Launch a Build and Brew Event on Luma

Create a multi-platform event presence for your NextWork Build and Brew.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

You have a great idea for a hands-on AI project session. You want to invite people to build alongside you in a casual setting. The challenge is getting the word out to the right people across multiple platforms without splitting your audience.

In this project, you will create a polished Build and Brew event page on Luma, add NextWork as a co-host, and cross-promote on LinkedIn and Meetup so all registrations funnel back to one place.

What You'll Build

When you share your event link, people see a professional page with co-host branding, clear details about what they will build, and one-click registration. You can point anyone from LinkedIn or Meetup to the same page and watch RSVPs roll in.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

A live Luma event page where attendees can register for your Build and Brew, see the session details, and add it to their calendar with one click.
NextWork displayed as a visible co-host on your event, giving the session community credibility and signaling it is part of a larger network of builders.
Cross-platform promotion on LinkedIn Events and Meetup that attracts AI-curious professionals and local learners, with every registration funneling back to your single Luma page.
Secret Mission: Set up a recurring Build and Brew series so future sessions launch with minimal effort using Luma's Clone Event feature.

Are there any prerequisites?

None. This project walks you through creating accounts on Luma, LinkedIn, and Meetup from scratch. All three platforms are free to use for event creation.

Before We Start

Before we dive in, let's lock in what you're about to build and why it matters. Having a clear picture of your event makes every configuration step ahead feel purposeful.

Set Up Your Accounts

Your Build and Brew event will live on three platforms. Each one reaches a different audience, and you need accounts on all three before you can start creating events.

In this step, you will sign up for Luma, confirm your LinkedIn account, and create a Meetup account. Each signup takes just a few minutes.

In this step, get ready to:

Create your Luma account with a completed profile.
Confirm your LinkedIn account and locate the Events section.
Create your Meetup account on the free Starter plan.

Create your Luma account

Luma is where your primary event page will live. All registrations from every platform will funnel back here, so your profile needs to look polished and trustworthy.

Open your browser and go to lu.ma.
Click Sign In in the top-right corner.
Sign up with your email address or Google account.
Complete your profile by adding your name.
Upload a profile photo.
Write a short bio mentioning that you host AI project sessions (for example: "I host casual Build and Brew sessions where we build AI projects together").

You should now see your Luma home page with the Create Event option visible.

Already have a Luma account?

Sign in at lu.ma and confirm you can see your home page with the Create Event option. Make sure your profile has a photo and bio. Then skip ahead to the LinkedIn substep.

Not receiving the verification email?

Check your spam or junk folder. Luma emails sometimes land there on first signup. If you used Google sign-in, no verification email is needed.

Help me troubleshoot my Luma sign-up

Confirm your LinkedIn account

LinkedIn is where AI-interested professionals discover events through their feed. You can create events directly from a personal profile without needing a Company Page.

Go to linkedin.com and sign in.
Confirm you can see the Home feed.
Look in the left sidebar for the Events section. This is where you will create your LinkedIn Event in a later step.

Don't have a LinkedIn account yet?

Go to linkedin.com and click Join now to create a free account. Fill in your name, email, and a password. Once you are signed in, confirm you can see the Home feed and the Events section in the left sidebar.

Create your Meetup account

Meetup surfaces your event to strangers actively searching for AI and tech groups in their area. People who do not know you yet can discover your Build and Brew through Meetup's search.

Go to meetup.com and sign in or create a new account.
You will use the free Meetup Starter plan. No credit card is required.
Confirm you can see the Meetup home page after signing in.

What does the Starter plan include?

The Meetup Starter plan is completely free and gives you 1 group with unlimited members, up to 2 in-person events per calendar month, and up to 10 attendees per event. This is plenty for getting your first Build and Brew sessions off the ground.

Already have a Meetup account?

Verify all three accounts are ready

Before moving on, confirm you can access the dashboard on each platform.

Open lu.ma in a browser tab and confirm you see the Create Event option on your home page.
Open linkedin.com in a second tab and confirm you can see the Home feed and the Events section in the left sidebar.
Open meetup.com in a third tab and confirm you are signed in and can see the home page.

All three tabs should show you signed in and ready to create content. If any of them show a sign-in screen, go back and complete that platform's setup.

Your accounts are ready to go. Next up, you will create your Build and Brew event page on Luma and get it live with a shareable link.

Create Your Build and Brew Event on Luma

Your accounts are ready across all three platforms. Now it's time to create the thing people will actually see and register for.

