Running a Meeting

Running a Meeting

How to run engaging, productive Hack Club meetings that members actually want to come back to.

Clubs

Running a Meeting

Great club meetings have energy, a clear focus, and leave members wanting to come back. Here’s how to make that happen.

Meeting Structure

A typical 90-minute meeting looks like:

TimeActivity
0–10 minArrivals, free hacking, socializing
10–15 minAnnouncements and demos from last week
15–60 minMain workshop or project time
60–80 minOpen hacking / finish up
80–90 minShare what you made, next meeting preview

The Workshop Model

For most meetings, pick one Workshops|workshop that:

  • Can be completed in 45–60 minutes by a beginner
  • Produces something visible and shareable
  • Teaches one clear concept

Don’t try to teach multiple things at once. Better to go deep than wide.

Demo Culture

End every meeting with demos. Even if something isn’t finished, showing work-in-progress is encouraged. This builds a culture of sharing and making.

How to run demos:

  1. Ask “Who wants to show what they made?”
  2. Give each person 2–3 minutes
  3. Celebrate everything, even tiny things
  4. Lead by example — demo your own work

When Nobody Has an Idea

Keep a list of project ideas ready. Some reliable options:

  • Personal website
  • Discord bot
  • Simple game (try Sprig)
  • CLI tool that does something useful
  • Browser extension

Attendance and Engagement

  • Be consistent — meet every week, same time, same place
  • Follow up — message members who were absent
  • Lower barriers — meetings should work for total beginners
  • Celebrate — acknowledge wins, big and small

Common Mistakes

❌ Trying to lecture for the whole meeting
❌ Picking workshops that are too long or complex
❌ Not doing demos at the end
❌ Skipping meetings because “nothing is ready”

✅ Keep it hands-on
✅ Pick achievable workshops
✅ Always demo, always share
✅ Show up consistently

Resources