Weekly Wonder: Co-Hosting Events with Other Communities

[#1]

Hi CUG Leaders!

Your community does not have to build every event alone. Co-hosting with internal communities such as Women in Tech, employee resource groups (ERGs), and company-approved external business communities, can create richer experiences, introduce members to new perspectives, and make your CUG a more connected partner across the company.

These collaborations also show that CUGs can support teams beyond the most obvious teamwork value, including helping with belonging, professional growth, inclusion, knowledge sharing, and broader business priorities.

When you share your audience, expertise, and organizing energy, you make it easier for internal groups to reach their goals while creating meaningful opportunities for your own members. Here are five practical tips for co-hosting events that benefit everyone involved.

---

1. Find a shared purpose

Start by looking for an outcome that matters to both communities. A CUG and Women in Tech group might co-host a panel on building technical confidence, while a CUG and an ERG could explore inclusive collaboration, career development, or how technology can advance the group’s mission. The topic does not need to be identical to either community’s usual programming; it needs to create a credible bridge between their interests.

Agree on the purpose before planning the format. Are you trying to create connections, share practical skills, increase visibility for an internal community, or support a business priority? A clear shared purpose helps both teams make better decisions and gives attendees a reason to participate beyond simply adding another meeting to their calendar.

2. Choose partners thoughtfully

Consider communities whose members, knowledge, or goals complement those of your CUG. Look beyond the most visible groups: professional networks, regional communities, accessibility groups, early-career networks, sustainability communities, and teams focused on customer, security, or operational priorities may all have valuable perspectives to bring.

Make the invitation specific and reciprocal. Explain what your CUG can contribute - e.g. technical context, speakers, facilitation, promotion, or a ready-made audience - and ask what the partner community hopes to gain. Treat the relationship as an opportunity to strengthen that community, not just as a way to borrow its reach.

3. Design an experience where every community has a role

Build the agenda together so the event does not feel like one group’s program with another group’s logo attached. Share ownership of the opening, moderation, speakers, activities, and closing. A panel, skills exchange, fireside chat, hands-on workshop, or cross-community roundtable can all work well when each partner’s perspective is visible.

Design for multiple ways to participate. Include structured prompts, small-group discussion, anonymous questions, and accessible materials so attendees with different backgrounds and communication styles can contribute. When the experience is welcoming to people who are new to both communities, the event can grow the wider network rather than simply serving existing regulars.

4. Share the work, promotion, and credit

Co-hosting is strongest when responsibilities are visible and balanced. Create a simple plan for logistics, registration, communications, speaker support, accessibility, facilitation, and follow-up. Assign owners from each community and agree on decisions such as the audience, event size, timing, and whether the session will be recorded.

Promote the event through every partner’s channels and recognize everyone who made it possible. Shared credit builds trust and makes future collaboration easier. It also helps leaders see that CUGs can be a practical internal resource for connecting expertise, amplifying important initiatives, and supporting teams that may not have event capacity of their own.

5. Turn one event into an ongoing community connection

Use the event as a starting point for continued exchange. Invite attendees to join the relevant communities, offer a follow-up discussion, create a shared resource list, or identify a small project that members can advance together. Capture questions and themes that could inform future programming for both groups.

Afterward, review more than attendance numbers. Ask whether participants made useful connections, learned something applicable, and felt that each community was represented well. Share the results with your partner and decide what to repeat, improve, or co-create next. Over time, a series of thoughtful collaborations can help the CUG community foster durable networks that support inclusion, development, belonging, and business outcomes.

---

Co-hosting events with other communities helps CUGs expand their impact while making programming more relevant and inclusive. The best partnerships are built around a shared purpose, balanced ownership, and an experience that gives every community room to contribute. They demonstrate that a CUG can support far more than direct teamwork: it can help people connect, grow, feel included, and participate in priorities that matter across the company.

For your next event, choose one internal community whose goals intersect with your members’ interests and start with a small, specific idea. Plan it together, make the value mutual, and follow up on the connections you create. A successful co-hosted event is not only a great gathering - it is a practical way for your CUG to help other communities thrive.

---

Public Resources You Can Share with Your Group

• Atlassian Learning – Free Training & Tutorials 

  • Short, product-focused courses that can serve as inspiration for your series topics or pre-work for attendees.

• Work Life by Atlassian – Teamwork & Collaboration Articles 

  • Practical articles on team rituals, facilitation, and collaboration that can inform how you structure your recurring sessions.

• Atlassian Team Playbook 

  • Ready-to-use plays for running retrospectives, health monitors, and other team activities that make excellent recurring series formats.