Right now, you have no event page to share. Without a live link, you cannot promote your Build and Brew anywhere. Luma is where your primary event page will live, and every registration from LinkedIn and Meetup will funnel back here.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a Build and Brew event on Luma with all key details filled in.
Configure registration settings so you know who is signing up.
Verify your live event page works for anyone with the link.

Create the event

The event creation page is where you fill in everything attendees will see: your event name, date, location, and description.

In your browser, navigate to lu.ma/create (or click Create Event from your Luma home page).
In the event name field, enter a title like NextWork Build and Brew: Build an AI [Your Topic].
Set a Start date and time for your session.
Set an End date and time.

In-person or virtual?

For an in-person event, click Add Event Location and enter your venue address (a cafe, library, or co-working space).

For a virtual event, add your video call link (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) instead. Luma creates unique join links for each guest to track attendance.

Add your location or virtual link using the guidance above.
Click Add Description and write a short paragraph explaining what attendees will build, what to bring, and the casual Build and Brew format.
Choose a cover image for your event by uploading a photo or graphic.
Leave the theme set to Minimal (the default), or pick another option that suits your style.

Now scroll down to configure the event options that control ticketing and capacity.

Set Ticket Price to Free.
Leave Capacity as Unlimited, or set a limit that matches your venue space.
Optionally toggle Waitlist Enabled if you want overflow sign-ups to be waitlisted.

What do these event options do?

Setting a capacity limit and enabling a waitlist means once your seats fill up, new registrants join a waiting list instead of being turned away. This is especially useful for in-person events where your venue has a hard limit.

If you are hosting virtually and do not mind unlimited attendees, you can skip both of these.

Configure registration

With your event details filled in, it is time to publish and optionally customise the registration experience.

Click Create Event to publish your event.
You will land on the event management page. This is your behind-the-scenes dashboard for this event.

Your event is now live. You should see tabs across the top of the management page including Registration, Guests, and Blasts.

Click the Registration tab.
Optionally add a registration question (e.g., "What is your experience level with AI?").

Tailor your session

Adding a question like "What is your experience level with AI?" helps you gauge your audience before the event. You can adjust your session difficulty or prepare extra materials based on who signs up.

Verify your live event

Before you share your event link with the world, you need to see it the way a stranger would. An incognito window strips away your logged-in session so you experience the public-facing page.

On the event management page, copy your event URL (it will look like lu.ma/your-event-slug).
Open a private or incognito browser window by pressing Cmd+Shift+N (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows).
Paste your event URL into the address bar and press Enter.

Before you look at the page, ask yourself: what should a potential attendee see when they land here?

You should see your event title, description, date, location (or a virtual link placeholder), and a Register button. If all of these are present, your event is live and ready to share.

Don't see your event details?

If the page shows an error or looks incomplete, go back to the management page and confirm you clicked Create Event earlier. Events are not publicly visible until that button is clicked.

If you see a blank description or missing cover image, return to the management page and update those fields. Changes save automatically.

Why can't I see my event in the incognito window?

Your Build and Brew event is live and ready for registrations. Next up, you will add NextWork as a co-host to give your event community credibility and signal that this is part of something bigger.

Add NextWork as a Co-Host

Your Build and Brew event page is live and ready for registrations. Right now, though, only your name appears as the host.

Adding NextWork as a co-host signals to potential attendees that your session is part of a larger community. It builds credibility and makes the event feel like more than a solo effort.

In this step, get ready to:

Navigate to the Hosts section on your event manage page.
Add NextWork as a co-host with your preferred visibility and access level.
Confirm NextWork appears on the public event page.

Navigate to the Hosts section

The Hosts section on your event manage page is where you control who appears as a host and what level of access they have.

Return to your event's manage page in Luma (the page with the Overview, Guests, Registration, Blasts, and Insights tabs).
Find the Hosts section on the page.
Click the Add Host button.

What are hosts in Luma?

Hosts are people or organizations displayed on your event page alongside you. They can optionally help manage the event (send invites, view the guest list, handle payments).

Luma offers two access levels. Manager gives full backend access. Non-Manager shows the host on the event page without any backend access.

Add NextWork with your preferred visibility and access level

There are three ways to add NextWork as a co-host depending on the branding and access you want. Choose the option that fits your situation best.

Option A: Team Calendar ("Presented By")

This option displays "Presented By NextWork" prominently on your event page. It requires NextWork to have a Luma Calendar set up and for your event to be added to that calendar.

