As with any business venture, you get to learn what works and what doesn’t as you go along, and one hot topic that always comes up in conversation at our meetups is age range, or age guidance.
Grab a coffee, put your feet up and settle in because this one will have you ready for a debate!
Let's talk about age guidance
The majority of our meetups come with an age range guide. For example, 35-55, or over 50s.
I will always assign an age range on a meetup. It will either state a specific age range or state that it’s open to all ages.
The reason I do this is because it lets you guys know what to expect, or more importantly, who to expect.
Occasionally, I have someone show up who doesn’t fit into that specific age range. The questions we need to ask here are;
- Am I wrong for allowing them to book?
- Are they wrong for assuming it would be ok?
- Or should we just live and let live and not worry about it?
I’m in the live and let live category and I’m going to explain my reasons why.
Should we be more strict with age guidance a our meetups?
Before I get into it, I want to share with you why I put an age guidance in place if I’m not going to be strict with it…
Let’s be honest, when there is a specific age range attached to a social event, the chances are, the vast majority, if not all of those in attendance will fit into that range. However, now and again, someone outside of that age range will book and it’s not a mistake.
We put an age guidance in place so you know what to expect when you walk in the room. You can be confident in the fact that the majority of people attending will sit somewhere within that range. If you’re a 33 year old, it stands to reason you would want to go to a 35-55 meetup as opposed to an over 50s meetup because it’s likely that those within the same age range might have more in common with you.
Are you with me so far?
Let me ask you another question. Do you have close friendships with people who are much older or younger than you (other than family)?
I do. It’s not uncommon.
I’m pretty sure you will have too – and you’ve connected with those people for reasons other than their age.
What you need to bear in mind is that we’re all different and we want different things, and we should be able to look for that without fear of judgment.
I actually think it takes a lot of courage to attend an event with a specified age range if you are clearly much older or younger.
Why would someone want to attend a meetup outside of their age range?
Well, like I said, we are all drawn to people for different reasons.
How about this – if a 33 year old attended an event that had an age range of 35-55, would you think twice? I suspect not.
If a 75 year old attended the same event, what would your thoughts be then?
The truth is, I’ve had people as young as 33 attend a social aimed at people aged 60+ and I’ve had someone in their seventies attend an event aimed at thirty to forty year olds.
I suppose the point I’m trying to make is that I don’t feel I need to be strict with this. At the end of the day, the age guidance is just that; guidance, and if you feel comfortable enough to turn up to a social, knowing you are likely to stand out a little, then kudos to you.
But if this happens at a meetup you’re attending, please don’t judge. It’s all good. It won’t stop you from having fun and meeting some amazing people.
Live and let live.
Sign up (it’s free), book your first social, and have a lovely time – and remember the word ‘guidance’ is exactly what it says on the tin!
