We'll Cover the Coffee, Pizza, and Beer for Your Local Tech Meetup
Running a grassroots tech meetup or a local community event? We're happy to pay for the food and drinks at your in-person gathering. No pitch, no booth, no speaking slot required. Just tell us about your group and we'll see what we can do.
Why We Do This
We started as a small team building automation for Google Workspace, and the people who taught us the most were admins, developers, and ops folks trading notes in rooms like yours. Local meetups are where the real problems get discussed — the migration that went sideways, the script nobody wants to own, the tool that promised too much.
Those rooms are hard to keep running. Venues cost money, food costs money, and organizers usually pay out of pocket or spend weeks chasing sponsors who want something in return. We'd rather remove that friction and let the community do what it does.
What We Cover
Food and drinks for people gathering in the same room, plus the small costs that tend to get in the way.
Coffee & Tech
Morning meetups, breakfast sessions, coffee and pastries for a Saturday workshop. Caffeine included.
Beer & Tech Talks
Evening talks where the conversation continues after the last slide. We'll cover the bar tab within an agreed limit.
Pizza & Pull Requests
Hack nights, study groups, certification prep sessions. Food that arrives in boxes and feeds a room.
Non-Alcoholic Options
Every sponsorship covers soft drinks, water, and non-alcoholic alternatives. Nobody should feel left out of the round.
Dietary Requirements
Vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free — tell us what your attendees need and we'll factor it into the budget.
Small Extras
Name badges, printing, a whiteboard marker emergency. If it's a modest cost that unblocks your event, ask.
What We Ask For in Return
Almost nothing. Here's the full list:
A mention that we sponsored the food
A slide, a verbal thank you, a line in the event description — organizer's choice.
A receipt
So our finance team can close the loop.
A rough headcount afterward
Ballpark is fine. It helps us plan how much to set aside for the next quarter.
That's the whole agreement.
Things We Won't Do
We've been on the other side of sponsor conversations, so we'll be direct about what this isn't.
- No company pitch. We won't ask for a speaking slot, a demo, or five minutes at the top of the agenda.
- No lead capture. We don't want your attendee list, your sign-up sheet, or a scan of anyone's badge.
- No content requirements. Your speakers, your topics, your agenda. We have no opinion on any of it.
- No exclusivity. Bring in other sponsors. Bring in our competitors. Genuinely fine.
- No follow-up emails to your members. Nobody gets added to a marketing list because they ate our pizza.
If someone from our team shows up, it's because they wanted to hear the talk.
Who's Eligible
We fund local, community-run tech events. Groups that tend to be a good fit:
- Google Workspace admins and Google Cloud user groups
- System administrators and IT operations communities
- DevOps, SRE, and platform engineering meetups
- Low-code, no-code, and automation communities
- Developer groups, language-specific meetups, and student tech societies
- Security, compliance, and identity management groups
Basic requirements
- The event is open to the public or to a defined community — not an internal company event
- It's free or low-cost to attend
- It's organized by community members rather than run as a commercial conference
- It's an in-person event — people in the same room
Community Sponsorship Program
Send us your details. We'll review, come back with an amount, and stay out of your way after that.
How Much
Amounts depend on group size, location, and how many events you're running. Small meetups of twenty to thirty people are usually straightforward. Larger or recurring events, tell us what you need and we'll have a conversation about it.
We'd rather sponsor twelve small meetups well than one large event loudly.
Request a Sponsorship
Tell us about your community and your next event. A member of our team reads every submission and replies either way — including when the answer is no.
Prefer to email? Reach us at [email protected] with the same details.
Let's Get Your Room Fed
Fill out the form and we'll come back to you. Worst case, we say no and you've lost two minutes.
Community Sponsorship — Frequently Asked Questions
Do you sponsor events outside the US?
Yes. We're a distributed team and we fund meetups worldwide. Payment logistics vary by country, so tell us where you are and we'll figure out the mechanics.
How far in advance should I apply?
Two to three weeks before your event is comfortable. Shorter notice is worth a try — we'll tell you quickly if we can't make it work.
Will someone from Zenphi attend?
Only if you invite us, and only as an attendee. No sponsor table, no pitch.
Do you sponsor online events?
No. This program is specifically about food and drinks for people gathering in the same room, so we only fund in-person meetups.
Can you sponsor a recurring meetup rather than a single event?
Yes. Tell us your cadence and expected attendance and we'll talk about covering a series.
What if my group isn't strictly about Google products?
That's fine. Google Workspace and Google Cloud communities are closest to what we do, so we know those rooms well, but any local tech community is welcome to apply.
Do you pay upfront or reimburse?
Usually reimbursement against a receipt, which is simplest for both sides. If paying the venue or caterer directly works better for you, say so in the form.
Can we list Zenphi as a sponsor on our site and materials?
Please do. We'll send a logo file if you want one.
What's the catch?
There isn't one. We think local tech communities are worth supporting and this is a low-friction way for us to help.