Meet our new Meet-up Champion, @FalguniP ! She lives in Mumbai, India, and you probably know her best for her insightful meet-ups on supporting small businesses and her love for food. We talked to FalguniP about what she’s learned through her experience of hosting meet-ups, so read on to find some great pieces of advice.
What do you love about meet-ups?
Meet-ups are a great way to connect with Local Guides from around the world. It’s fun to meet people who are as passionate about making an impact through their contributions as I am.
The virtual meet-ups brought the world closer. We can enjoy a virtual tour, learn more about accessibility and photography, take quizzes, and celebrate friendships from our homes.
What was the most memorable recent meet-up that you hosted or attended?
The most recent meet-ups that I attended were the #WorldChallenge ones, which were really interesting, and the special meet-ups for Connect’s birthday, where everyone celebrated with enthusiasm.
If you were to host your first meet-up now, what advice would you give yourself?
I recall my first meet-up from January 2020. [I was] very excited and nervous to meet so many new people, but it helped me to learn more about our wonderful community.
If I were to host my first meet-up now, I would advise myself to:
- Get in touch with [other] Local Guides, and ask them to help me with the process or be a co-host.
- Pick a meet-up topic that’s interesting and focuses on learning through fun.
- Submit the meet-up a week or ten days in advance, and communicate with the attendees so that more Local Guides can be a part of it.
As a Local Business Champion, you’ve organized a lot of meet-ups that focus on supporting businesses. What are the three most important things you’ve learned from these meet-ups?
- In my first virtual meet-up, attendees shared how they supported local businesses and how that helped the businesses. By listening to their stories, I learned more ways to [show] support. I started a series of meet-ups focused on adding small businesses on Google Maps, writing helpful reviews, showing love in different ways, and more.
- I learned that going to places as a group makes it easier to explain to business owners the benefits of adding their business on the map and how reviews, photos, and timely updates [can] help them grow and get recognized.
- During my first meet-up, I was nervous as I didn’t know much, and I was very new to the community. But I learned [that a] meet-up is not just about the host; everyone who is a part of it makes it a success. People share their views, and we get to learn more from them. Some are good at photography and share great photography tips, some write detailed reviews, and some like to edit the map.
What are your key tips for hosting a virtual meet-up?
- Keep in mind the time zone as attendees join from different countries. Selecting a standard time where a maximum [number of] Local Guides can participate would be ideal.
- Create a Google form, Meet links, and calendar invites so the attendees can join easily.
- To make the meet-up more interesting, add a quiz or a questions and answers session.
- Have a backup and accept help from fellow Local Guides, or use extra devices in case you need them.
- Above all, have fun and be open to learning new things.
What about your tips for in-real-life meet-ups?
- It’s crucial to select the location in advance and add the Maps link to the meet-up invite.
- Timely updates and communication are the most important.
- As a host, it’s better to [be at the location] 15-20 mins prior to the meet-up starting time.
- In the current situation, it’s important to find safe places to host a meet-up.
How do you prepare for a meet-up? Do you get in touch with the attendees, create a presentation or a Google Maps list, contact the restaurant you wish to visit, etc.?
The very first thing I do is select a topic that encourages knowledge sharing and quality contributions while having a good time.
I get in touch with the attendees—it’s easy to contact them using Connect’s private messaging system and social media. I also prepare a presentation to list key points to explain during the meet-up.
Usually [with in-real-life meet-ups], I select a single place, so adding just a Maps link [to the invitation] helps. In the future, I want to conduct some meet-ups in different locations. I would love to create a list of places to explore together with other Local Guides.
Communicating with restaurants to check availability and makе reservations makes it easier to accommodate a group. Additionally, I print out Local Guides stickers and give them to participants because we love to take pictures and proudly show them off.
What do you think a good recap post should include?
A good recap should describe the meet-up experience. Talk about the attendees and mention memorable moments to add more insight. Highlight the topic discussed and what everyone shared. If it was an interactive meet-up, add the questions and answers to help others learn. Include photos, videos, and Google Maps/contribution links to give a wider picture of the meet-up.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?
I’m a big foodie, and I like to explore new places to eat. That’s a great way to support local restaurants as I like to update information and add reviews and photos on Google Maps. I have made many lists recommending places to dine-in, and many of my friends find them helpful. I’m looking forward to conducting food crawls with fellow Local Guides.
Have you attended any of FalguniP’s meet-ups? Do you have a question for her? Let us know in the comments below.
Want to see who else is a Meet-up Champion? Read our previous post here.
.
. Woohoo! Keep going with your activities and keep inspiring us.