All photos Turnstone unless otherwise indicated
Not to sound like a huge nerd or anything, but I love looking at new spaces. Especially when I get the chance to visit the office of a company that I use all the time. If you haven’t heard of Meetup.com yet, you should download the app immediately. Meetup is a website that lets you join or organize a group based on a specific interest and location. This could be anything from a female entrepreneur group in New York City, or a dog lovers group in Seattle. It is all about bringing people together that have common interests, and want to meet up with others just like them.
Personally, I have used it for a NY Pin Up Club, and NY Tech. There is quite a wide range of options for every taste. You could use it for professional networking, a new hobby, or even lifestyle (food and drink, entertainment, etc). There is over 111,000 groups worldwide, and it is growing every day.
The offices reflect the community they support. The Meetup private rooms are reflective of some of the most popular groups on the site. The gardening room has nods to nature, as well as benches and plants. The dog room has pictures of dogs on the wall and even a stuffed one to keep you company (he doesn’t bite).
The branding is uniquely Meetup, with red walls and red accents. Branding your office is essential for expressing your company culture.
There are about 80 people working in the space (and a couple of pups). It is a huge loft-like office on the edge of SoHo in New York City.
Roof access! Every New Yorkers dream! (via Meetup HQ Blog)
The employees are divided up based on the type of jobs being done. For example, the community managers sit in the same area. Putting people together in a group of desks helps collaboration efforts between teammates. It's much easier to get a question answered about a shared project, instead of walking all the way across the room to get answers. Here are some ideas to create collaborative workspaces.
As people working in an industry that helps nurture and create community, the employees have their share of fun perks at the office to keep work a little more interesting. They have an eating area with plenty of beer and snacks, as well as a ping-pong table located on the floor right below.
The community is very strong at Meetup, and it’s no surprise. It’s how they make a living!
Have you used Meetup before? What do you think of their space? Share in the comments!