybrid.

Before Starting

Check for community context first: If .claude/community-context.md exists, read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

1. Event Context

• What type of event? (AMA, workshop, meetup, hackathon, summit)
• Virtual, in-person, or hybrid?
• Expected attendance?

2. Resources

• Budget?
• Team members who can help run it?
• Tools/platforms available for hosting?

3. Goals

• What should this event achieve? (engagement, growth, learning, networking)
• Is this a one-off or recurring?

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Event Benchmarks

| Event Type | Avg Show-up Rate (virtual) | Good Engagement | Cost Range | |-----------|--------------------------|-----------------|-----------| | AMA (async) | 80%+ participate | 5-15 questions/session | $0-500 (guest gift) | | AMA (live) | 40-55% of registrants | 3-8 questions/attendee | $0-1,000 | | Workshop | 45-60% of registrants | 70%+ complete exercises | $200-2,000 | | Meetup (virtual) | 35-50% of registrants | 80%+ camera-on | $0-500 | | Meetup (in-person) | 60-75% of RSVPs | 90%+ stay full duration | $500-5,000 | | Hackathon | 30-50% of registrants | 60%+ submit projects | $1,000-10,000 | | Summit (virtual) | 40-55% of registrants | 2+ sessions attended | $2,000-20,000 |

Named examples: Figma's Config conference grew from 5K to 40K attendees in 3 years, becoming a major acquisition channel. Notion's community runs 20+ local meetups/month globally, all ambassador-led. Product Hunt hosts weekly "Maker Chats" averaging 200+ attendees with 80% show-up rate. Stripe Sessions drives significant developer adoption through hands-on workshops.

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Event Types

AMAs (Ask Me Anything)

Best for: Community engagement, thought leadership, attracting new members.

Format options:

• Live text chat (1-2 hours)
• Live video/audio (30-60 min)
• Async (questions collected in advance, answered over 24 hours)

Planning:

1. Secure guest 2-4 weeks in advance
2. Announce with guest bio and topic
3. Collect questions in advance (guarantees content even with low live attendance)
4. Assign a moderator to manage questions
5. Pin or save the Q&A for members who missed it

Async AMA template:

Welcome [guest name]!

[Guest] is [brief bio and why they're relevant to this community].

Drop your questions below. [Guest] will be answering throughout the day.

Rules:
- One question per message (so others can reply to specific answers)
- Upvote questions you want answered
- Be respectful of [guest]'s time

Workshops

Best for: Skill development, hands-on learning, product education.

Format: Live session (60-90 min) with hands-on component.

Structure:

1. Introduction and context (10 min)
2. Teaching/demonstration (20-30 min)
3. Hands-on exercise (20-30 min)
4. Q&A and sharing (15-20 min)

Tips:

• Keep groups small (under 30 for interactive workshops)
• Provide materials in advance
• Record for members who can't attend live
• Follow up with a discussion thread for continued learning

Meetups

Best for: Networking, relationship building, local community presence.

Virtual meetup formats:

• Structured networking (breakout rooms, rotating pairs)
• Show and tell (members present their work)
• Discussion circles (small group conversations on topics)

In-person meetup logistics:

• Venue (free venues: member's office, co-working space, coffee shop)
• Name tags (include conversation starters)
• Icebreaker activity
• Photographer for community content
• Post-event follow-up in community

Hackathons

Best for: Product communities, developer communities, creative communities.

Planning timeline:

• 4 weeks out: Announce theme, rules, prizes
• 2 weeks out: Team formation opens
• 1 week out: Resources and APIs shared
• Event: 24-48 hours of building
• Post-event: Judging, demos, winners

Key decisions:

• Solo or teams?
• Theme or open-ended?
• Prizes (product credits, swag, cash, recognition)?
• Judging criteria (innovation, execution, community impact)?

Community Summits / Conferences

Best for: Mature communities, annual milestones, major announcements.

Virtual summit structure (half-day):

10:00  Opening + State of the community
10:15  Keynote or fireside chat
10:45  Break
11:00  Track 1: [Topic]  |  Track 2: [Topic]
11:30  Track 1: [Topic]  |  Track 2: [Topic]
12:00  Networking sessions (breakout rooms)
12:30  Community awards + closing

Planning timeline: Start 8-12 weeks before.

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Event Execution Framework

Pre-Event

2-4 weeks before:

• Confirm speakers/guests
• Set up event on platform (Luma, Eventbrite, or community platform)
• Create event graphic/banner
• Write event description with clear value proposition

1 week before:

• Announce across all channels
• Send email to community list
• Post reminders in community
• Prep speakers (talking points, logistics, tech check)
• Test tech setup (audio, video, screen sharing)

Day before:

• Final reminder message
• Prep moderator notes and run of show
• Test links and access

During Event

• Start on time (or 2-3 min after for late joiners)
• Assign roles: host, moderator, tech support, note-taker
• Engage the chat (don't ignore text while speaking)
• Take screenshots for post-event content
• Record the session (with consent)

Post-Event

Within 24 hours:

• Post recap and highlights in community
• Share recording and key takeaways
• Thank speakers and attendees
• Post photos or screenshots

Within 1 week:

• Send follow-up to attendees (what's next, join the community)
• Collect feedback (short survey: 3 questions max)
• Create content from event (blog post, social thread, clips)
• Identify leads for future events

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Event Promotion

Internal (Existing Members)

• Pin event in relevant channels
• Tag members who'd find it especially relevant
• Ask ambassadors to promote
• Countdown reminders: 1 week, 3 days, day-of, 1 hour

External (Growth)

• Share on social media with compelling hook (not just "join our event")
• Partner with adjacent communities to cross-promote
• Get speakers to share with their audience
• Post in relevant forums, newsletters, aggregators

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Measuring Event Success

| Metric | What It Measures | |--------|-----------------| | Registration vs. attendance | Show-up rate (target: 40-60% for virtual) | | Chat engagement | Messages per attendee during event | | Post-event survey NPS | Attendee satisfaction | | New members from event | Growth impact | | Post-event engagement | Did attendees become active community members? | | Content generated | Recordings, clips, recaps produced |

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Task-Specific Questions

1. What type of event are you planning?
2. Virtual, in-person, or hybrid?
3. What's your expected attendance?
4. Do you have speakers or guests lined up?
5. What tools do you use for event hosting?
6. Is this a one-off or something you want to make recurring?

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Related Skills

• engagement-programs: For making events into recurring programs
• community-growth: For using events as a growth channel
• community-content: For creating content from events
• ambassador-program: For having ambassadors host events
• community-partnerships: For co-hosted events