Discussion Events Not Popular Anymore?

[Mitchell Indigo]

Hey everyone:

So I've been trying for a few months to host what I called social around the campfire events where we talk about anything and everyone happening in either second life or real life.  However, most of the time, I don't get attendees.

I'll post the event in SL events
I'll spam in various spam groups
I'll advertise wherever else I can advertise.

Are events like this not popular anymore?

Is there something more I should be doing?

[Pussycat Catnap]

Add a topic to them. And a theme. I think I started mine after you started yours. Only 5 weeks ago - and I have a few regulars now, and have managed to hit about 5 people. I have a pretty narrow theme too: Progressive Liberal Think Tank Discussion.

Yes that is tiny compared to a '$1000L on the board best in noob-wear TP in your spam-friends' contest... But it's great for an active conversation.

I'd wager you want to have from 5-10, and up to 15, for something like this to work. And if your topic has broad appeal AND you have a theme for your discussions - this is not unreasonable.

Now you probably DO want a somewhat focused theme and topics... but not as narrow as mine is. It should however be something for which there is regular media out there in the world that you can grab 'hot topics' from.

Also I noticed the group you use to promote your event requires a fee for others to use it - so there may be disinterest in joining, and well... I think almost everyone attending my meetings came from cross-promotion. Don't view people posting their event in your group as competition, view them as potential people to come to and promote your event.

[Mitchell Indigo]

People can join for free, but if they wish to send notices for their events, then there is a charge which is only a one time fee.

[Marianne McCann]

On 4/3/2017 at 5:33 PM, Mitchell Indigo said:

Hey everyone:

So I've been trying for a few months to host what I called social around the campfire events where we talk about anything and everyone happening in either second life or real life.  However, most of the time, I don't get attendees.

I'll post the event in SL events
I'll spam in various spam groups
I'll advertise wherever else I can advertise.

Are events like this not popular anymore?

Is there something more I should be doing?

Speaking from experience, it can take a bit for something to catch on. My own open mics took a while to really get going, and even now still has off nights.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Marianne McCann

[HarrisonMcKenzie]

How are you advertising though? A lot of people don't check the forums. Your audience in this spam group is going to be limited to those people who are in said group and have notices turned on. It's entirely possible that you really aren't advertising it effectively and that's why you aren't getting the turnout you want.

With that said, it's important in event planning to create measurable goals for your events. At what point is the event a success? Do you want 3 people for a close discussion? Do you want a 400 person lecture? I'd love to get 20 people to an event I planned, but I realistically base the event around maybe 5 people that I know I can get. If I get 5, it's a success. If I get 10, it's a hit. If I get 2, I start to look at why it wasn't a success. It's not about how many people are at the event. It's about the event itself.

[Mitchell Indigo]

I did put a post in the events forum.  I would also create an event in SL events, I advertise in various groups that I am allowed to advertise in.

When I was hosting the event on Sundays, there was one event where I had like 8 or so people come.  That particular one was a success.  I do have a picture of that event, but unfortunately I had a hud turned on and had the camera set to take pictures with the huds in them as well.

But ever since I moved the event to Wednesday, no one has been coming.  But different commitments resulted in me not being able to host the event on Sundays anymore.

I'm in the eastern time zone as well and therefore cannot host events as late as like 6PM or later for that reason.

[Klytyna]

5 minutes ago, Mitchell Indigo said:

I'm in the eastern time zone as well and therefore cannot host events as late as like 6PM or later for that reason.

And that is a problem ? There are probably more potential customers in the EU/UK/EST timezones than in PST. Host an event between 2pm SLT and 4pm SLT to pick up Europe, the UK, and AVOID losing audience to the clubs that run sets between noon and 2.
 

[Nikolai Warden]

In my opinion, having specified discussion topics could garner more interest. Otherwise it is more akin to "so and so wants us to come over and hang out, would you like to go" than an actual discussion group. The problem with the latter, I have found, is that there is little by way of genuine conversation. Not that there is anything wrong with nice, albeit vacuous people sitting about gesturbating at one another per se ..  but some common topics of interest and different viewpoints on those topics seem a requirement for a good discussion.