Hi 
LG Community,
It gives me immense pleasure to write this detailed recap of the amazing India Mega Meet-up. This journey started about 2 and half months ago with Delhi team meet-up at Deer Park, @Gvipin @Ssiddharth2000 @Nomad_Enkay @ShreyaMusings (me) were discussing why not one does a mega meet-up in Delhi and the very next day we got the opportunity to meet @K.K.Sharma ji and after a beautiful evening and discussion with @TusharSuradkar we decided to commence this Mega Meet-Up in New Delhi together as a team.
More than 50 LGs attended this grand event which made this a huge success. The event was lively, fun, had lots of learnings and the goodies which were exchanged were beautiful. I feel immense gratitude towards all the participants, who braved the heavy rains and traffic to reach the venue on time. The presence of Googler @Latika_Malhotra, Connect Moderator @TusharSuradkar, our senior LG @TravellerG graced the event and through their expert knowledge made this event even more special.
Let me start with the detailed events which transpired during this mesmerizing Mega Meet-Up.
The Preparations :
The preparations started almost 2 months in advance, where many kind LGs, like @Gvipin ji, @Nomad_Enkay @SonamW, @Hemendu ji, @Manishhh @Ssiddharth2000 from Delhi started with the initial planning and brainstorming. We were inspired and guided by @TusharSuradkar and @AjitThite dada who have successfully conducted many In-Person and Virtual meet-ups.
Once the initial planning was done, our team started with printing banners, standees, badges, stickers, fridge magnets for the grand event. Sonam graciously decided to gift special tea (more on this later in the post) to all the participants.
Credit to the design of the banner, standee and badges goes to our amazing LG from India @AjitThite dada, and I am thrilled to say that everyone liked the design.
The Main Event :
The level of excitement was at its peak by the time we started the event. More than 50 LGs, some with their families were waiting eagerly, jovially chitchatting with friends new and old, it felt like a gathering of one big family. We had LGs reaching the venue by bus, traing and flight travelling from all over the country. We had representation from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi, UP, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerela (Need to check if more states need to be included)
We started the event with a brief introduction of all the present LGs. I couldnt find a better way than to start with the introduction of the most senior LG, @TravellerG , and a stalwart of Delhi Local Guide @AmbrishVarshney. One by one each and everyone of the LGs introduced themselves and shared their excitement to be a part of this Mega MeetUp.
Distributing of Certificates
Next, @TusharSuradkar very kindly distributed the certificates to the winners of the challenges initiated by different LGs on the connect platform.
Recap of India Meet-Ups and Challenges
Next was sharing the recent in-person meetups conducted by team India, which included a beautiful presentation designed and presented on stage by our Delhi LG member, the gracious @SonamW . Participants were joyed to watch so many in-person meet-ups happening across the country, and I am sure they must be motivated to conduct and participate in more such meetups.
Check the full video in the Google Drive folder below 
.
Special Guest : @Latika_Malhotra
As we were wrapping up the presentation, our event got even more auspicious when the guest of honor, Googler @Latika_Malhotra graced our Meet-Up. The excitement and fun went up multifold when the participants were introduced to Latika. We appreciate Latika taking out time on a Sunday to reach the venue, braving heavy rains and long traffic jam.
Fun n Frolic :
It was followed by a very fun and exciting game, planned and executed to perfection by @Nomad_Enkay. The game involved aiming and throwing balls into cups from a distance. The team with the most number of correct throws would win. All the participants were divided into equal groups of 8. The winner of this interesting game was the team consisting of @AmbrishVarshney , @deepakjhic and @Nitish-Bhatt. Congratulations to all the winners!
Tea n Refreshments :
While the participants were engrossed in the game, it was time for some tea and cookies. Being inside during this rainy season with a hot cup of tea makes for a perfect occasion for Chai pe Charcha.
Photo Booth Challenge :
After the tea break, it was time to start the photo booth challenge. A sun board in the shape of a Google Maps Pin was arranged so that people can take some selfies and cool pictures to flaunt. All the participants had a fun time striking poses and smiling for the camera.
Delicious and Scrumptous Lunch :
Next up was time for some mouthwatering lunch. @Latika_Malhotra on behalf of Google had most graciously agreed to sponsor the lunch for the participants of this Mega Meet-Up. The food was arranged by Karnataka Restaurant and everyone loved the food and we are all grateful to @Latika_Malhotra and Google for this amazing surprise.
