Guidelines

At Odd Circles, we place a strong emphasis on fostering real-life communities and meaningful connections. When individuals come together, they create opportunities for growth, knowledge sharing, and personal development. Our platform is dedicated to helping people become the best versions of themselves and lead fulfilling lives by connecting with communities that empower them.

To ensure that our vision becomes a reality, Odd Circles has established specific requirements for groups and their activities:

Offer Growth Opportunities: Odd Circles events should provide members with opportunities for self-improvement. This can encompass a variety of activities, such as learning something new, skill development, expanding one's network, community building, volunteering for a cause, mutual support, raising awareness about a particular subject, pursuing passions, working towards goals, staying active, exploring new places, or advancing one's career.
Foster Real Human Connections: Odd Circles is a platform designed to facilitate real-life connections, not merely for advertising sales or promotions. Groups on Odd Circles should focus on building meaningful communities rather than one-on-one interactions or promotional services. Events should aim to create experiences that add value for attendees, which may involve learning, playing games, making new friends, or simply enjoying each other's company.

Examples of acceptable event types on Odd Circles include:

Discussions offering fresh perspectives
Adventures pushing participants out of their comfort zones
Hangouts that facilitate social interactions
Tours that introduce people to new places and ideas
Workshops that help sharpen skills
Group speakers sharing innovative ideas
Games that connect people through shared experiences

Here are examples of how businesses should and should not use Odd Circles:

✔ A local bar hosting weekly gatherings like trivia nights or darts tournaments

✘ A local bar hosting events solely for advertising daily happy hour deals

✔ A yoga studio offering daily group classes

✘ A yoga studio hosting events solely to promote limited-time offers

✔ A wine shop hosting tasting events and sommelier courses

✘ A wine shop hosting events primarily to advertise new inventory or sales

Have a Host Present at Events: To make attendees feel comfortable and welcome, it's important to have a host at every event. A host's role includes connecting attendees, managing relationships with venues, and providing structure to the events. Hosts should, at a minimum, inform members about the event's location and be a point of contact during the event. When a business or organization sponsors an event, the event description must identify a contact person who will be present at the event. In cases where there is no in-person host at events within a Meetup group, Odd Circles reserves the right to remove the group.
Honesty and Transparency: Odd Circles organizers must be honest and transparent with their members, ensuring that everyone knows what to expect at group events. Group and event names and descriptions must accurately convey sufficient information to enable members to make informed decisions about their participation. This includes being clear about:

The nature of the group's activities, interests, and intentions
Membership requirements
Fees or dues
Group affiliations, if associated with a business, organization, or third party
Ensuring that events align with the group's main purpose and the criteria outlined in the group description

In cases where Odd Circles receives reports indicating a lack of transparency or events misaligned with a group's main purpose, Odd Circles reserves the right to remove the group.

Prohibited Practices on Odd Circles

While Odd Circles is dedicated to helping individuals connect with like-minded communities, there are specific community themes we cannot support due to safety, legal, or ethical concerns. Groups or events falling into any of the following categories may be removed from our platform at Odd Circles' discretion.

Odd Circles does not support groups or events related to:

✘ Violent, Dangerous, or Criminal Behavior Groups must not promote or facilitate illegal or violent activities, including the sale of firearms, ammunition, or drugs, pyramid schemes, physical harm, animal abuse, vandalism, or threats to commit violence. Hate, violence, or harassment against individuals or groups based on personal attributes such as race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity is strictly prohibited.

✘ Targeting Individuals Under 18 All Meetup members and organizers must be at least 18 years old. Groups and events must target individuals aged 18 and older. Family groups are welcome, but children present at events must be supervised by an adult guardian.

✘ Harmful Misinformation Groups and events must not contain or promote misinformation, including medical or financial misinformation.

✘ Misrepresentation or Concealed Intentions Groups or events must not conceal or misrepresent their primary purpose.

✘ Pick-Up Artists or Seduction Techniques Groups or events must not involve pick-up or seduction techniques.

✘ Sexual Exploitation Groups or events must not promote or facilitate sex trafficking, prostitution, or any form of sexual exploitation.

✘ Pornography, Nudity, or Sexual Content Groups and events must not contain pornography or publicly shared nude or sexual photos.

✘ Mature Interests Without Transparency Mature interest groups must maintain additional requirements and provide clear rules of participation and informed consent in the group description.

✘ Legal or Medical Services Groups must not involve regulated services provided by licensed medical or legal professionals. Meetup does not validate professional credentials or licenses.

✔ However, groups and events focused on group activities promoted by these professionals are allowed.

By adhering to these guidelines, we can create a welcoming and safe environment for all Odd Circles members and organizers. We are committed to nurturing communities that foster growth, connection, and personal development while maintaining the highest standards of safety and integrity.