
Pizza for a user group meeting? Your attendees already hate you - 1kevgriff
http://kevgriffin.com/user-group-food/
======
1kevgriff
Thanks all for the comments. I've recently updated the post to reflect a
couple points.

[http://kevgriffin.com/user-group-food/](http://kevgriffin.com/user-group-
food/)

------
ljk
> Don't get me wrong, pizza is awesome. Pizza is EXCESS is horrible. Be good
> to your groups and don't buy pizza (or sandwiches). Look for creative
> alternatives. Attendees will love you.

Can be said about any of the food listed

------
thaumasiotes
I couldn't disagree more. Stock your meeting with food that the attendees will
eat. Get pizza, and make sure you have safe options, like "cheese".

------
0x4a42
Junk food is not memorable, really. All I can see in this list is just junk
food.

------
a3n
> Chick-Fil-A

I always pronounce that restaurant as "Gay hating Chick-Fil-A."

------
a3n
I wouldn't expect anyone to spend a lot of money on an incidental.

------
ddingus
If it is awesome pizza, they will eat it and have a good experience. Bonus
points for a nice salad and other simple options.

With groups, when food is appropriate, the food often determines a lot of
their potential to enjoy the event and may frequently enhance value
perception.

My best success with this is centered on local places that deliver kick ass
catering. Even simple things, sandwiches, pizza, salad, cheeze, etc... can be
really great treats.

It's all in the preparation and presentation. Compare a chain pizza to oven
fired, olive oil infused, pizza with fresh, high grade ingredients. It's like
night and day, and the difference in cost isn't s big deal given the value
added.

Finding these places can be a fun networking task, and a meet n greet to
sample makes great sense too. Get to know a few and be rewarded with great
food experiences with low to no hassle.

Time and place matter too. Can it be an evening affair with light drinks?
Knowing the user community matters as much as anything else does. Finding ways
to message, educate, and encourage everyone to network and share experiences
is worth the extra effort.

I think about whether I look forward to the event, or it being work. It is
work in both cases, but having a good time and looking forward to that reward
of good eats, friends, and high value information is almost not work.

Target that experience. You will pay a bit more, and you will work a bit more,
but everyone involved gets enough to make it all worth it and they will be
more inclined to bring others too.

For a number of years, I was part of a large, regional product user group.
Helped organize the event, and I was a part of many technical things related
to the community. I almost never had trouble presenting material, getting
others to speak, etc... we served brown bag lunches in an auditorium, and over
the years it got to be almost a family event. Repeat attendees had named bags
with just the right stuff in there for them, and we always ordered a little
extra for new people. Many were considerate and would give names and food
preferences too.

Cost was something like $8 per, and the business generated as well as the
closeness of the community really was something. Many of those people have
kept in touch and have brought new opportunity and contacts long after that
successful run.

A bulk catering would have been less. Maybe half.

I am sure we would not have has the same long term, resonant effects with a
lesser venue and more general food. Worth every penny.

A similar meetup for creative worked best in a local tech building with beer
and wine.

Both groups, with the former being engineering focused, responded to personal
treatment in favorable ways: being positive advocates, referrals, presenters,
friends, etc... while needing very different vibes and atmosphere to maximize
it for them.

Some time spent really understanding this will almost always pay big
dividends.

I understand some groups won't have the same value potential, but I also
suspect the positive impact on staff and alphas in the community will still
make details matter. No matter what, the staff and significant contributors
are going to be there and a lot of how they present and the value perception
on all of that is very likely worth some effort.

Unless the business is running ultra lean for necessary reasons, damn good
events are worth more than more events in my experience.

