A meetup is an event, popular especially in software development industry, where people interested in a shared topic come together to learn more, to meet new people and to share their knowledge. One thing that separates meetups from other events is that they are often organised on a regular cadence, forming a community around them.
There are as many formats as there are organisers and communities. One of the most common ones is to have 2-3 speakers in an evening event, hosted by a local company in their office or hosted in a local event space.
Meetups are a wonderful way to stay up to date with what is happening in your industry, to network both on a personal and a professional capacity and to enjoy a good night in a great company. It’s valuable to both seasoned veterans as well as students or juniors starting their careers.
While there’s often official, scheduled program like talks, panel discussions or workshops, the biggest impact is found in the hallway track.
You can find local meetups through sites like Meetup.com, Meetabit.com and Finnish tech communities through Techtrib.es.