So you've heard about the monthly HUG meetings in your city.

You know they are about marketing something-or-other. Or perhaps your company or client just started using HubSpot.

So what does a Hubspot User Group (HUG) meeting entail? And do you need to be a HubSpot member to attend?

Why Attend a HubSpot User Group Meeting?

Every month, marketing professionals around central Ohio and the Columbus area come to the capital city to meet with like-minded inbound marketers at a HubSpot User Group, or HUG, meeting.

We announced back in January the creation of a Columbus HUG. But in case you missed that post or just heard about HubSpot, let's talk about why HUG meetings are invaluable to your marketing and networking know-how.

In a recent post we went through the many features of HubSpot, which is basically an all-in-one marketing program that streamlines its many functions into one easy-to-manage hub.

You do NOT need to be a member of HubSpot to attend a meeting. Anyone with an interest in inbound marketing, HubSpot, or the monthly topic of the meeting is encouraged to attend.

According to Hubspot, there are many reasons to create a group:

HUGs are a valuable and educational resource for HubSpot customers to learn about inbound marketing and HubSpot software best practices. HUG members get to share their success stories, partake in discussions, and network with other HubSpot customers to build a strong HubSpot community in their local city.

If you just became a user of HubSpot and are still learning everything, these meetings are of particular value in furthering your education.

But even if you have just learned about the wonderful wide world of inbound marketing, these meetings cover many aspects, as HubSpot firmly believes in the inbound methodology in today's digital marketing enviroment.

At NR Media Group, our agency has gone through all the required training to become a Certified Hubspot Partner and we are also users of the system. We always look forward to planning HUG meetings every month, and

If you are not located in Columbus or central Ohio, here is a list of local Hubspot user groups from around the world.

Features of a Hubspot User Group Meeting

Some of the topics that have been covered and explored in past Columbus HUG meetings include: building personas, workflow, the inbound sales process, and inbound marketing for non-HubSpot users.

A typical meeting for the Columbus HUG starts off with some mellow music playing in the background while people arrive, sign in, and say hello. It is great to see all the returning members, as well as get to know the newbies. You are encouraged to bring co-workers, clients, or anyone who is interested to see what HUG is all about.

Lunch is always provided, from either a popular place such as Chipotle, or a local Columbus favorite.

After some quality food and mingling time, the presentation segment of the meeting begins, where educational information is presented and shared. Afterwards, there is always a question and answer session for lively debate and follow-up.

More Resources:

For further questions, including how to set up your own HUG if your city does not have one, go here.

Look out for our post on the next Columbus HUG meeting in June-we have something extra special planned, so check out our Facebook group!

Here is a quick video highlight reel from our first meeting.

Let us know if you have any interest or questions about attending a HUG meeting!