{Call for Meetup Leaders} – Unofficial LocalGuidesConnect Worldwide 9th Birthday Celebration

[KashifMisidia]

Hello Local Guides,

Friends, the month of July has just begun , and do you know what makes this month special?
This month holds extraordinary significance, it marks the anniversary of a platform that has profoundly impacted our lives. Local Guides Connect , which turns 9 on July 15th, 2025, isn’t just a forum, it’s where our voices found purpose, our contributions reached millions globally, and lifelong friendships were born through shared passions and values.
But this year, the celebration is even more meaningful. 2025 marks the 20th birthday of Google Maps and the 10th anniversary of the Local Guides program. Together, these milestones make this not just a birthday month, but a year-long global celebration, a tribute to the power of community, connection, and collective impact.

It’s honestly hard to put into words how proud, emotional, and excited I feel right now. Each year, this community gets stronger, more connected, and more impactful.

Let me take you back for a moment…

In 2019, on Connect’s 3rd Birthday
I thought, we always celebrate birthdays and milestones with friends and family, right? Then why not celebrate the Connect platform that unites us in such powerful ways?

That thought gave birth to the idea of Connect Birthday Meetups, not just to celebrate, but to make these celebrations meaningful and impact-driven.

Together with my fellow Local Guide @OmerAli, we launched the first-ever global unofficial celebration in 2019 First Call for Global Meetup Leaders [Call for Meetup Leaders] – Unofficial LocalGuidesConnect Worldwide Anniversary Celebrations - Meet-ups - Local Guides Connect

Since then, we’ve kept the flame alive every year:

2019 – 3rd Birthday Mega Recap [Mega Recap] Unofficial LocalGuidesConnect Worldwide Anniversary Celebrations Meetups - Meet-ups - Local Guides Connect]

2020 – 4th Birthday Global Invitation [Call for Meetup Leaders] – Unofficial LocalGuidesConnect Worldwide 4th Anniversary Celebrations - Meet-ups - Local Guides Connect

2021 – Mega Recap of the 5th Birthday {Mega Recap 2021} Unofficial LocalGuidesConnect Worldwide Birthday Celebration Meet-Ups - Meet-ups - Local Guides Connect

2022 – 6th Birthday Meetup Drive [Call for Meetup Leaders] – Unofficial LocalGuidesConnect Worldwide 6th Birthday Celebration - Meet-ups - Local Guides Connect

2023 – 7th Birthday Celebration [Call for Meetup Leaders] – Unofficial LocalGuidesConnect Worldwide 7th Birthday Celebration - Meet-ups - Local Guides Connect

2024 – 8th Birthday Meetup Invitation [Call for Meetup Leaders] – Unofficial LocalGuidesConnect Worldwide 8th Birthday Celebration
With @JaneBurunina @TusharSuradkar @NareshDarji & @SholaIB

And now, for 2025, I’m inviting all Local Guides to be part of the 9th birthday celebration of Local Guides Connect.

What’s the Plan?

From July 1st to July 31st, 2025, you’re invited to host or join meetups anywhere in the world, virtually or in person. It can be a solo walk or a group gathering, a cleanup or a map edit, the format is open, the mission is shared.

Some suggested meetup ideas:

• Support Small Businesses

• Map-Editing Walk + Cleanup

• Tourism Photo Walk Example – Makli Necropolis

• Food Crawl Meetup Example – Karachi

• Beach Clean-up Example – Karachi

• Tree Plantation Meetup

• Virtual Meet-up

How to Submit a Meetup
Here are the steps of creating a meet-up:

1. Create an event on the site of your choosing
2. Visit the Meet-ups page on Connect And on this page you can also join any meet-up for gaining experience for your first meet-up.
3. Click “Create” and then “New Meet-up” and enter all information (including your event link if it’s virtual)
4. Find Suitable tag for your meet-up
5. Submit time and date correctly
6. Don’t forget to add a banner or photo
7. Click submit

Once your submission is approved, it will be added to A Dedicated Section for UpComing Meet-ups where you can view and search activities.

(Thanks to @mikebtw for the permission to share picture)

Courtesy: @NareshDarji

Thank you @TusharSuradkar Bhai for the picture

Event Examples:

• Accessible Pune Episode 44 – LGCB Meetup by @TusharSuradkar

• Lago Algo 8th LGCB🎉 by @LaloPadilla

• #LGCB Pakistan Virtual Meetup by @KashifMisidia

• 8 YEARS AND COUNTING – CELEBRATING 8TH ANNIVERSARY OF LOCAL GUIDES CONNECT By @indahnuria

Helpful Guides for Hosting & Recaps:

How to organize a successful meet-up
How to organize a successful meet-up by Googler

Prepare for a Meetup Submission
How to Prepare for a Meet-up Submission - Meet-ups - Local Guides Connect by @AdrianLunsong

9 Tips to Host a Successful Meetup
9 Tips to host a successful Meetup - Meet-ups - Local Guides Connect by @JanVanHaver

How to Connect with Local Guides in Your Area
How to Connect with Local Guides in Your Area - 7 Pro Tips - Google Maps tips & tricks - Local Guides Connect by @TusharSuradkar

Accessibility Walk Tips
Accessibility Walk Meet-up Tips

How to Host a productive Accessibility Walk ?

Virtual Meetup Tips
How to Host a Virtual Meet-up?

How to host a great knowledge sharing meetup?
How to host a great knowledge sharing meetup?

Connect feature spotlight: Write engaging meet-up recaps
Connect feature spotlight: Write engaging meet-up recaps @JaneBurunina

How to write a recap for your virtual meet-up
How to write a recap for your virtual meet-up by Googler

Let’s celebrate this platform and community that has given us so much. Tag your meetups with #LGCBirthday and #LGCBirthdayMeetup, and don’t forget to share your recap posts afterward.

