I've organised more Feesch gatherings than I can count, and been to quite a few others as well. They weren't all huge successes, sometimes it's just down to bad luck like awful weather or the event clashing with the climax to an exciting plot line on Eastenders.

However, I have learnt a lot of lessons and gained a lot of wisdom which will be beneficial to the potential event organiser. Here's a few tips for you:

1. The venue should be easy to find and easy to get to by public transport, remember not everybody has a car! Try to provide people with as much information as possible, which bus to catch, the nearest tube station, location of near by car parks etc.
2. The venue needs to be well lit and open plan. Trying to find a small group of people that you don't know in a dark labyrinth full of faces is a daunting task. If possible, decide on a part of the venue and arrange to meet there (eg upstairs on the left). Always have some helium filled balloons, preferably of Smileys or better still Feesch Balloons! These will help people find you quickly and easily, even in a crowded place, especially if they are allowed to float above head height.
3. People will travel from miles around to go to a good Feesch party, they may want to stay the night. You should research a few places of accommodation in different price ranges, not everybody can afford the Ritz! If you or other members in the local area are prepared to put people up for the night, I'm sure it would be appreciated.
4. Plan the event as far in advance as possible, give people time to make arrangements. don't just say "tomorrow night", then get upset when the turn out is poor. You can start off tentative with a "Too Be Arranged" in the date and venue, but if possible give people a rough idea, which month, which county.

The first Internet event that I ever went to, was when Feesch was still a baby. It was held in a pub in the centre of London and took me two hours to find, and that was after I had asked a couple of policemen for directions!

The fun didn't stop there either, the pub was enormous, it had a central sea of people, surrounded by a myriad of cubby holes and a multitude of bars. It took me 45 minutes to find the group! Actually, that's a lie, I didn't find them. One of the few sensible suggestions for that event was that people should wear a smiley. As I wandered around, a member of staff spotted me (and my smilie badge) and dragged me off to where the rest of the group were hiding.

Once I met up with the group I had a great time, but two hours and forty five minutes had been wasted due to bad organisation. The pub was a favourite with the organiser, and it was a great pub, very lively atmosphere, but was it a suitable venue for the event?

I hope by reading the tips above, and from hearing the horrors of my tale, you will avoid all the pitfalls and have a great time. You will hopefully learn how it feels to have a large group of people, all thanking you for a great time.

One last thought, make sure there are plenty of cameras there. Take some pictures of people having fun, then send them to me and I'll put them on the site for you. Then, even more people will want to go to your next event!