6/5/19 3:00pm ET Update: We have confirmed that all applicants who have been selected to attend have received an email. Unfortunately, some applicants who were not selected to attend did not and will not receive an email. We apologize for the inconvenience and are looking into improving the email experience for future events. If you did not receive an email, you were not selected to attend Connect Live 2019.
We have also added a list of FAQs to the bottom of this post in response to the questions we see being asked in the comments.
6/3/19 4:15pm ET Update: As of 4:15pm ET, all emails have been sent to all applicants about their status
Today, Monday, June 3rd, the thousands of Local Guides who applied for Connect Live 2019 will learn whether or not they have been selected to attend this year’s event. While not everyone will receive the email they would like, I want to thank you, on behalf of the entire team, for taking the time to submit an application.
Your lists, videos, Connect posts, community contributions, and social posts were so much fun to review. Your applications were inspiring, thoughtful, funny, and creative all in one and helped us learn more about you and what you’re passionate about sharing on Google Maps.
I’m sure everyone is curious about who has been selected and why, but trust me, every single person attending Connect Live 2019 is deserving of the honor. Whether they’ve hosted over 30 meet-ups, added 500+ places, are passionate about helping pets through their contributions, or because they’ve quickly learned the meaning of being a Local Guide and are “hooked,” they’re a Local Guide just like you and me and will do the community proud like others who previously attended the event.
Whether or not you can make it, you can continue to help shape the Local Guides program by submitting a question to be answered by Googlers at the event in the comments below. We want to make this year’s event even more accessible to more Local Guides, so please do submit your questions and thoughts below.
P.S. #localguidesconnect is the official hashtag for the event so keep an eye on the hashtag to see what the team and other Local Guides are sharing in the coming months.
Thank you to all the Local Guides who have already submitted questions for us to consider including at Connect Live 2019. Over the coming days and months, we’re collecting the information you share on this thread and will keep you posted about how to get those answers as well as to follow along with the event.
As this thread has become quite long, we wanted to post a few of the frequently asked questions for ease of reference:
Why wasn’t I selected?
We had thousands of applicants representing 185 countries and there was something special about every applicant. Narrowing applications down from thousands to only 200 was a very difficult process. Due to the volume of applications, we cannot provide every applicant with feedback on their application.
How can I get involved even if I’m not attending?
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating those who were chosen to attend and get involved by submitting a session question right here on this thread.
What was the criteria?
Attendees were selected based on a variety of criteria which was shared on the event site and here on Connect.
Why are there only 200 spots for thousands of applicants?
Connect Live, previously the Summit, is only in its fourth year. The 2019 event is hosting more attendees than ever before. We recognize that many Local Guides wish to attend this event, however, we think this is a perfect number of Local Guides for this year’s event so that everyone has a great experience.
Did you pick any Level 5 Local Guides?
Yes. We also chose Level 6, Level 7, Level 8, Level 9, and Level 10 Local Guides too.
Will you publish a list of all Local Guides selected?
No. We will not publish a list of those who have been selected to attend Connect Live 2019 because we respect everyone’s privacy and some may not wish to share at this point, especially as arrangements have not yet been finalized. Selected attendees have been encouraged to share if they’d like to and will soon have a badge on Connect that will designate them as attending Connect Live 2019.
Did a Local Guide from my country get selected?
We will not share additional information about attendees beyond what it shared in this post at this time. We did not reserve space at Connect Live for specific countries, but rather considered every applicant based on the complete application they submitted.
Why did someone who attended a past event get selected to attend again?
Most of those selected to attend this year’s event have not attended a past annual event. Only those who met our criteria and continued to consistently contribute on Google Maps and the Local Guides community in some way were selected to join us again.
I applied, but didn’t receive a rejection or acceptance email. Why?
We have confirmed that all applicants who have been selected to attend have received an email. Unfortunately, some applicants who were not selected to attend did not and will not receive an email. We apologize for the inconvenience and are looking into improving the email experience for future events. If you did not receive an email, you were not selected to attend Connect Live 2019.
Is there any chance I can still attend?
If a selected attendee is unable to attend for any reason, another highly-qualified applicant will be selected to attend. That list has already been determined and will remain private.
Can I pay to attend on my own?
No. Only Local Guides selected to attend Connect Live 2019 may attend the event.
How can I prepare a better application in the future?
The criteria for this year’s event may change in the future, but contributing on Google Maps and in the Local Guides community (like by hosting meet-ups, connecting with others on Connect, or being an advocate in your local area) in a consistent way is always a good idea. We recommend visiting the Help Desk to read helpful articles from the team as well as our Help Center to read our Community policy.
Thank you for celebrating the contributions of your fellow Local Guides who will represent all of you at Connect Live this year. Our team looks forward to continuing to get to know you more and more in the coming year, whether or not you attend the event, through your great posts on Connect. 
, Bukavu city