1. You need a logo/branding. The header looks like a stock WP template.
2. The footer is good.
3. The main content area needs work. I'd remove the social stuff from there, you already have it in your footer.
4. Where is your call to action? Those two categories in your main content area should be large buttons with a bgcolor that makes them pop a bit.
5. It's a tough sell for me with Meetup.com, I'd start doing some active promotion on there by signing up for tech groups or emailing the leaders to see if they would be interested in listing themselves on your site (or you do it for them).
6. You already know my general location (guestimate), so show me example meetups straight from your main page and list my location. Urge me to change. You already got me on your site, sell me. Don't make me click through another page, I already lost interest. I want to see value add when I hit your page. I want to know you have content pertinent to me.
But the social links on category and category/city pages are unique to the category/city being viewed, whereas the ones in the footer are unchanging, always pointing to the site root.
Does that change your mind on removing them from the sidebar?
4. Done
5. Not sure what you mean by "It's a tough sell for me with Meetup.com", but there are already 7000 groups and 7500 events on my site. I pull daily from meetup and icals, but the whole point of the site is that it's all of the groups, not just those on meetup.com
I've also published upcoming events to 72 (and counting) categorized/localized Twitter accounts
He's a really nice guy and he just did a logo for me (as part of a work swap we arranged on weekendhacker.net) and I was very happy with the result. He might do you a good deal if you mention Charlie recommended him to you.
2. The footer is good.
3. The main content area needs work. I'd remove the social stuff from there, you already have it in your footer.
4. Where is your call to action? Those two categories in your main content area should be large buttons with a bgcolor that makes them pop a bit.
5. It's a tough sell for me with Meetup.com, I'd start doing some active promotion on there by signing up for tech groups or emailing the leaders to see if they would be interested in listing themselves on your site (or you do it for them).
6. You already know my general location (guestimate), so show me example meetups straight from your main page and list my location. Urge me to change. You already got me on your site, sell me. Don't make me click through another page, I already lost interest. I want to see value add when I hit your page. I want to know you have content pertinent to me.