Choosing a format

The format is the shape of your evening. It tells people what to expect and helps you plan. There's no wrong choice, and you can change format from month to month. For a first meetup, pick something simple: a casual social or an intro talk with Q&A. Here are eight formats that work well, each with who it suits, a run-sheet (a simple timetable for the night) and what to bring.

Casual social#

Suits: first meetups, mixed groups, small cities. Low effort, high friendliness.

Run-sheet (2 hours):

• 0:00 Arrivals, name badges, drinks
• 0:20 Five-minute welcome and safety basics
• 0:25 Open chat, with the organiser introducing people to each other
• 1:45 Announce next date, thank the venue
• 2:00 Close

Bring: name badges, a table sign, a few leaflets.

Intro talk and Q&A#

Suits: newcomers who want to understand what Zcash is and why privacy matters.

Run-sheet (2 hours):

• 0:00 Arrivals and chat
• 0:20 Welcome
• 0:25 "Zcash in 20 minutes" talk
• 0:45 Q&A, about 20 minutes
• 1:05 Open chat
• 1:50 Next date and close

Bring: laptop, the slide deck, a screen or TV (ask the venue), "What is Zcash?" leaflets.

Wallet clinic#

A wallet is an app that holds your digital cash. At a clinic, people install one on their own phone with friendly help nearby.

Suits: people who are curious but haven't tried Zcash yet.

Run-sheet (2 hours):

• 0:00 Arrivals
• 0:15 Welcome and the clinic rules (below)
• 0:20 Short demo on the organiser's own phone, shown on a screen
• 0:35 Helpers circulate; people install and back up on their own devices
• 1:30 Questions, then open chat

Bring: "Getting started safely" leaflets, a link to ZecHub's wallet page (opens in a new tab), venue Wi-Fi details.

Builders' night#

Suits: developers, students and people who like to tinker with open-source code.

Run-sheet (2.5 hours):

• 0:00 Arrivals
• 0:15 Welcome, quick round of "what are you working on?"
• 0:30 One short demo or lightning talks (5 minutes each)
• 1:00 Hack time in small groups
• 2:15 Show-and-tell, next date

Bring: power strips, "For builders" leaflets, links to developer resources. Partner with a local dev group if you can.

Reading or study group#

Suits: people who like to go deep. Pick one article, wiki page or talk each month.

Run-sheet (90 minutes):

• 0:00 Arrivals
• 0:10 Recap the reading in five minutes
• 0:15 Discuss three prepared questions
• 1:15 Pick next month's topic
• 1:30 Close

Bring: printed copies or a shared link. ZecHub (opens in a new tab) has many good starting pages.

Merchant walk#

Visit two or three local places that accept Zcash, found on ZecMap (opens in a new tab).

Suits: people who want to see digital cash used in real life. Great in good weather.

Run-sheet (2 hours):

• 0:00 Meet at the first venue
• 0:15 Short welcome and route plan
• 0:20 Visit each place, say thank you, and let anyone who wants to pay for a coffee or snack do so themselves
• 1:30 Finish at a café for chat

Bring: a route plan, "Spend ZEC near you" leaflets. Message the businesses beforehand so they're not surprised by a group.

Watch party#

Watch a livestream together, such as a conference talk or a community call.

Suits: groups that like a bit of structure without anyone having to present.

Run-sheet (2 hours):

• 0:00 Arrivals
• 0:15 Welcome
• 0:20 Watch, about 45 to 60 minutes
• 1:15 Discussion
• 1:50 Next date

Bring: laptop, cables, a tested stream link. Check the venue has a screen and sound.

Privacy-tech crossover#

Team up with a local privacy, digital rights or open-source group for a joint night.

Suits: growing your audience and meeting people who already care about privacy.

Run-sheet (2 hours):

• 0:00 Arrivals
• 0:15 Welcome from both hosts
• 0:20 Two short talks, one from each group
• 1:00 Mixed discussion or open chat
• 1:50 Next dates for both groups

Bring: leaflets from both groups. Agree in advance on tone: share ideas, no sales pitch.

Quick comparison#

Choose and commit#

Next step: Choosing a venue.