Zoom Camera Session - Help Capture Better Photos :
Post lunch, we continued with the rest of the day’s events. Our senior LG @TravellerG was gracious to give us a knowledgeable session about Zoom Cameras. TravellerG started with sharing his own passion for photography, especially related to nature, wildlife and birds. He currently has Sony Alpha Mark 4 camera which enables him to capture birds in their natural habitat. He further shared that he has taken some amazing pictures while not going close to the subject line, yet just using the manual zoom mode for detailed camera shots. He also taught us about the zoom mode and how to set up manual settings while using the zoom camera.
Credit to @Nomad_Enkay and @The_GauravS for taking detailed notes of this inspiring session.
**Benefit of Camera with Zoom - summarised by @TravellerG **
Aim:
With Zoom, you help focus the viewer’s attention on what matters most—turning your photos into powerful tools for discovery and decision-making.
Some important points:
^ Safe Photography
^ Keep privacy on priority
^ Reach unreachable
^ Explore minute details
^ Not to disturb others
QnA with Latika - Questions on Connect Live Answered :
Next, our special guest of the day, @Latika_Malhotra graciously agreed to answer questions related to Google Maps and Local Guides connect platform. She patiently answered many questions and cleared many doubts the participants had related to the Connect platform. Many questions around the upcoming Connect Live event to be held in Bangalore were also clarified by @Latika_Malhotra. She clearly stated that the invitees to be shortlisted to the event would be held through a thorough and fair process. There is no influence from anyone outside or inside Google, for selection of participants for Connect Live events. Latika also took feedback about the recent updates on Connect platform, like the WhatsApp broadcast channel and encouraged everyone to join the WhatsApp broadcast if they had not yet done.
For more details, please watch the video uploaded here.
Pic of @Latika_Malhotra Session
Virtual Meet up
We started the virtual meet up sharp at 3:00 pm. After the initial round of online introductions, we were able to show our virtual participants the discussions we had with our special guest Latika. Once it was over, @K.K.Sharma ji conducted a brilliant online quiz related to Google Maps and Local Guides Connect platform. It was amazing to see all the participants enthralled in taking part in the quiz. We rounded up the online meet-up shortly after this, full of gratitude to all the participants who joined us in the virtual meeting.
Concluding the Mega Meetup :
We concluded the event with some more team photos, selfies and inclusive talks as we bade adieu to @Latika_Malhotra and concluded this mega Meetup, with a promise to hold another Mega Meetup very soon in India.
Credits : Work Behind the scenes
I would request for some more patience from all of you who took time to read this post. Finally, I am grateful to all the people who put all out efforts to make this event a grand success. Full credit to the Delhi LG team for coordinating, contributing and organizing this Meetup.
NIV : Gracious Host
First of all, I would like to thank NIV (Maps Link) for agreeing to be the location partner to host this event. NIV Art Centre’s core vision revolves around facilitating the fundamental necessities for the advancement of art practice, particularly plastic arts and new media arts, with a national cultural vision and an outlook on global cultural practice.
NIV Art Centre was co-founded by Shaji Mathew and Aruna Anand Mathew in 2008. They reportedly raised money from their small textile business to invest in their love for art, driven by a purely non-profitable investment for the sake of art. This commitment led to the establishment of the center, which has since grown to include:
Individual artist studio spaces
Gallery spaces for exhibitions
A media theatre for digital display
An amphitheater and installation arena
Residency programs for cultural personalities worldwide
@SonamW :
Our gracious LG @SonamW contributed tea bags, especially procured from Darjeeling. She took special care to select the amazing tea and also designed and printed bookmarks. Her inquisitiveness, helping nature and vast experience in travel is an amazing quality which keeps the entire Delhi LG team engaged. She can be seen attending the Delhi meetups with positive vibes and a passion to explore Delhi. Now, let me briefly share more about the tea brand “Chai Chun”. With more than 165 varieties of tea available, Chai Chun is a vibrant boutique tea shop. The best part of their store was “Sip, taste, browse, decide”. You can know more about this amazing Store here, and the Review posted by Sonam here.
