# Haunter and Social Meetup Groups



## Terrormaster

Greetings haunters. I mentioned this idea a couple different times in chat and the concept seemed to go over well and each time it was suggested I post about it so here it is.

First, a brief summary of where the idea stemmed from. Through Twitter I learned of large group meetings, usually based on local geography, otherwise known as a Tweetup. They usually hold them two or more times a month on average and its usually just a chance for everyone living in the same geography to get together and meet face to face. I've heard of Tweetups at bars, restaurants, and even bowling.

So did some digging and found a site called Meetup.com which allows you to join various other meetup groups based on locallity and topic of interest. I'm a member of the Hartford Geek group for example and the group gets together for things like watching anime, movies, gaming, cons, table-top role-playing games, etc. Once I saw a meeting scheduled to help a fellow member assemble a swingset for her kids.

I was going to start a local haunters group but quickly discovered thats how the site pays the bills - yup, the person hosting the group pays a monthly subscription - bah, I like free stuff. So I thought what the hell, we already have a wonderful community here why try to drag them somewhere else? 

So what I'd like to do is to encourage others here to put together local haunters groups in their areas. 

How's this different than a Make-N-Take? In a few ways but most notably a MnT is very specific - you get together and build props, share knowledge, etc. But ultimately its about prop building. MnT's are also traditionally monthly only events.

The Meetup Group on the other hand is more broad. Its a way for those of us who have common interests and live nearby to get together, meet one another, and do activities together. It can be anything from the common MnT, to having a summer grilling with some beers, to organizing a group to see a new movie release, to even getting together to help out a fellow haunter, and even carpools to cons or major events together. The events can be as frequent or infrequent as the particular group needs.

So without further ado I'd like to suggest the Connnecticut Haunters Meetup Group. I don't have any events planned yet and anyone can suggest an event and plan it with their group.

-TM


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## trishaanne

LOL....if you believe that make and takes are just for prop building, you have never been to one of ours. The drinking and socializing is the priority with some prop building thrown in for fun..lol.


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## Terrormaster

True true... But the idea here is a meetup can be anything, not just a Make-N-Take. Don't ever recall seeing any announcements for a MnT that reads: "MNT Group Meeting to have some beers and watch some horror flics". The concept is a group with common threads that get together for various activities - not all of them have to be haunt related. Basically a way to organize get togethers without always having to be under a MnT banner.


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## Kaoru

Trish your make and takes sounds like fun but as Terror pointed out they have the "Make and Take" theme to them which suggests to the general haunt loving public that it has to do with props...course your right it doesn't but i'm guessing thats what some of the newbies or anyone would assume when you read that headline. At least thats what I did when I see it and I'm not a prop builder like some of the great users I've seen with their amazing work.


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## Frighteners Entertainment

I would be all over it if I were there TM.


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## Terrormaster

Jeff, if this idea takes off you or someone in the area could start organizing a MI Haunters Group. Starting with CT since well, thats where I live hehehe.


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## Terrormaster

I'm surprised I haven't gotten more feedback on this? No interest? Not just in a CT group but an anywhere group? Any state or region? Are Make & Takes the end all be all local haunter gatherings?


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## Devils Chariot

I thought about makes and takes for my area but I'm not sure If I have the disposition to be be a good host. I think a bbq or meeting at a bar and hitting horror movie or convention would be cool and something that wouldn't be taxing on my ability to play nice!


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## mandodude

I think its a good idea. So far I haven't found anyone here from the Memphis, TN area.


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## Terrormaster

Thats the beauty of Meetup Groups DC, the group coordinator is not always necessarily the host. Basically the way I've seen it work on the Meetup site is there's the coordinator/moderator who are usually the people that have put that specific group together. Typically once an event becomes official they put it in the calendar and make it official and keep in touch with whomever is hosting that event, etc. Howevever, any member can come up with an event and host it.

