Since 2001, millions of people around the world have participated in face-to-face interactions that were orchestrated online with the use of Meetup.com. To encourage and facilitate more effective networking among niche groups at its BIO International Convention in Chicago in May, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) brought Meetup.com’s blend of online and in-person networking to the show floor. Throughout the three-day, 15,322-attendee meeting, BIO hosted 15 different meetups for various attendee groups, and each was attended by 15 to 35 people.

“Meetups are a common practice now for bringing small networking groups together,” says Margaret Core, BIO’s managing director of sales and marketing for conventions and conferences. “We offer larger networking opportunities, but wanted to offer the smaller niche professional groups a chance to easily convene.”

First, BIO organizers developed a list of niche groups within the industry that could benefit from a small networking event. They came up with 15, including Graduate School Students; Women in BIO; Speed Networking for Job Seekers; Financial Professionals; and Marketing Professionals. They pinpointed specific companies from a combination of exhibitors, trade publications and business partners and recruited one to host each meetup. BIO staff provided each host with easy-to-follow guidelines and recruiting hosts wasn’t a difficult task, according to Core. “Meetups are casual,” she says. “The host plays the role of making conversations happen by way of introductions, conversation starters and mingling with the crowd.”

Next, show organizers had to get the word out. They did so by sending targeted emails to specific audiences about the meetups, by publishing the meetup schedule in all printed materials, and by organizing all the meetup groups on a BIO International Convention group online at meetup.com. BIO also provided meetup hosts with promotional emails in advance to send out to attendees who might be interested, and gave the hosts stickers to wear on-site.

Organizers were pleased with the turnout for each small networking group: Each meetup attracted between 15 and 35 people. And those who participated had plenty of positive feedback to share. “The hosts told us [the meetups] were easy to staff, conversations went well and attendees appreciated the chance to network on a small scale,” Core says.

This year, to keep costs low, BIO organizers created a “Meetup” area near a cash and carry bar, avoiding food and beverage expenses. Next year, Core says the organization may designate the areas with rope and stanchion during the Meetup time to create more defined spaces.And with the positive response from 2010, she and other organizers hope to add even more meetups for 2011.