** @Gvipin ** : One of the most active LGs in Delhi, @Gvipin ji took responsibility of printing Delhi Local Guides stickers and fridge magnets. His attentiveness, hard work and attention to detail is highly appreciated. You will find him in almost every Delhi meetup. Even on the day of the Meetup, he helped with the decorations and getting the gallery ready in time for the event.
One of the youngest and most enthusiastic LG from Delhi, Enkay ensured to take care of the stationary for the kids and planning and executing the game held during the event. He is always ready to chip in and help us out no matter how hard the task is. Always willing and quick to learn, these skills helped us greatly.
** @K.K.Sharma **
One of the most experienced and knowledgeable LG, KK sir’s experience really helped us to plan and coordinate the event smoothly. He was always just a phone call away to help and ready to share his insights for all of us. We are blessed to be in his constant guidance. He printed the banner for the Mega Meet-Up which all the participants of the event greatly admired. The same banner was in the background of the group picture as well. He is always ready to travel from Delhi to Kolkata to Jharkhand to Gangapur just to participate in Local Guides In Person meetups. He also planned, designed and executed the Online quiz which was conducted in the Mega Meet-Up. This activity was greatly appreciated by all the participants, who attended both in-person and virtual meeting.
Hemendu ji
Though he joined the Local Guides Community recently, @Hemendu ji joins us with an unmatched experience and knowledge about Delhi and its history. Formerly a journalist in a leading daily, he now spends his time attending meetups and sharing his knowledge wth the rest of the community. His willingness to help, humble attitude and vast knowledge greatly inspires us. He played an instrumental role in printing stickers, badges and bookmarks.
Anil Singh
He has been a constant source of guidance and support. He has always help me in case of any questions at anytime of the day. His rich experience in conducting over 100 International meet-ups encouraged and motivated me to plan and conceptualize for this mega metre I am full of gratitude and praise for him for the way he has guided me.
** S. Siddharth**
He is one of those LG’s who likes to stay away from the limelight. He is dedicated, passion-driven, result oriented and have handled all the arrangements behind the scene with me (@ShreyaMusings ). Credit for managing the chaos during preparations and shining brightly goes to @Ssiddharth2000
Mohita S. Siddharth
As many of you must be aware by now, I try to juggle between managing my small business, spending time at home and following my passion of exploring history of my city. I try to participate in most of the in person meet-ups that happens in Delhi. I love to draw, paint, and create resin arts. I also dabble in Tarot card reading. I think I was the most excited when @TusharSuradkar floated and discussed the idea of a Mega Meet-Up. I remember discussing this with @Gvipin ji and @Ssiddharth2000 and our plans set afoot right away. Through God’s blessings, and the support of the super amazing Delhi Local Guides team, I was able to arrange and print Badges, stickers, bookmarks, stamps on the tote bags and buying the tote bags too. I was also able to design and create resin keychains.
Attendees list : @Gvipin @deepakjhic @Anuj_Bansal @PrinceKumar @sagarrastogi @Anil6969 @DigitalRahulYadav @Ashish.Ranjan @RohitashRaghav @Ankit.Kumar @Hemendu @K.K.Sharma @ShreyaMusings @TusharSuradkar @Satishkushwaha4446 @rahulkshwh421 @curatorofmemory @SonamW @Ssiddharth2000 @NomadicSatyam @Nomad_Enkay @Nitish-Bhatt @TravellerG @JSharma @Vandana_shines @JMD9 @CyberCraftIndia @Sumit15 @shaileno @mkp6081 @GaganMinocha @bobynath @AmbrishVarshney @prakashpanchal @Shalz Parul(id unknown)
And many more
Virtual meet-up participants: Raj_Tayade SarathUpendran @Sagarkanherkar NandKK Anil6969 framesbysumedh RosyKohli @CyberCraftIndia @BijohnAdams @AjitThite Manish Kumar Yatindra @Supriyadevkar SarthakPanigrahi @Shrut19 @MerlinThomas @shivanandmodi VSV @Aviralpande @MathanVibranarayan
Please share your connect id if we have missed anyone’s name in the above list.
Google Photos Drive Link 
we will be adding more photos shortly
I am able to tag only 50 people so pls check your name here
banner was printed and delivered by you 
for the initiative and all the guidance
Niv Art Center, Delhi NCR
together.
