Host a Virtual Meetup to Connect with Fellow Teachers
Follow these steps to register your Virtual Meetup with VIPKid:
**Please submit at least 10 days prior to your Meetup**
1. Decide which online platform you would like to use to host the Virtual Meetup.
There are many options, and they all have various features that may determine what you are able to do during your Meetup. Here are a few options we recommend:
- Zoom (40 minute limit on free meetings, 100 person max)
- Cisco WebEx (free, no time constraints, 100 person max)
- Google Hangouts (free, 10 person max, requires a Gmail account)
2. Plan the details:
- Date, time and duration of Meetup (check platform allowances - we suggest limiting the time to no more than 1.5 hours.
- Size of Meetup (check platform allowances for participants and hosts)
- 1-15 people - 1 host
- 15 - 40 people - 2 hosts (Note: Certain platforms may limit you to 1 host, which is something to consider when selecting a platform)
- We do not recommend hosting more than 30 teachers, as these events often feel more like webinars and less like Meetups where you can make personal connections.
- Theme and target audience (VIPKid’s suggested theme of the month, Meetup for dog lovers, Meetup for teachers from Florida, Meetup for VIPKid Dads, etc.)
- Note that your Meetup will need to be public and open to all teachers, but it's still ok to have a theme that's more for a specific audience!
- Virtual Meetup Details
- Think about the activity or agenda for the Meetup. Check out some ideas here.
- Consider who may need to help you facilitate your Meetup or if you want a co-host, but keep in mind that certain platforms may limit you to 1 host (Who will lead the overall Meetup? Who will manage the chat box or controls? Do you want an emcee to move things along or keep time?)
- Think about how and when you will provide the Virtual Meetup URL / link to attendees because we do not recommend sharing this link publicly. While the event page where teachers RSVP should be available to any teacher to sign up, we recommend only sharing the Virtual Meetup URL / link to join the event with those who have RSVP’d that they are attending. You can do this by emailing it to them directly. If the platform you choose also requires attendees to enter a password, please be sure to include the password, too, when you email them the link / URL.
- We highly recommend attendees join Virtual Meetups from a computer and turn on their cameras. Calling in from their phones with just audio and no video may prohibit them from getting checked in using their QR code and from participating in games.
3. Create your public event page where teachers will learn about your event and RSVP
- Make sure the page is accessible to anyone that clicks the link so that teachers will be able to access it. We recommend using Eventbrite or Evite. We do not recommend using Facebook events because you cannot set an RSVP limit in public events. *If you create an event on Facebook, please be aware that public events do not have registration capacities, so you will need to utilize a ticket system to prevent going above your platform capacity or alert attendees to the limited availability.*
- **NEW** For Eventbrite users: Please make your event 'Private' and accessible through a private link. To do this, on your event page, click the 'Publish' section on the left hand side --> Select 'Private' --> Under choose your Audience, click 'Anyone with the Link' -->Click 'No keep itp rivate' at the bottom' --> Click 'Save'. Under the Dashboard section, copy the 'Event URL' from the bottom of the page and use this when submitting your Meetup for registration.This allows us to share the link with teachers within the portal, and the event will not be made public to everyone on Eventbrite / the web.
- Set a capacity for the number of registrations to prevent going above your platform capacity
- Include all relevant details somewhere visibly on your event page:
- Date - including start and end time
- What is happening at your Meetup? Attendees should be able to tell what is going to take place at your Meetup. This information helps get teachers excited and want to join in!
- Information for how and when attendees will receive the link / URL for joining the Virtual Meetup. (ex: Will you email it to them a few days before the Meetup? Please keep in mind we recommend emailing or sending the link / URL privately to those who RSVP’d that they’ll be attending rather then sharing the link publicly on your invitation)
- Specify who can attend your Meetup (ex: Can families or kids join in your Meetup, too? Also, while your Meetup can be tailored towards certain groups of teachers, please note that all Meetups registered with VIPKid are open for any VIPKid teacher to register and attend.)
What should your attendees have prepared? If they should have specific materials, provide ideas or links to where attendees can find materials.
How to contact the host (will depend on which event platform you are using - some platforms have built-in messaging/email systems or you may want to provide an email address for attendees to contact you) - Any additional details related to your event
4. Double check that you've done all of the above and then click the button below to submit a Virtual Meetup!