Did you know that the first Event Cache (GC389) was held in Texas in March of 2001? Since then, thousands of events have been hosted around the world by geocachers like you.

The purpose of a Geocaching Event Cache is simple: to bring geocachers together! Whether you’re planning a small gathering at a coffee shop or a Cache In Trash Out® (CITO) at a local park, events are a great way to connect with other geocachers and build community.

Hosting your first event is an exciting milestone—but where do you begin? We asked geocachers to share their advice for new event hosts.

Here’s what they had to say:

“If you host it, they will come – and talk about geocaching.” – GeoElmo6000

“Have a look at, and attend other Events to see how they are organized. Organization and planning are the key.” – eastriver

“I’ve hosted over 100 events. I’ve done as early as 7 a.m. events to as late as 9-10 pm. Different areas and times get a different demographic. I host when works for me. Don’t take it to heart if you get people complaining about the location/time. You can’t please everyone and you can tell them you’d be thrilled to attend the event they host!” – buggirl1975

“I love hosting Events. We do a monthly event at a different brewery. I’ve done trivia, jigsaw puzzles, clue games, and a cribbage tournament. Our new upcoming event is a TOTT event. Make it fun. Think outside of the box.” – Marie

“I’ve arranged both relaxed social gathering and events with education. Both types are fun. Try to do what you think is interesting.” – J S-B

“Give a warm welcome to newbies! Most events are visited by veteran or experienced cachers. Pay attention to the new cachers and introduce them to the community” – Geocaching in the Netherlands

“You can never go wrong hosting an event at a family friendly local brewery.” – JD

“If you have Geocaching-related ‘Door Prizes’, they will come and LOVE it! A game or 2 helps – and as an ice-breaker a round where everyone introduces themselves by Geocaching-nic, where they are from, and a Geocaching-related Fun Fact about themselves.” – Jim

What did we forget? Add your suggestions and tips on hosting geocaching events in the comments below!