Looking forward to seeing all of your creative and inspiring events.
Warm regards

Meet-ups for Connect’s 8th Birthday Celebrations :

India - [Hybrid] India, July 13, Sustainibility meet-up at Tukai Temple, Baner, Pune with Tree Plantation !

By @AjitThite

Sunday, July 13th , 2025

10:30 am (India Standard Time)
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India - [Virtual] July 07, Heritage Photo Walk : Celebrating LocalGuidesConnect 9th Birthday

By @Ssiddharth2000

Monday, July 7th , 2025

05:00 Pm (India Standard Time)
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India - [Virtual] India, July 05, Ghumakkad Gossip: Supporting Local Businesses ‘Dil Se Local’

By @Kumaarsantosh

Saturday, July 5th , 2025

0,7:00 Pm (India Standard Time)
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India - [Hybrid] India, July 24, Katra Market Meetup – Explore & Map with Local Guides

By @Sagarkanherkar

Thursday, July 24th , 2025

06:30 Pm (India Standard Time)
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India - [Virtual] India, July 20, Exploring Connect Tags: Best Practices and Issues

By @K.K.Sharma

Sunday, July 20th , 2025

06:00 Pm (India Standard Time)
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.
.

Mexico - [In-Person] Mexico, July 12, ¡Connect cumple 9! #LGCBirthday

By @LaloPadilla

Saturday, July 12th , 2025

01:00 Pm (Mexico Standard Time)
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Some Beautiful Moments from the Celebration Of Connect’s 5Th Birthday in 2021

Celebrating Local Guides Connect's 5th Birthday #letsguide #ConnectTurns5

Happy 5th Birthday Local Guides Connect | #LocalGuides #ConnectTurns5

[AjitThite]

I am in, @KashifMisidia bhai. I will shortly submit for a supporting small business meet-up.
This time will make it bigger!!

Cheers!

[TusharSuradkar]

Excellent coverage @KashifMisidia bhai, and happy 9th Anniversary to Connect
I will host a meetup soon in Pune.

[LaloPadilla]

TeamTacos is almost ready to celebrate another Connect Birthday I will submit a meet-up soon @KashifMisidia !

[NareshDarji]

This sounds absolutely fantastic! I’m so excited about the unofficial Local Guides Connect Worldwide 9th Birthday celebration, especially with it being the 20th birthday of Google Maps and the 10th anniversary of the Local Guides program. I’m already planning to host a meetup soon and can’t wait to be a part of this global celebration! @KashifMisidia

[K.K.Sharma]

Thank you so much @KashifMisidia bhai for continuing this beautiful tradition of celebrating the birthday of Local Guides Connect with such passion and purpose!
It’s truly inspiring to see how this global community grows stronger each year through meaningful meetups and shared memories.

As we enter this special year—celebrating the 9th Birthday of Connect, 20 years of Google Maps, and a decade of the Local Guides program—I’m thrilled to be part of this incredible journey.

Count me in! I’m already brainstorming ideas for a meetup that reflects our shared values—possibly combining Sustainability with the SDGs, maybe a heritage walk or a cleanup drive.

[muhammad_ilyas]

That’s great @KashifMisidia. Let’s take initiative to celebrate and announce a wonderful event like last year.

[Kumaarsantosh]

You always come up with a great idea to celebrate the occassion @KashifMisidia bhai.

The last one with @NareshDarji was a great hit.

I am in with this celebration and am already doing one in July on Supporting Local Businesses as Ghumakkad Gossip Meet-up episode.

[Maximilianozalazar]

@KashifMisidia maravilloso post vamos por los 9 años

[OmerAli]

This is awesome. I’m in @KashifMisidia bhai

[Laurent]

It sounds great! Let’s be patient and checking the time for all these big coming events!
I think bookmarked them as well!
Thanks @KashifMisidia for the reminds!.

[Sarbland]

@KashifMisidia bhai, that’s so amazing to collect all those golden memories and initiating another event for the year. Loved to be part of it.

[NandKK]

What a beautiful initiative @KashifMisidia ji — celebrating the 9th birthday of Local Guides Connect and the 20th of Google Maps together makes this truly historic. I am also in for this great cause, will host a meetup soon in Kolkata or any other city of Eastern part of the country.

[Jesi]

It’s awesome to have this again @KashifMisidia! I am already asking the Argentine community what day is better for them so I can send the meet

[Ssiddharth2000]

Excellent agenda to celebrate the birthday of Local Guides Connect platform. I will submit a meet-up soon on one of these topics. Thank you for sharing @KashifMisidia

[GaziSalauddinbd]

Hi
@KashifMisidia
I have been celebrating this day for the last 4/5 years under the banner of Bangladesh Local Guide.
https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t/recap-happy-7th-birthday-connect-day-tree-plantation-with-bdlg/398114

[DrFoodieOfficial]

Wonderful @KashifMisidia Bhai
Looking forward to joining hands again to celebrate and highlight this event like we did previously.
Let’s make a plan

[Zain_Ul_Abideen]

Happy Birthday to our beloved forum Connect.
This forum is very important to me because I have made many good friends here; especially @KashifMisidia bhai from my own city, Karachi. (Hope to meet you again soon bhai)
I extend my heartfelt advance congratulations on Connect’s 9th Birthday to every Local Guide, all @Connect_Moderators who always leads and guides us, and to the official Google Maps Local Guides team.
Thank you so much

[Gurukrishnapriya]

Beautiful memories @KashifMisidia , made me go back and how we celebrated these birthdays. Thanks for bringing out this birthday post. Yes will have birthday meetups and update you. Happy celebrations.