Contact NextWork and request that your event be added to their Luma Calendar.
Once added, your event page automatically shows Presented By above the NextWork calendar name and avatar.
Team Calendar hosts are always shown on the event page and cannot be hidden.
Calendar admins (NextWork) can also help manage the event from their end.

When to choose this option

Choose this if you want the strongest co-host branding. The "Presented By" label sits above the event details and is the most visible placement for NextWork's name.

Option B: Manager access

This option adds NextWork as an individual host who can help manage registrations, send invites, and view the guest list.

Search for the NextWork Luma account or enter their email address.
Set Show on Event Page to visible so NextWork appears publicly.
Set Access to Manager.
Click Invite Host to send them an email with a calendar invite.

What can a Manager do?

A Manager host can send invites, manage payments, and view the full guest list. They receive an email with a calendar invite that automatically adds the event to their calendar (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, etc.).

Option C: Non-Manager access

This option shows NextWork on the event page without giving them any backend access.

Search for the NextWork Luma account or enter their email address.
Set Show on Event Page to visible so NextWork appears publicly.
Set Access to Non-Manager.
Click Invite Host to send them an email with a calendar invite.

When to choose this option

Choose this if you want NextWork's name visible for credibility but prefer to manage the event entirely yourself. NextWork will not have access to the guest list, blasts, or settings.

You always keep full control

The event creator (you) always retains Manager access and cannot be removed, regardless of which option you choose.

Confirm the co-host appears on your event page

Before you move on, confirm that NextWork is actually visible to anyone who views your event.

Copy your event's public URL from the manage page.
Open the URL in an incognito or private browser window.

Before you look at the page, what do you expect to see in the hosts section?

Confirm that NextWork appears in the hosts section alongside your name.
If you chose Option A (Team Calendar), look for the Presented By label above the NextWork name and avatar.
If you chose Option B or C, look for NextWork listed as a host in the event's host list.

Don't see NextWork on the event page?

Make sure you set Show on Event Page to visible when adding the host. If it is toggled off, the host will not appear publicly.

If you chose the Team Calendar option, NextWork needs to accept and add your event to their calendar before the branding appears.

Why isn't my co-host showing on my Luma event page?

NextWork is now prominently featured on your Build and Brew event page. Next up, you will cross-promote this event on LinkedIn to put it in front of AI-interested professionals.

Cross-Promote on LinkedIn Events

Your Build and Brew event page is live on Luma with NextWork as a co-host. Right now, though, the only people who will find it are those who already follow you on Luma or receive a direct link from you.

LinkedIn is where AI-interested professionals actively discover events through their feed and the Events tab. Cross-posting your Build and Brew here puts your session in front of the right audience without splitting your registrations across platforms.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a LinkedIn Event that links back to your Luma registration page.
Publish a promotional post alongside your event to notify your network.

Create a LinkedIn Event

LinkedIn's External event link format lets you promote an event on LinkedIn while directing all registrations to an external page. This is exactly what you need to funnel people to your Luma event without splitting your audience.

Return to LinkedIn in your browser.
Click the Home icon in the top navigation bar.
Click Events in the left pane.
Click Create an Event.

A form appears with several fields. Fill them in one by one to match your Luma event details:

For Organizer, select your personal profile.
For Event type, select Online for a virtual Build and Brew, or In person for a physical one.
For Event format, select External event link.
Paste your Luma event URL into the link field that appears.
For Event name, enter the same title as your Luma event (e.g., NextWork Build and Brew: Build an AI [Your Topic]).
Set the Timezone, Start date/time, and End date/time to match your Luma event.
In the Description field, paste your event description and include your Luma registration link (e.g., "Register here: [your lu.ma URL]").
Upload a cover image. The recommended size is 1280x720 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The minimum width is 480 pixels.

Why External event link?

The External event link format promotes your event on LinkedIn but directs attendees to register on Luma. This keeps all your RSVPs in one place instead of splitting your audience across two platforms.

The other option, LinkedIn Live, requires a separate application and approval process. It is not needed for a Build and Brew event.

These fields are locked after posting

Once you publish the event, you cannot change the Organizer, Event type (Online/In person), or Event format (External event link). Double-check these three fields before moving on.

Publish and promote your event

LinkedIn requires you to write a post alongside your event. The event is not actually created until you complete this posting step.

Click Next.
In the Share your thoughts... field, write a short promotional message about your Build and Brew (e.g., "Excited to host a Build and Brew where we will build [AI topic] together. All skill levels welcome.").
Click Post to create the event.