Also the regions don't have to be state or smaller and can even work the same as M&T groups which in a sense can really be rolled into a Meetup Group and have M&Ts just be an event for that group.

For example, the NY/PA M&T group could in theory get rolled into the NY/PA Haunters Meetup Group. And the MA M&T group could get rolled into a New England Haunters Meetup Group.

In fact, I think this is more or less what Ghostess' Florida Haunters is all about - same general concept.

-TM


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## joker

I think it's a great idea TM.

I've seen similar things done on other forums where they have a category for groups in various regions or states depending on the size of the forum and sub forums for each.. I think it would be nice if we could get Zombie-F to setup a forum category and sub-forums for various groups. That would give each of them a way of to communicate with one another, recruit new members from this board as well as promote more traffic to the hauntforum site. Seems like a win-win to me.

Here's an example of what I'm referring to:
http://jk-forum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18


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## Kaoru

Joker I LOVE that suggestion! The way that forum had separated the groups in such a way based on the region for the sub forum sounds awesome and less confusing so that people know exactly where they need to go to meet up people from their own region. I love it! Hope everyone sees this link and the mods so that it will spark interest in sub forums for each region in this manner!


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## Terrormaster

Joker and Kaoru... Definitely agree on this idea. Will take some mighty strong convincing to Zombie though as I know from past experience with similar sub-forum suggestions that he likes to keep things clutter free. He tends to only break things out if they really absolutely need a separate board.


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## joker

Terrormaster said:


> Joker and Kaoru... Definitely agree on this idea. Will take some mighty strong convincing to Zombie though as I know from past experience with similar sub-forum suggestions that he likes to keep things clutter free. He tends to only break things out if they really absolutely need a separate board.


Push come to shove I could always setup a website/forum and just do something similar myself. I already have access to a web server so shouldn't be a problem. I would need to purchase a domain, but that's about it.


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## Terrormaster

Same here Joker. In fact I already have Necropolis Labs setup with a very small bit of traction from users here. It wouldn't be too difficult to change focus.

I'm also now officially volunteering to host a site for the New England Haunters Meetup Group: Wordpress + Calendar + SMF = fun for us.

I'd like to keep all the traffic here if possible, I know most of us hate jumping around between sites. Lets see if the interest can build up first and perhaps get ZF's attention. The easiest way to do that is to convince the M&T groups to roll up their groups into a more generalized Meetup banner for the same region.


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## Spooky1

I'm not sure there's enough DC area folks on the forum to form a group here.


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## Devils Chariot

I'll just meet new people and make em join hauntforum.


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## Hauntiholik

Kaoru said:


> Joker I LOVE that suggestion! The way that forum had separated the groups in such a way based on the region for the sub forum sounds awesome and less confusing so that people know exactly where they need to go to meet up people from their own region. I love it! Hope everyone sees this link and the mods so that it will spark interest in sub forums for each region in this manner!


Site suggestions should be posted in the Questions, Comments and Feedback forum. a downside to creating new forums based on region is that some forums could sit stagnant. Having one place to go find gathering and events is "cleaner" looking and not cliquey.

edit: I forgot to mention that the mods have no say in this really. You have to make your appeal to ZF.


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## joker

Terrormaster said:


> I'd like to keep all the traffic here if possible


I totally agree with that.



Hauntiholik said:


> ... a downside to creating new forums based on region is that some forums could sit stagnant...


I'm not suggesting developing forums for inactive group/areas/regions. Just for the currently active groups that are interested in the forum and are already posting their MnT's in the events forum.


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## Hauntiholik

Terrormaster said:


> I'd like to keep all the traffic here if possible, I know most of us hate jumping around between sites. Lets see if the interest can build up first and perhaps get ZF's attention. The easiest way to do that is to convince the M&T groups to roll up their groups into a more generalized Meetup banner for the same region.


Please take it up with ZF. He doesn't read all of the threads here so this request may get missed.


