What features would make you more likely to come to local group meetings? One vote, but registered users can add comments at end

I have chosen maintenance as a good activity to try and generate more interest in the monthly meetings, I think it makes for the best 'fall back' activity should nothing else be available. I think it would be wrong to restrict ourselves to just offering maintenance. Speakers are just as valuable, if they are going to be interesting enough to draw people in, which could incorporate "Speakers from council or cycling organisations". I was caught between selecting three of the options available already.
 
The Hammersmith & Fulham group provide food and drink at their meetings, which comes out of expenses - a couple of bottles of wine, a couple of cartons of fruit juice, some French bread, cheese, and fruit is what they do. The real cost I suspect is in the time to arrange this. Incorporating this feature would add a social air to the meetings, ticking another box in the offered options.
 
The day of the meeting is also important, some effort should be made to try and prevent it clashing with meeting dates of neighbouring groups, though I appreciate this also relies on them making some effort to make sure their meetings don't clash with your's.  Would neighbouring borough group lists maintainers mind if a monthly posting was made to their lists to announce your meeting with details of any events planned. Perhaps we should canvass them to do the same on our list. I do have an active interest in four LCC borough groups, at least, and have attended meetings in most. I think of myself as uncommon in this regard, other people seem to limit themselves to just their borough.  Maybe this is because they would think of themselves as unwelcome or the meetings would be without relevance, neither I've found to be true.  Maybe it's because they have never been invited.
 
Just my 2p worth.
 
SpudULike, better known as Colin Murphy.