Why do I need to write a post?

LinkedIn bundles event creation with a feed post to give your event immediate visibility. Your post appears in your connections' feeds and links directly to the event page. This is free built-in promotion.

Before you check your event, what do you think will happen when someone clicks the external event link on your LinkedIn Event page?

Open your new LinkedIn Event page (LinkedIn should redirect you there after posting).
Confirm the event name, date, time, and description are all showing correctly.
Click the external event link on the page.

You should be directed to your Luma event page with the registration button visible. This confirms that LinkedIn is correctly funneling attendees to your primary registration hub.

External link not going to Luma?

Make sure you pasted the full Luma URL (starting with https://lu.ma/) into the External event link field. If the link is missing or incorrect, you will need to create a new event since the Event format cannot be changed after posting.

Help me fix my LinkedIn Event link to Luma.

Your Build and Brew is now discoverable by professionals browsing LinkedIn Events. Next up, you will tap into a completely different audience by posting on Meetup, where strangers actively search for AI learning groups in their area.

Cross-Promote on Meetup

Your LinkedIn Event is live and reaching your professional network. Now it is time to find people who do not know you yet.

Meetup is where strangers actively search for local learning groups by interest. Cross-posting your Build and Brew here surfaces your event to AI-curious builders who are looking for exactly what you are offering but have never heard of you.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a Meetup group for your Build and Brew community.
Publish your Build and Brew event on Meetup with your Luma registration link.
Update your Luma event to cross-reference all platforms.

Create a Meetup group

All Meetup events must belong to a group. You need to create a group first before you can publish any events.

Why Meetup instead of other event platforms?

Meetup has the strongest built-in discovery for local interest-based groups. People searching for "AI meetups" in their city will find your group automatically.

Alternatives like Eventbrite are more transactional and ticket-focused. Meetup is community-focused, which aligns with the recurring Build and Brew format where regulars come back and bring friends.

On your Meetup home page, click Start a new group from the Home tab.
Choose a group name that tells people what you do. For example: NextWork Build and Brew - [Your City] or AI Builders [Your City].
Write a description explaining that this group hosts hands-on AI project sessions in a casual Build and Brew format, open to all levels.
Select the free Meetup Starter plan (no credit card required).
Submit your group for review.

What is the Meetup Starter plan?

Meetup Starter is completely free. It allows 1 group with unlimited members, up to 2 in-person events per calendar month, and up to 10 attendees per event.

You cannot charge event fees or member dues on the Starter plan. This is fine since Build and Brew events are free.

After submitting, you should see your new group page with the name and description you entered.

What about the group review?

Meetup reviews new groups within 24 hours. Your group and events will not be searchable by other users until approved. You can still create events while waiting for approval, so keep going.

Not seeing the Start a new group option?

Make sure you are on the Home tab in Meetup. The option appears there, not in your profile settings.

If you are using the mobile app, the option is in the same location under the Home tab.

Help me find the Start a new group button on Meetup.

Create your Build and Brew event on Meetup

With your group created, you can now publish an event that directs people to register on Luma.

From your group homepage, click Create event.
In the dropdown, select Create a new event.
Enter your event title to match your Luma event (e.g., NextWork Build and Brew: Build an AI [Your Topic]). Keep it under 80 characters.
Set the date, time, and duration to match your Luma event.

Next, set up your location. This depends on whether your Build and Brew is in-person or online.

For an in-person event: search for your venue or add a new location. Use the How to find us field to add directions for attendees.
For an online event: in the Location section, click Online and add your video conferencing link.

What about hybrid events?

Hybrid events on Meetup require the Pro plan. On the free Starter plan, choose either in-person or online for each event.

In the description, include your Build and Brew details and prominently feature your Luma registration link. For example: RSVP on Luma for the official registration and event updates: [your Luma URL].
Add up to 5 topics for event discovery. Good options include: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Project-Based Learning, Tech Meetups, Coding.
Click Publish.
Select Announce it now to notify group members.

Your Meetup event is now live. You should see it listed on your group page with the title, date, and description you entered.

Event not appearing on your group page?

Make sure you clicked Publish and then selected Announce it now. If you only saved a draft, the event will not appear publicly.

Remember that your group may not be searchable to others until Meetup approves it (within 24 hours). You can still see your own event on the group page while waiting.

Help me troubleshoot my Meetup event not appearing.

Link everything together

Right now, each platform only knows about itself. Updating your Luma event to reference LinkedIn and Meetup creates a cross-referencing loop where each platform drives traffic to the others.

