Membership
Two membership layers, two kinds of access
You start with Circle, the online layer of MeetUp Business Club, and go on to the Club, the members' lounge in Istanbul. Each step tells you which services are open to you.
How admission works
Membership opens by invitation and admission, not by signing up
A network is worth exactly what the people inside it are worth — which is why there is no self-serve signup on this site, and nobody joins Circle on their own. Three doors lead in, and each one starts with a real introduction; below is which of them sits closest to you.
An invitation from a member
Every Circle and Club member holds an invite quota and can send you a link. Accept it and your account opens, so you already know someone here on day one.
Through our events
Registration for open events is free to everyone. If we get to know each other there, reception and management can upgrade your event account to a Club account.
A board vote for the Club
Istanbul Club membership opens on a board decision with at least two voters. Their names stay out of it and you see the outcome — short and clear.
What you can do right now
A request goes into a review queue rather than straight into membership, and sending one commits you to nothing. Contact details are shared only once both sides agree.
Tiers and fees
What each tier costs
Everyone is a club member; the tier is what differs. Each row shows how you reach that tier and what it costs.
Club member — invited, free
No separate application — through an event or an invitation
Free
Event account
No separate application — through an event or an invitation
Free
Club member — Circle
No separate application — through an event or an invitation
$20a month
Club member — Silver
By a member's endorsement and a conversation
$1,000a year
Club member — Gold
By a member's endorsement and a conversation
$5,000a year
Board
By invitation only
Not sold
Membership is approved first and payment opens after, so the team walks you through the details before anything is paid.
Istanbul lounge access
Silver and Gold include lounge access. Membership grants annual credits: one credit is one hour in the lounge.
Silver
$6.67 per credit
150 creditsa year
Gold
$5.56 per credit
900 creditsa year
One membership path, two ways to take part
Circle is the online layer of MeetUp Business Club. The Club adds the lounge and the services that are open only to its members. Here is what each includes today.
Circle
Online membership — where your network takes shape
Data and dossiers
Your exhibition dossier
The companies at the exhibitions you attended, with their lines of business.
Network
Specialist circles
Join industry and regional circles, and get invited to their events.
Open events
Access to open events and registration before public announcement.
In-platform chat with automatic translation
You write in your language; the other side reads in theirs.
Club
Istanbul Club membership — closed sessions and curated introductions
Lounge and space
Istanbul lounge access
Entry with your membership card, and meeting rooms for business meetings.
Meeting and event interpreterArranged by the team
An interpreter in any language for in-person meetings and events, arranged in advance.
Sessions
Closed sessions
Specialist roundtables and working dinners, for Club members only.
Introductions and matchmaking
Curated introductions
The team finds the right counterpart for what you need and offer, and arranges the meeting.
Specialist advisors
Expert advice when a decision matters
Working in a new market raises questions a network alone cannot answer. MeetUp Business Club advisors cover the three areas that come up most.
Who can use them
Club members
Included in membership
Everyone else
Available for a separate fee
How to join
Membership opens by invitation and admission, not by signing up. If a member knows you, ask them for an invitation; if not, meet us at one of the open events and the introduction starts there.
No invite code? Three ways in
All three start from a real introduction. Pick the one closest to you.
Come to an open session
Open sessions are free for guests. After the session, membership invitations go to the participants it fits.
Upcoming sessionsVisit the lounge
Book a visit, see the space and meet the team.
Request a visitBe referred by a member
If you know a member, ask them to refer you. Referrals are made from inside the member panel.