Member meet-ups: what are they - and how do I get involved?

Did you know that our friendly community forum has its very own Meetup & Events category? Yup - it’s not just an exciting online hub where members can go to find advice, get tips and chat with like-minded members - it’s also a great way for our lovely members to arrange their own informal and friendly meet-ups around the world.

To date, our members have come from all corners of the globe to gather in places such as London, the Cotswolds, Vancouver Island, Minneapolis and more. And in most cases, it all begins with a simple thread posted in our ever-popular Meetups & Events category…

Member meet-ups: how do I get involved? 

In our Meetups & Events forum category, you can find an event near you or even suggest a location and organize your own event. It’s a friendly, low-key, unofficial and informal way for our members to connect in real life and make friends as they travel and house sit their way around the world. 

If you enjoy connecting with others, we can’t think of a better (or easier) way to get your people (and oftentimes, pet) fix while on the road! 

Past member meet-ups

Of course, attending your first member meet-up can be daunting - and so it always helps to hear from members who’ve been there, done that, and got the t-shirt to prove it (a note: unfortunately, there aren’t any actual t-shirts. But wouldn’t that be great? Any of our members fancy starting up their own THS member merch side hustle?!)

And so, we're passing the (virtual) baton to a few of our lovely members - namely, Amparo, Tom, Colin, Sheryl, and Samantha - to tell you a little more about what it all involves… 

Amparo’s experience

“I was a full-time international home and pet sitter for nearly four years before I met another sitter. It was an incredibly good feeling to meet someone else like me and share ideas, tactics and stories of our travels and experiences in home and pet care.”

“Meet-ups are not just for sitters or full-time travellers. A home and pet owner can have regular meet-ups in their hometown if they wish. It’s a great way for them to meet sitters as well as other owners in their own community they may not even know exist. 

Some of the people you meet you may never see again but some may become really great long-term friends, but I will say, they are some of the most extraordinary people I have ever met! Coming out from behind the screen of the internet is the best way to become familiar with this wonderful community and expand our resources, increase confidence and trust within our members. That’s what makes TrustedHousesitters.”

Tom’s experience

“My first meet-up was when I was sitting in Eden Prairie, just west of Minneapolis. I got together for lunch with seasoned sitter, Amparo, who was sitting in a nearby suburb. I was still learning about sitting and learned a lot from her.

Then when I was sitting in Hayes, Bromley south of London and I responded to a new member who was unsure about how things worked. They actually drove into a cafe near the station in Hayes and we had a great conversation - for them about how TrustedHousesitters worked, and for me learning about some things to do in the area. I wish more folks would participate.” 

Colin’s experience

“Wherever in the world we find ourselves on our pet sitting travels there is a very good chance that there will be another sitter or owner not too far away that will be interested in meeting in person for a coffee and chat. 

It is very easy to organise. We normally use the TrustedHousesitters forum to let others know our whereabouts and then find a location that suits everyone (preferably dog friendly) - sometimes we meet just one other person, on other occasions, a whole group will turn up.” 

Sheryl’s experience

“My very first meet-up was with Vanessa Anderson, an employee of TrustedHousesitters and whose House Sitting Facebook group I’d joined. We met for an hour in a cafe in Brighton and got on immediately (she’s very easy to get along with!), and had a good laugh and discussion.

The next meet-up was organised by Amparo, a large group of house sitters who met in a London pub. I went along with my current canine companion at the time, Margaux, a Border Terrier. It was quite an adventure for her and her owners were delighted she was getting the experience!

In the pub, she was perfectly behaved and spoilt by one of the bartenders who happened to be a groomer and loved Borders. We all enjoyed a pub lunch and fun, lively conversations. Lovely to put faces to people, some of whom were active forum members.”

“I was really pleased to discover another sitter, Dave, was house sitting right next door to a sit I did in Stroud. Dave, an American, didn’t have a car but badly wanted to visit the Cotswolds so I offered him a few trips out in my car. We did a whistle-stop tour of the Cotswolds, a trip to Bath and Tetbury!”

“It was also at this meet-up that I met Colin and Karyo, and discovered we’d all be house sitting in New Zealand over Christmas and New Year. We met up a few times after that, including on Christmas Day, where we shared the cooking!”

Tips for organizing a meet-up 

As well as lifting the lid on some of their own personal meet-up experiences, our members Amparo, Sheryl and Samantha were kind enough to share some of their top tips for arranging your own meet-up - and here they are:

From Amparo: 

• Create an announcement post on the TrustedHousesitters community forum. Indicate a location, place and time - or leave it open to suggestions for greater flexibility and to see what interest there is. 
• Pet-friendly venues, outdoor/indoor, lunch, or casual tea/coffee meet-ups all work. Local pet events also make great places to have meet-ups. 
• And remember: it doesn’t matter if you get zero responses, one, or twenty. It will vary! The purpose is to meet other members of the home and pet sitting community. All we have to do is open the door.

From Sheryl:

• Be mindful that things can change along the way - for example, a request to bring dogs along will mean checking the establishment you’ve planned to meet in is dog-friendly. If not, it means finding one that is!
• If taking along your canine charge, ensure you have the owners’ permission to do so.
• Keep checking on numbers and ask about any allergies, meal preferences, etc. You will likely have to book a table, so update the pub/restaurant/cafe with numbers and ask attendees what time they plan to arrive.
• If meeting in the summer, ensure there is outside seating but also be prepared to move inside in cases of bad weather.

From Samantha:

• Pick a venue that is easily accessible by various means of transport, and is ideally pet friendly as this allows sitters and owners to bring along their pets. 
• Once you have a venue and a date sorted, send more details and photos of the venue itself. It’s always good to attach some sample menus. I try to choose a venue that has a variety of food options to cater to all, so meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans, and if there are certain dietary requirements required it is always best to speak to the venue because you will normally find that they can accommodate them (even if it’s not shown on the menu). You will even find some dog-friendly venues have a special menu that caters for our pawsome friends!
• Gauge numbers and relay this information to the venue - say that the numbers will most likely be flexible by a few. This allows for any last-minute attendees.
• All that remains then is to have a fab time and of course, if you remember, to share plenty of photos on the forum!

Hear, hear! If you’re not quite really to step into the shoes of a THS community event organizer, why not take a look at our Events & Meetups category and see if there’s already a meet-up planned near you? 

And while you’re there, why not take a look around and pursue our Owner category, Sitter category, or just enjoy some general chit-chats with like-minded members? Our community forum is a friendly, welcoming, get-involved-as-much-as-you-like kinda place, where pet people (like you) can come together to chat, share experiences, and get advice from real-life members. See you there soon!