Hannah Eisenberg looks at Mensa events, and describes how any member can make something happen
An observation that I often hear is that there aren’t any events or people to connect to in certain areas. Or, you may find that in your area there is a lack of the specific type of event that you’d like to attend.
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Your first port of call for any advice about what Mensa offers, and how we can assist you with what you want to get out of Mensa, will be your Regional Officer. Their contact details are listed in your local newsletter and they can assist by giving advice about events, getting in touch with other local members, or maybe they could take on your ideas and help to run the type of event you want to see.
Mensa is a member-led organisation, run by people like you, and fed with ideas from all of you, so please keep them coming! It is good to bear in mind that established event hosts are volunteers, and they don’t always have the time or energy to set up specific events in every corner of the region. What Mensa does provide you with, though, are the tools to create events, or to network with other members in ways that suit you.
Any member can run an event, and any member can advertise that event on the Mensa website.
Running your own event could be a bit nerve-wracking though, and that’s very understandable. There will be volunteers in your region and across Mensa who can guide you through the process, help you to advertise the event, or even just contact local members and gauge interest. With 18,000 members across the country, there are likely to be other members who share your interests, even if this means an online event or just a small group to begin with. It could even be that no one comes to the event, at least to begin with, so it’s a good idea to bring a friend for support, or see if there is another member or volunteer who would be willing to commit to coming along for support. It often takes a bit of time and perseverance to get a new initiative going.
You can advertise your event on the Mensa website yourself, and it will appear there immediately. You can also advertise it in the Mensa magazine by getting in touch with your Regional Meetings Coordinator. Their email address can be found in the magazine under your region’s events, or on the Mensa website, under Regions. They can help you with many aspects of advertising, but the RO is also a good first point of contact for help and advice.
The website and the magazine are the best places to advertise, as every member can access these. In addition, all regions also have a Facebook group for promotion of events, and they may also have other ways of advertising. Again, speak to your RO for assistance. They are always very happy to help – that’s what they’re there for!
To make your own event on the website, go to Events, and then Add New Event’and follow the process through. If you’re having difficulties, there is a written guide to every step of the process, and this is linked as one of the scrolling messages just underneath your photo when you first log in – see the red circle in the picture. I’ve also circled the headings I’ve referred to in this article in yellow.
Fellow director Ann Rootkin has also very helpfully made a short video walking you through the process on the website. You can view this in the news section on the website and by clicking the link below.
