When we started the Magic City Pipe Club, we worked with The Briary, so that we would have a place and someone who could get us speakers in the industry. Our first few meetings were run by some younger folks, that I remember were basically just them wanting to set around and list rules for pipe smoking: never get your pipe wet, never remove a hot stem, blah blah blah, bullshit. After two meetings, all that was left were us older members, the gray beards. They elected me the President, for some weird reason.
I worked with Skip, the owner of The Briary to get people who showed up for meeting a discount for Pipe Club nights, I think it was 15%. Then we got Mike, his Lane Sales rep to come bring us samples and we did a blending night. Then we got a few Pipemakers to come talk and peddle their pipes. We had Music City come talk about Dunhills. The Briarworks folks came one night. We had Erik Stokkebye come and talk about blending. Nording, Ian Walker, and a whole bunch of other pipemakers. With the Italians, I could barely say their names, much less remember them.
We spent a year meeting up at other cigar shops and restaurants that allow smoking to give Skip a break from us keeping him up late.
Then, we realigned ourselves with The Briary when Skip hired a manager for the store. I got burned out on being the president though. So, I just threw it all on a younger member and left about a year before covid hit. They haven't gotten the club back up yet, but I am weighing whether I want to get involved again. I loved it, and I especially enjoyed getting to meet folks in the industry, but after a while it's like... meh... another pipemaker, or another blender... the pixie dust just isn't there anymore.
A club is whatever you want to make of it. I think that after all of those nights with people in the industry, some of my favorite meetings were just conversations were just setting at a table outside at a restaurant talking shit with my friends. We fluxed between 12 showing up to nights where we had over 100, with people having to stand up all night.
I would suggest just getting people to show up at first. Low key, no real plans, just let everyone get to know everyone, access what talents you can gather in a room. If anyone does websites, ask them about setting up a simple webpage or FB acct for the club. If anyone is a photographer, ask them to take pics. If anyone likes to write, get them to do a blurb for each meeting. Or, whatever you want.
If the tobacco shop can call his reps or distributor folks, they can get you a start on getting speakers in. The one thing people in the industry want is to drum, up more business. Then after each speaker, ask them if they know someone else that might could come and talk to you guys. It's a chain reaction. Everyone in the industry knows someone else. Pull strings. Set the dominos up. Or, just keep it laid back. Be as small or big as you want. Like I said, some of my favorite nights were where I didn't have to do anything, except just show up and talk with friends.