Return to your Luma event's manage page.
Edit your event description.
Add a line at the bottom: "Also find us on LinkedIn Events and Meetup" with links to your LinkedIn Event and your Meetup event page.
Save your changes.

Why cross-reference all platforms?

Luma is your primary registration hub. LinkedIn and Meetup are discovery channels. When each platform links back to the others, someone who finds you on Meetup can also follow your LinkedIn presence, and vice versa. All RSVPs still funnel to one place: your Luma event page.

Before you check your work, what do you expect to see when you open your Luma event URL in a fresh browser tab?

Open your Luma event URL in an incognito or private browser window.
Confirm your description now includes links to your LinkedIn Event and Meetup event.
Switch to your Meetup group page and confirm your Build and Brew event is listed with the correct title, date, and your Luma registration link in the description.

You should see all three platforms connected. Your Luma page references LinkedIn and Meetup. Your Meetup event sends registrations to Luma. Your LinkedIn Event does the same.

Links not showing in your Luma description?

Make sure you saved the description edit on the Luma manage page. Try refreshing the public event URL in your incognito window.

Double check that you pasted the full URLs (starting with https://) so they render as clickable links for attendees.

Help me get my cross-platform links working on Luma.

Your Build and Brew is now discoverable on three platforms. People in your professional network see it on LinkedIn. Strangers searching for AI learning groups find it on Meetup. Every registration funnels back to your Luma event page. Next up, take on the Secret Mission to turn this into a recurring series.

Secret mission

Set Up a Recurring Build and Brew Series

You have one event live, but Build and Brews work best as a recurring series where regulars come back and bring friends. In this secret mission, you will use Luma's Clone Event feature to spin up multiple future sessions in seconds, then optionally set up a recurring series on Meetup too.

Clean Up Your Resources

This project runs entirely on free platforms, so there are no ongoing costs to worry about. Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely.

Resources you used:

Luma event page and cloned events (free, no ongoing costs).
LinkedIn Event (free, no ongoing costs).
Meetup group and event (free on Starter plan).

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you plan to host your Build and Brew event and want to keep collecting registrations.

Your Luma events will remain live and collect registrations until each event date passes.
Your LinkedIn Event stays visible to your network and continues to accept RSVPs.
Your Meetup group and event remain searchable to local AI-curious people.
None of these platforms charge you for free events, so everything can stay live at no cost.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

If you are not ready to host yet but want to keep your work, you can temporarily hide your events from public view.

On Luma, open your event's manage page and look for options to unpublish or hide the event from public listing. You can republish it later when you are ready.
On LinkedIn, you cannot unpublish an event, but you can stop promoting it by removing the associated post from your feed.
On Meetup, you can edit your event and save it as a draft to remove it from public view without permanently deleting it.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources permanently. These actions cannot be undone.

Delete your Luma events:

Go to your event's manage page on Luma.
Look for the cancel option (Luma uses "Cancel" to permanently delete an event page and notify any registered guests).
Repeat for each cloned event you created during the Secret Mission.

Delete your LinkedIn Event:

On LinkedIn, click the Home icon, then click Events in the left pane.
Select your Build and Brew event from the list.
Click Manage, then select Cancel event from the dropdown and confirm.
After cancellation, click Manage again and select Delete event to permanently remove it.

Delete your Meetup event and group:

Open your Meetup event page.
Click Organizer tools, then Cancel event.
Check the box beside Cancel and delete this event, then click Confirm.
To delete your Meetup group: open the group page, click Manage Group, select Transfer group ownership, then click "Do you want to close your group instead" and select Close group permanently.

What about my accounts?

You do not need to delete your Luma, LinkedIn, or Meetup accounts. These are general-purpose accounts you can reuse for future events and professional networking. Only the specific events and group created in this project need cleanup.

Nice Work!

Nice work! You just launched a multi-platform event presence for your NextWork Build and Brew, complete with co-host branding and cross-promotion that funnels every registration back to one place.

You've learned how to:

Create a professional Build and Brew event page on Luma with registration, location options, and NextWork as a co-host with the appropriate visibility and access level.
Cross-promote your event on LinkedIn Events using the External event link format to funnel registrations back to your primary Luma page.
Create a Meetup group and event to attract new AI-curious builders who are actively searching for learning communities in their area.
Set up a recurring Build and Brew series (Secret Mission) so your event becomes a regular community fixture with minimal repeat effort.

Ready to quiz yourself?