I’m working for a retail and importing Petroleum Company in Lao PDR and my duty was involving with a committee to approving where our new petrol station will be at. I’ve been travelling throughout the country (Laos) to mark the site or area on the roads that we’ll propose to construct our petrol stations, last time all our works were on offline “PAPER MAPS” we were marking points and planning where our new petrol station will be at to constructing, traffic data statistics of that specific road or area to determine our investment, profitability and distancing between our competitor or exiting one which difficult to importing the accurate or correct data to analysis!!!
When Google Maps launched the Local Guides Program which beginning of 2015 (if I’m not mistaken) but I found out in middle of 2016!!! It was so great that even I myself or others can add/update places and it’s appearing in Maps… From there by now it’s easier to find places, navigate and meeting point, our contractor can easily determine the landscape at the construction site easily just from smart phone, marketing team can see whether that site is nearby communities for targeting of selling and promotion… and Maps is one of the location that we’ve use to sharing to committee to consider approval of each of our new petrol station.
Now a days, I’ve added the petrol stations (of course not only under my company, but also other petrol stations) and other interesting places information into maps whenever I’m traveling… I hope that by doing this will make easy for travelers who can estimate and find the nearest petrol stations, restaurants and other services that they’re searching for. I’m personally really proud of these contributions and wish I had more time to put in.
For years, I’ve been involved in the Local Guides Program until now and to be clear, points doesn’t mean much to me but the real reason is to leave information as much as lasting impact to the travelers. I’m contributing to Maps through photos, reviews, edits, adding roads, etc. I know that this will be beneficial to the local businesses and useful data for others. I try to keep updating areas that I have been to in the Map up to date by adding new places, photos, information, moving and removing places where they’ve closed down.
The fun fact I am one of the prior person that my friends will ask about the places or navigation because they know that I’m sparing my time on Maps whenever I’m free. When among of our group of friends hanging out or catching up we always read the reviews of the place first, know what’s the place is about from the existing posts others have reviewed and rating then we decide on the place to go… If there’s a new place, I add them to Maps quickly.
I was more excited on Local Guide Program when an email notification to apply for Google Local Guide Summit 2017! That time I was in level 6 and didn’t know much about the program event connect.com so I just ask among friends who was working in tech company that I should apply to and they told me I must apply even if the application will be a success or not… So I did submit without the knowledge of what the cores and value of Local Guides program is for and I didn’t get selected to join the event. But it didn’t make me feel bad… I keep contributing as usual, when connect live 2018 was announced and I got an email invited to apply to join the event. I applied again and was surprised that I was one of the 160 local guides around the globe that have been selected and privileged to enjoy learning from Googlers and other top local guides who attended.
After Connect Live 2018 it has opened my challenging and positive impact in ways on the Maps data to the local business and travelers. I have been learning and updating information more from the connect.com and I have hosted the first ever meet-up in Vientiane Laos, exciting to have a chance to do my own street view. More importantly, I’m growing and connecting with other Local Guides community in my area, we’ve created a group on social media and became good friends.
I can say that Maps not only help us navigate but it also helps us to connect with each other in real life. I’ve made numbers of friends through this program, both locals and people from around the world with Connect Live. I love following their activity on social media and chatting sometimes when they’re available. Connect Live isn’t an event or a conference, it’s where people come together from various nationalities they’re inspiring and we learn from each other.
Meet-ups are one of the greatest opportunity to local guides to meet each other in person. I love to give back and run meet-ups while I’m off from work or available both officially in connect of not from connect. Mostly my fellow local guides will ask the topic of meet-ups, which was knowledge sharing since they’re new to connect and local guides program. Most of them want to learn how-to and other questions that they have and I’m happy to give the best answers to them, sharing the gifts that I got from Connect Live 2018 with them… Other meet-ups were photo walk which the attendees put the great shots and fun like this meet-up 36 Walk Vientiane, Lao PDR
I consider myself a lucky person in my area that have lot of chance to travel domestic and international because of my work. When I’m in a new town or new country the most important thing is Maps, it helps me find the best places to go and navigate the places I’m heading to. At the end of the day, I always find the best places wherever I go to. I can say that most of my contribution on Maps domestically shall be only 40% while 60% was for other countries that I’ve visited, the most views in a single photo was from a shot in Melbourne Grand Prix Circus in Australia and other was from USA, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia…
This is very amazing to me to learn that there are 120 million Local Guides out there who are passionate and would love to contribute to Maps for the good of our communities. This year Connect Live 2020 I’m applying again and I encourage you to put in an application and give it a try. More details will be on the Connect Live 2020 website.
I hope to see you at Connect Live 2020 in the California Bay Area and good luck for your application.