Meetup provides a forum for individuals to gather to undertake cultural and creative activities, and is easily searchable to determine the groups and membership by category. These groups and communities may suggest social impacts such as social bonds and cohesion.
An internet search of Meetup groups in Melbourne, in September 2019, based on the following selected categories indicated significant membership of a diverse range of groups.
| Category | No. meetup groups 2018 | No. meetup groups 2019 | Membership 2018 | Membership 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| music | 72 | 67 | 30,244 | 31,674 |
| literature | 41 | 59 | 25,069 | 29,564 |
| art | 41 | 55 | 28,652 | 39,842 |
| dance | 28 | 46 | 34,151 | 40,606 |
| photography | 36 | 43 | 56,796 | 60,951 |
| film | 28 | 36 | 31,049 | 36,763 |
| gaming | 13 | 22 | 10,499 | 25,325 |
| craft | 21 | 21 | 2,206 | 3,245 |
| design | 4 | 20 | 1,467 | 10,414 |
| theatre | 9 | 14 | 10,701 | 24,780 |
| fashion design | 3 | 5 | 1,561 | 2,662 |
| architecture | 1 | 2 | 440 | 915 |
Discussion
Meetup tends to focus on digital and technology activities. For example, the largest group is focused on start-ups. Creative and cultural groups are currently relatively small.
Membership does not necessarily indicate active membership.