The group was started by James Norris over a year ago. (
Curious Insights) He did most of the work. I suspect a large portion of the success of the meetups is to advertise them in a variety of spots.
This is the list James gave me. (some of these places are austin specific, i specific)
a.
austin event calendar classifieds - craigslist
b.
Austin Restaurants, Dentists, Bars, Beauty Salons, Doctors
c.
Austin Events | Upcoming Events in Austin metro area - Eventful
d.
Austin, Texas, United States - Upcoming
e.
Keeping Austin Free
f.
Do512 | Austin Music, Art, Theater, Happy Hours & Fun
Beyond the advertisements, there are plenty of little things that help push the group along. Namely, James left behind all sorts of artifacts such as the vision of the group. I would suggest you email James. He has lots of experience with starting organization and would be ecstatic to give you advice.