AA meetings are held in a wide variety of locations. Rooms are rented from churches, schools and community organizations. Treatment centers often give free space. In most cities, AA members, separate from AA itself, band together to establish ”clubhouses“; storefronts or houses used exclusively for Twelve Step meetings and socialization by groupers.

The membership of different groups varies widely. The most readily observable differences are social and economic status and age. In wealthier neighborhoods, of course, the membership is wealthier, in poor neighborhoods, poorer. There are also many exclusive meetings in private homes where an invitation is necessary and “undesirables,” however they may be defined, are not invited.

The size of the meetings also varies tremendously, from perhaps half a dozen groupers to hundreds. The larger and more prestigious meetings consistently have speakers with twenty or more years of Time. In Los Angeles, celebrities also lend prestige and the amount of Time they have is of less importance than their celebrity status.

A more prestigious meeting tends to take on the atmosphere of a great crusade. Members of the cheerful crowd greet each other with hugs and pleasantries, exchange bits of gossip about other members, discuss other meetings and share anticipation of the speaker's message. In keeping with the traditions of the Oxford Group, everyone is on a first name basis. Larger meetings normally have one or two speakers who give their “pitch.” Sometimes, one speaker meetings open the floor to questions on the Program for the speaker who, having Time, acts as authority.