Introduction

[Chris Prakoso]

All,

I thought I started a new thread on Introduction. I think it would be
cool to know a bit more about everybody :)
So, let me start:

My name is Chris Prakoso, my IG username is @mahadewa, I live and work
in London UK. I joined IG I think 2 months after it was launched, and
haven't turned back ever since. I am quite keen on organizing the
#Instameet in London, and I am hoping to learn and get some ideas from
other organizers here.

Best Regards,
Chris Prakoso

[Morgan Stone Grether]

Hi, Chris et al--

I am @grether from Portland, Oregon, USA. 

Here is a list of extremely broad thoughts about getting an instagram meet-up started in a new town that I had sent to Josh a while back (before we had meetup.com):

(1) Don't be afraid to start small
-- two or three people is still a meet-up!

(2) Go find people and recruit them to meet
--When you add a location tag in instagram to your pictures, you can click on that location to see other images posted there. Talk to the people who've posted at the same spots as you!
--Search the hashtags to see if places near you are mentioned. If so, talk to the people who've posted there.
--Post a note to Instagram that you want to start a meet up in your town and "@" those new friends you have made. Some won't want to meet, but others will!
--Additionally, you could create a group on another social site, like we have done on Facebook with the Portland Instagram Group. Some cities have pretty targeted online social calendars as well; like in Portland we have http://calagator.org/ that you can post tech-oriented meet-ups on.

(3) Keep it loose
--no need to have big themes or assignments or challenges at first
--just get people in a social space (coffee shop, pub, restaurant) with their phones and start talking about this shot or that, this app or that, why your cat pictures never make the popular page, etc. Let it be organic at first. More structure can come later (if needed).

-- 
Morgan Stone Grether
Sent with Sparrow

[Josh Riedel]

Good to meet you guys! I'm Josh, one of the guys behind Instagram. I've helped put together meetups in LA, SF, and NYC, and all 3 of them were a lot of fun.

@grether's advice is excellent -- you should read it if you haven't already :)

Let me know if you have any questions/ideas about organizing meetups -- everyone here at Instagram is pretty excited about doing these more often and getting more folks involved. We want to help out however we can.

Josh