Hello Local Guides!
What an unforgettable year 2025 has been for our community!
We celebrated two massive milestones: the 20th anniversary of Google Maps and the 10th anniversary of the Local Guides program. It was a year filled with celebrations, and thanks to all of you, Connect truly brought the party to life. From the monthly themes and the amazing community-created logos to the local meet-ups that spanned the globe, and finally, the exciting scavenger hunt that is carrying us right to the end of the year—it’s been non-stop!
We also saw three incredible global events organized by Google in New York, Tokyo, and Bangalore, where Local Guides had the chance to connect directly with the teams behind Google Maps and Connect.
My year as a Local Guide has been truly special. How was yours?
My 2025 Highlights as a Local Guide
There were so many intense moments this year that it’s hard to pick just a few, but I’ve selected four that really defined my 2025:
- April – Earth Day: Google dedicated the monthly newsletter to Earth Day, and I was honored to see my initiatives featured! My challenge, #LocalGuidesCleanTheWorld, celebrated its 7th anniversary.
- May – Connect Live 2025, NYC: This was an incredible opportunity to learn directly from Google and reconnect with friends. Meeting people I’ve known for years—and some I had only ever met on Connect—was magical. A few special mentions:
- The “Three Musketeers” (myself, @KarenVChin , and @FaridTDF ) reunited in NYC!
- Spending a fantastic afternoon with @sashabg77 , Google Maps’ accessibility lead.
- Meeting @CorrieD , a member of the original team that created Connect back in 2016.
- Finally meeting @Erna_LaBeau (from Michigan) in person after years of collaborating online!
- June – Euromeetup in Lucca, Italy: A huge thank you to @LuigiZ for organizing such a great event in my home country (Recap here). I was surprised and happy to see many of the friends from the NYC event there, including several Connect Team members who joined us simply as “Local Guides.”
- December – The Virtual Year-End Party: To wrap up this fantastic year, Karen and I hosted a virtual party where guests shared their 2025 highlights. It was the perfect way to close the chapter (Recap here).
For those who couldn’t attend, here’s the full video recorded by @AdrianLunsong (thank you so much Adrian)
https://www.youtube.com/live/a5x7cj6R6gg?si=zUeyEXxRGQOtvrek
Looking Forward to 2026
While the bar was set very high in 2025, I believe 2026 is going to be even more incredible.
On July 15, 2026, we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of our community: Local Guides Connect. I’m already imagining some truly spectacular celebrations (and yes, some of us are already hard at work on them!).
Here’s what we know so far:
- Connect Live 2026 is returning to three different locations worldwide! If you haven’t seen the official post, check it out here. Note: The deadline to express interest is Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
- I expect a year full of community-driven events, logos, and meet-ups.
- I’m excited to welcome the new Local Guides who will join us. To me, this community is our Global Village—a place where everyone feels at home, regardless of where they come from, what language they speak, or the color of their skin.
In 2026, I believe all local communities will play a fundamental role. If 2025 ended with a “Community Spotlight,” then 2026 should be the year where local groups truly take center stage.
How do you imagine Connect in 2026? And if you have specific goals you want to achieve, don’t forget to share them in @TerryPG 's post here.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and exciting 2026!
Ermes
