It will take time and effort and will probably be a very small group for the first time. That is how NEST evolved. You may want to start with a munch( meet and greet over a meal) first. Decide what town area you want to have the gathering and post in the meetings/gatherings section. People can then PM you for the details and so you don't get raided. 😉 You may want to start a shout out thread to those in your geograhic area too. For an actual gathering you would need to check ID, have the attendees sign waivers etc. We did have our first true gathering here in Georgia, but after a couple of years of munches. Sunny and/or Sweetpiggy planned the munches and Sunny and her husband did an amazing job planning the gathering. There is a Ga Gathering follow-up thread in the Tickling Discusion section. Look in the gatherings section for more ideas, any gatherings already near you, and the best of luck to you.