2020 was an unexpected year. While we didn’t travel as much as we might have wanted to, we discovered something else close to home: the power of our community. Most of our explorations and interactions happened online, and our Connect Moderators were some of those Local Guides who seized the opportunity to connect through virtual meet-ups.
Here’s a recap of the enriching 2020 virtual series, workshops, and campaigns that Connect Moderators hosted. We want to say thank you for your dedication and doing what you do best—leading by example!
All about community
One of the first to start hosting virtual meet-ups was @KarenVChin , who did the Show & Tell series. We learned about thepets and plants Local Guides take care of; the wine, cheese, and ice-cream flavors they like; how they take their coffee and tea; and what it means to be a parent during a pandemic. Karen also organized a series of educational talks about the Clean the World campaign with @ermest as well as Google My Business, Google Maps lists, and Local Guides on social media with @Kwiksatik. The last event spanned over a weekend and had separate hosts for different regions, some of whom were @Jesi , @PennyChristie, @SoniaK, and @JaneBurunina .
@AlexandreCampbell , together with Local Guides @SarahKa and @RogerOhayashi, focused on bringing together the Portuguese-speaking community through monthly meet-ups. Each time, they greeted newcomers, talked about current program news, and initiated various challenges on Connect, like reviewing a delivery on Maps.
Another meet-up series dedicated to supporting local communities was @EmekaUlor ’sAfrican Virtual Meet-up (AVM) Series. Hosts from six African countries joined him, including @Sagir who shared a virtual tour of Nigeria. Those events discussed Local Guides’ contributions and challenges and brought different cultures together through great presentations.
Probably the biggest community-led event of last year was @AdrianLunsong ’sCommunity Live 2020. With over 25 hosts from among Connect Moderators and Local Guides, unconditional support from everyone, and 16 sessions over one weekend, Community Live moved us all. And we can’t forget about the entertaining Quiz Connect with which Adrian kicked off his virtual events!
Last but not least, @KashifMisidia sparked worldwideConnect anniversary celebrations where hosts from 12 countries organized over 15 meet-ups that celebrated Connect, the Local Guides community, and diversity.
Sharing knowledge
Local Guides appreciated @PaulPavlinovich ’svirtual photo workshop series. The ten meet-ups garnered a lot of interest and participation and concluded with a fantastic graduation exhibition. The whole experience inspired a brand new YouTube channel, where Paul shares his photography tutorials.
Accessibility on focus
While the world stayed at home, @Kashifmisidia and @JaneBurunina took the opportunity to educate Local Guides on the importance of accessibility and the ease with which it can be incorporated into our contributions. It all started with two global sessions that attracted many accessibility advocates and quickly turned into a series of region- and country-centered meet-ups. Those meet-ups explored the local context and talked about accessibility in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Latin America, Brazil, and Bangladesh.
In line with his continuous efforts, the founder of the One Accessibility project @EmekaUlor initiated yet another Worldwide Accessibility Walk. In addition to the special webinar he hosted, he was joined by Local Guides both online and offline, who organized accessibility events in their communities.
Food, food, food
As a true foodie, @Velvel did a series of four Virtual Foodie Talks. She got Local Guides to share thedish they missed the most during quarantine, recommend local eateries, discuss tea and coffee, and celebrate their food contributions on Maps. In the meantime, we drooled in front of our monitors every time her recaps came up!
Virtual country and culture tours
2020 was undoubtedly the year of virtual tours, and thanks to #TeamArgentina, we experienced this South American country better than ever before. @Jesi, @FaridMonti, @CeciliaRatto, and the rest of the team organized five meet-ups under the name Recorriendo Argentina. We visited different parts of Argentina, explored the local cuisine, traditions, and more. Not to mention the wealth of posts about the Argentinian culture we saw on Connect.
Local Guides from the US also brought us the richness of the states in a virtual series that is still ongoing! @Kwiksatik and @Denise_Barlock started the #StateChallenge, which has already tested the trivia knowledge of Local Guides about 14 states and two big celebrations, Halloween and July 4. We can’t wait to learn more fun facts through the participants’ posts!
Once again, thank you to all who hosted and took part in these wonderful events. Did you take part in any of them? Which one was your favorite?
congrats to all of them. 
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