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## Kaoru

Haunt I agree with you to make suggestions like this to the admin but this whole thing is an idea in the making and not something solid, at least that's the impression I am getting. I agree with Joker that depending on the regional groups that make the "Make and Take" should be based on the users posting and interested in their respective regions. Either way I do believe for me this feels like an idea in the making not something solid enough to make a suggestion unless Terrormaster, your thinking this is the idea you want to possibly suggest?


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## Hauntiholik

joker said:


> I'm not suggesting developing forums for inactive group/areas/regions. Just for the currently active groups that are interested in the forum and are already posting their MnT's in the events forum.


Do you really need a whole sub-forum dedicated to an social activities in a specific area? Wait - hear me out. How many "meet at my place for beer and pizza" threads are you expecting to have? Can you accomplish the same sort of thing with a a sticky thread in the Off-Topic section?

If new forums are created we would not want them to be used for the personal dating scene - that what craigslist is for


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## Hauntiholik

Kaoru said:


> Haunt I agree with you to make suggestions like this to the admin but this whole thing is an idea in the making and not something solid, at least that's the impression I am getting......


Discuss away but this is no longer a thread about an event or a Halloween related gathering so I'll move it.


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## Terrormaster

*throws hands up* meh, maybe I've just had a bad week for social groups...


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## Kaoru

Hauntiholik said:


> Discuss away but this is no longer a thread about an event or a Halloween related gathering so I'll move it.


I disagree with this decision since we were merely discussing a possible idea to a meet up day. The fact that this idea had something to do with the forum itself was just an idea not a real suggestion yet. I think you took this a bit to far and over reacted a bit?


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## Hauntiholik

Nope. It got off topic.


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## Terrormaster

Maybe the topic didn't fit but it's still on topic - creating regional social groups for haunters. Part of that is discussing ways in which we would organize it.


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## Hauntiholik

I agree with you. This is a discussion about creating groups. 

There is not a specific Halloween event or Halloween gathering that you are trying to advertise.

Please PM me if you wish to discuss this further.


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## joker

uhm OK 

Using these forums was only a suggestion in order to keep hauntForum traffic on the hauntForum website which benefits other hauntForum members as well as hauntForum vendors & sponsors. Zombie-F may or may not be interested and this may not even be the best suggestion.

Regardless of how a network for creating social groups for haunters is developed, count me in to do whatever I can to make it happen.


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## Hauntiholik

TM - the people on the west coast may still be at work. Give people a chance to read your thread and respond.


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## Terrormaster

Don't mind me Haunti - had a bad day in general with social networking, not just here. Was just kinda venting.


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## scareme

Hubby and I went out for beers with Slimy and his wife. Does that count as a Meetup Group?


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## Terrormaster

Scareme, it sure can and can grow from there. Technically speaking the 4 of you could head off OK and get it going. The groups are strictly a way for us haunters to socialize with each other and not be completely confined to Halloween topics - thats just our common bond.


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## scareme

"Halloween topics-that's just our common bond"

That and beer!


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## Terrormaster

Who says we can't throw BBQ's then add some beer and some Halloween mini outdoor activities (think maybe some scaled down events from IS)... Let the good times roll!


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## debbie5

Okay, TM: Where in CT are you? I'm in NY in the Hudson Valley. I've always wanted a close make & take or something...PA is too far away from me. 
Oh those social networking forums can be a nest of people in need of a diagnosis. Stay here. We all are already diagnosed & take our meds. Or drink them.


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## debbie5

PS- (said with best, old-New Englander accent): Keep in mind, too, that lots a people ain't here right now as they don't come sniffing back 'round here 'til late August, when the 'Ween Bug comes a-nippin'....


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## Terrormaster

Any additional interest in this? I haven't seen anything from folks already in or running local Make & Take Groups yet.


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## DeathTouch

I noticed that Zombie has social group threads. Just to get you started, maybe starting a thread there to get people interested.

http://www.hauntforum.com/group.php


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## Terrormaster

Don't want to have to spam each of the existing groups.


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