Even Michael Skoler who leads Public Radio International’s interactive activities was surprised by the huge turnout for Ira Glass’ live version of his popular radio show, This American Life.

Wrote Gigaom’s Mathew Ingram, “More than 30,000 watched the first digital show at hundreds of theaters across the U.S. and Canada in the spring of 2008. The next year, 47,000 turned out. They came to be with other fans, experiencing something they all loved together.”

Hint: Host a road tour or gatherings where your online community members can meet face-to-face and collectively hear from their stars, their most valued members.  Unlike associations and civic clubs, many online communities haven’t provided an opportunity for in-person conversations and celebrations.

Conversely many of the traditional clubs aren’t maximizing their opportunity for members to socialize and to learn from members in other chapters – both online and in-person. As sister chapters and organizations get networked via the opportunity to see meet online and in-person, diverse ties deepen. Serendipitous friendships, breakthroughs and collaboration are more likely to happen.

What if, for example, Rotary International invited its members to create short video stories about their inspiring, first-hand experience in civic projects in their community and in other parts of the world? Next, what if Rotary, asked members to vote for their favorite video stories?

Then Rotary could host its own multi-city, simultaneous “film festival.” Invite members and their family and friends to gather locally in public auditoriums, homes and theatres to see and talk about those favorites.

Right afterwards it might host an online, vote-this-hour, People’s Choice contest so that worldwide audience could choose their Top Ten.

With Rotary’s squeaky clean, altruistic image, I’m thinking that many major companies would leap at the chance to underwrite the costs and/or provide the technical support to make this community-building dream come true.

Consider how instructive, heart-warming and member and media attracting that could be for a member-based organization with chapters.

Of course other diverse organizations with avid members, stories to tell and a strong sense of community could emulate their version of this approach.

Off the top of my head, those organizations  include the Westminister Kennel Club’s dog show, college and corporate alumnae organizations, Student Youth Tour Association in partnership with high schools, and the Cyclists’ Touring Club in the UK.

One of the smartest moves a company could make would be to launch and host an online community that becomes the most popular place for its kinds of customers to join, exchange ideas, co-create and otherwise collaborate.

To strengthen ties, understanding and value between members and between the company and members, that firm would, of course, host in-person events in formats that most serve that kind of community’s interests.  Those formats can be as varied as talent contests, mutual mentoring sessions, speed consulting, Pecha Kucha, Ignite or collectively viewing and voting on their favorite, member-created videos on the topics that brought them together.

A company-hosted online community that includes in-person events could be competition for some associations, accustomed to controlling the programs for their members, inviting “vendors” to pay to play yet often not giving them much of a say on how to participate for the greater good of members and vendors.

Have you heard of inventive ways that members of online communities are meeting in-person?

Do you belong to a club, association or other organization?  How could it bring members closer by enabling them to enjoy meeting both online and in face-to-face gatherings?

Recession coming? Perhaps the best way to keep briefed on your profession is to attend the annual conference of your peers. Yet wouldn’t you enjoy the event more if you had a greater voice in the meeting design and formats, topics and speakers, participation and networking opportunities and ways you could meet online before and stay connected afterwards?

In this podcast hear about trends and fresh ideas for meetings from respected pros who cover all kinds of meetings for MeetingsNet. Meet The Meetings Group Editorial Director, Betsy Bair and Face2Face blogger and Association Meetings Editor Sue Pelletier. They’d just returned from PCMA’s big conference in Seattle, with fresh ideas on how to “Collaborate, Communicate, Innovate.

Betsy enjoyed a Pecha Kucha session.

It takes a tenth of a second to form an impression. So imagine how difficult it is to hold their interest for five minutes.  That’s a short time for you and a looooooong time to them. For practice in being memorably brief, find or start an Ignite group.  They are popping up all over, including in my hometown of Portland where an early social media mentor of mine spoke – Adam DuVander. Baltimore, Phoenix, Philly and Seattle are hosting them too. As in Pecha Kucha gatherings you are limited to 20 slides, advancing automatically every 15 seconds.

But that’s in a meeting room where you can rely on Powerpoint.  The next stage in communicate-to-connect prowess is to start an Ignite group where slides and PowerPoint aren’t allowed. In fact, ban technology beyond a microphone, if needed.

Yes, images help, but use them to warm people up to your idea before you are with them – or to reinforce it afterwards.  Use precious face time to connect. Anyway, in most everyday situations where you want to ignite a fire under your idea, you won’t have technology on hand, except, perhaps your cell phone. Besides, the most authentic messages happen when we see you saying them  – and come to believe in both.

At your association’s annual conference imagine having two sessions each day where ten  (pre-conference sign-ups ) attendees present their message, one after the other, Ignite-style.

Add a Wisdom of the Crowds feature:  Video the sessions and post them on your association’s site or blog.  Then all members could sign in for the first month after the conference and view and vote for their top five favorites. That might provide meaty insights into what most matters to members.  Plus it’s a palpable way to motivate and honor members for their best and succinctly-presented advice.

Update: Yet if you must use PowerPoint then get Nancy Duarte’s groundbreaking book Slide:ology and turn the pages in awe at the beauty and practicality of her approach. Like presentation zen guru, Garr Reynolds I am so delighted by her approach – and her generosity in including free videos of some of the presentations in the book.

The same day I interviewed interactive games expert for families (one label for this multi-talented woman), Kris Bordessa I gathered several unsuspecting friends to play the paper clips game she described to me. Among them were a cabinet maker, psychologist and angel investor. Frankly I was surprised at who most helped their team win, who had the funniest color commentary and who froze. That game and two more we played sparked one of the most lively and open conversations I’ve had in a long time.

Kris spent several years as a volunteer parent in her local 4-H and a team manager for Destination Imagination. In DM teens and tweens are teamed up to work all school year on one “problem.” Kris was inspired by the power of highly interactive games and projects to instill in youth qualities such as trustworthiness, resourcefulness and cooperation. Her children said Destination Imagination was the best experience of their school year.

In her book Team Challenges, you can find dozens of games that take “ten minutes or less” and involve objects you usually have handy like rubberbands, pasta and toothpicks. After reading the book I can see why other adults, if they let their hair down, might step way from their computer, put down the mobile and turn off the TV to and play a few. Or try them at a conference or family reunion. Like Pecha Kucha, these activities generate fast, fun ways to learn from and with each other.

In addition to her other books, her newest fun way to collaborate, Great Medieval Projects comes out in September. Hear Kris describe the paper clips game and more in this podcast interview.

Pecha Kucha. This “equal time” meeting format is wildly popular because everyone gets a chance to share and compare in a quick and lively way. That’s why it spread around the world so quickly in the past few years. Attendees loved it yesterday when Joan Eisenstodt demonstrated the approach at PCMA’s prestigious conference of meeting professionals. “I am now a big fan” wrote MeetingsNet blogger Sue Pelletier who covered the session.

Pecha Kucha Night was originally conceived as a way for young architects and designers in Tokyo to gather and “show-and-tell” their work, leaving enough time to compare notes afterwards. Here’s how it works.

Each person who wants to talk about her or his work presents a slide show (a PowerPoint presentation). They are limited to 20 images, each slide showing for no more than 20 seconds.

Thus each presenter get six minutes and 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter pops up to present a pithy message.

Think of it as speed dating for meetings where the goal is to quickly learn a great insight from each other. This format has spread throughout the world, from Amsterdam to here in San Francisco. By the way, Pecha Kucha is Japanese for chit chat. Brevity is growing popular.

Besides using Garr Reynolds’ fabulous new book, hosting your own Pecha Kucha gathering – and avoid death by PowerPoint.