In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re shining the spotlight on one female Meet-up Champion who also became one of our first Guiding Stars in 2020. Meet @Globe_trotter_Ish , a Local Guide living in London, UK, and an Inclusive Mapper. Isha has shown her passion for inclusivity by hosting a series of virtual meet-ups under the slogan #MapsForAll. Her events focus on ways to make helpful contributions for mother figures, women-led businesses, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and more.
We recently caught up with Isha to learn more about her meet-ups experience and tips. Read on to see what she shared.
What do you love about meet-ups?
I love hosting and attending meet-ups by my fellow Local Guides as it’s a chance to meet old friends, make new ones, and learn something new!
What was your first experience with meet-ups?
My first experience attending a meet-up was amazing. I learned a lot about the program, met people with similar interests, and saw how passionate other Local Guides are about the contributions they make and how much they love helping the community — just like I do!
My first meet-up hosting experience was in 2020 when I organized the Music virtual meet-up vol. 1. 45+ Local Guides came together to [virtually] visit 30 countries and hear music from 30+ music instruments. There were ten star performers, one fun quiz, and a wonderful DJ to top it all! We learned how our passions, when combined with Google Maps, can create magic. The feedback I received was great!
In 2021, you hosted a meet-up each month as part of your #MapsForAll meet-up series. Can you tell us more about it?
I started the #MapsForAll series with the plan to meet Local Guides every month to learn and exchange tips about accessibility, ways to help local businesses, and sharing inclusivity on Maps. Hosting educational and fun meet-ups was what I wished to achieve, and I’m glad I was able to successfully host 12 meet-ups, create awareness, and encourage people to make contributions [while] keeping in mind everyone in the community.
The best thing about the Local Guides program is its diversity and worldwide reach. So, choosing topics that would have a positive impact was really important. Each meet-up required a lot of planning, as there many of them I co-hosted with Local Guides across the globe. Through this series, I was able to keep my passion for accessibility and inclusivity alive and reflect the same in my contributions. I hope the series has inspired others to do so in their local communities, too!
What are your tips for hosting a virtual meet-up? What about an in-real-life meet-up?
Tips for hosting a virtual meet-up:
- Plan your meet-up thoroughly and convey the same to your co-host, if you have one.
- Make sure you have the required software and knowledge about it and sufficient internet. If not, ensure there is someone in the meet-up who can help you out if needed.
- Keep time zones in mind.
- Make sure the topic you wish to speak about is in line with your contributions on Maps.
- Make sure the Maps and Connect guidelines are followed.
For in-real-life meet-ups, my tips are:
- Follow your local government’s COVID-19 and safety guidelines.
- Make sure you plan well and carry any required equipment, like a camera and water bottle.
- Make sure you know how many Local Guides are joining you by creating a Google Form that the attendees can fill out, so you can make any necessary bookings and arrangements.
- Make sure you share the Maps pin location of the meet-up place to avoid any confusion.
Do you have a favorite meet-up you’ve attended?
There are so many meet-ups I have attended that I loved. One of my favorites was the Accessibility Uncovered webinar 12.0 with Traci as the guest speaker. I loved the energy and enthusiasm during the meet-up, plus I got to learn so much. I was inspired by Traci to be kind, passionate, and happy to help by making valuable contributions on Google Maps.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?
I love sharing quality content on Connect through my posts and meet-ups, and I love writing How-tos posts that encourage new and existing Local Guides to improve their Connect and Maps contributions. I believe that no matter where you are from, no matter who you are, and no matter how you live, you can help others on Google Maps.
Have you attended any of Isha’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.
enriching lives of everyone.
very happy for you attended your meet up they were awesome.
Most weekends, I am bringing work home which is exhausting so I use my free time to just chill and not use my brain 