Hi everyone! I didn’t want to end this meet-ups focused month without sharing how great meet-ups are, and trying to motivate others to join one, or even host one. Whatever you choose, I have a feeling you will have good opportunities to participate in meet-ups next month 
I also wanted to share some photos about our fun times in and around the official Connect Live 2025 event at New York 
If you are joining a group that already knows each other: don’t worry! Local Guides are very welcoming. You can expect it based on Connect’s community guidelines, and the fact that Local Guides is based on helping others 
We love when new people join the meetups and we get to meet others with this same interest, hear their stories about how they started contributing, laugh together about similar experiences like how friends and family react with annoyance to us taking photos all the time, and then sitting down to eat and laugh about how we are all doing our thing automatically as soon as the food comes:
If you are still feeling unsure about whether you’d feel comfortable attending a meet-up: feel free to bring a plus one! As long as the host knows about them - in case of reservations or other plans - there would be no problem. It usually means a future Local Guide too, after they experience the amount of fun
Just a warning: we are a bit crazy …over Google Maps!.. and in general.
If you are hosting your own in-person meet-up:
Submit your meet-up at least a week in advance, and try to share your meetup on social media. More on my post about reaching Local Guides on and off Connect. 
If there are other Local Guides hosting meet-ups near you, try to go to a meet-up of theirs first so they know you already 
, plus you can let them know about your plans to host a meet-up then and maybe get advice or confirmation that they would be available on possible dates/times.
Also, you might want to check past and future meetups in your area just to try to avoid going to someplace Local Guides are already planning to go soon, or have just gone to - that might end up with some people not going to yours.
And, since you are already researching Connect, reading recaps is also good to know how some people organize theirs, and while you are at it you can leave comments about what you thought 
That way you can already meet more people.
Do remember, that each host has their style - and that meet-ups style can change a lot too depending on the culture of the region. Here are some tips on hosting in-person meet-ups
If there’s not an active community, you can also try to get one or more friends to join you, that way you will be with them if no one else shows (which has happened to many of us at some point), and like I mentioned before, they might even join Local Guides too!
As for remote/virtual meetups: Local Guides organize them in many different ways, but here are some things you should know beforehand:
If you join a few minutes earlier it’s better: If you are a host it is also good to reserve the first few minutes to wait for people to join, but some meet-ups are on a tight schedule and just start at that time. Besides of no missing anything, the hosts appreciate it when people are already there at the start time 
Many hosts start the meet-up with some information about the structure of the meet-up - as it can be tricky to let everyone speak without interrupting others. They will usually say:
If you can just open up your mic and talk, or they explain the way it will be organized. Whatever way it is, you can speak freely in the chat.
Usually if it’s not an “open mic” it’s one of these structures:- Raise your hand to speak at any moment, and wait for the host to invite you to speak.
- Especially meet-ups with special guests or a panel, or meetups with tight schedules, there is a specific time set for people to raise their hands to talk - or just talk. This is usually near the end of the meet-up or in sections. These are “webinars”.
- As a general rule, please keep microphones off unless you are talking: so background noises don’t disturb the meet-up.
- If it’s being recorded, so you can choose to turn off your camera if you don’t want to appear in the recording.
Here are some tips on hosting virtual meet-up’s
Because of the recordings, besides of the written recaps, you could find recorded meet-ups in the recap posts themselves, or even on YouTube. There are some in the Go Loco Guides Youtube channel, and some webinars in Spanish we did touring Argentina with Street View and more.
After joining meet-ups, and entering the community, you can expect to meet like-minded people that will be there for you! - when people complain about how much they have to wait for you to take photos, and so on
No matter how far, the weather, or the type of activity, - even helping you move your couch as you can see 
- you’ll always find Local Guides there (for you!) both at the meet-ups and here in Connect, to meet and help you in any way.
Thank you for reading!
For the Local Guides that have already been to meet-ups:
- Can you tell us about your first one?
- And what’s your favorite memory of a meet-up or the favorite thing that happens in them?
Feel free to answer these questions to help motivate Local Guides who haven’t gone to one yet!
And for those Local Guides, if you have any questions, you can drop them in the comments too
Son geniales los tips!