What an incredible experience! Connect Live Tokyo marked a global celebration hosted by Google Tokyo for its Local Guides, commemorating 10 years of the Local Guides program alongside 20 years of Google Maps.
Held at the vibrant Shibuya Stream in Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya City on July 24–25, 2025, the event brought together over 55+ top contributors from more than 15 countries. Each attendee was specially invited by Google in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the Google Maps community. Since I live in Tokyo, Connect LIVE Tokyo feels like a program right at home for me.
★The mind blowing and extraordinary faces are in the best frame
★Google Tokyo Shibuya Premises
★Google Tokyo Shibuya Premises
★starting the Day
★35th Floor View
★ConnectLIVE Tokyo entrance
★My Name Card of CLTokyo2025
I was absolutely mesmerized, thrilled, honored, and genuinely over the moon to be part of this inspiring event. A heartfelt thank you to everyone on the Google team who worked immensely behind the scenes to make ConnectLIVE:Tokyo 2025 such a dynamic, exuberant and unforgettable success.
You can take a look of my Day 1 Enclosure by clicking here 
★★★ Trisha’s Special Moments of Local Guides ConnectLIVE:Tokyo Day 1 ★★★
Two days have passed like a dream, today, The curtain will come down of the second day.
On the first day, we were given our Connect Live customized designed T-shirts in our hotel room. The second day started with a top-notched breakfast at the dining lounge of LYF Shibuya. After, all the local guides finished breakfast, we headed towards the Google shibuya office at around 8:30 am.
★Beautiful ConnectLIVE Tokyo Custom T-shirt with my name on it
★My victory
to the world
Day 2 Schedule
| Friday, July 25 | 8:45 - 19:00 |
|---|---|
| Arrivals & Breakfast | |
| Keynote | Miriam Daniel on the Future of Maps |
| Fireside Chat | Miriam Daniel In conversation with Moderator Penny |
| Session 2 | Reimagining how we interact with the world on Maps |
| Panel Discussion | LGs Shaping Our Community: Stories, Initiatives, Q&A |
| Lunch & Listen | Small Group Lunch Discussions w/ Local Guides Team |
| Session 5 | Impact & Contribute on Maps |
| Panel Discussion | Session with Google Expertise |
| Session 7 | Workshop |
| Closing Reception |
Breakfast gathering
We all gathered at the arrival lounge. There was also a breakfast lounge. All the dishes were mentioned, a dietary restrictions chart was also given. Scrambled egg, fruits, french toast, croissant, salads, granolas, yogurt, vegan combu onigiri, corn porridge, mixed nut, mixed dried fruits, coffees, detox water, coffe, ocha were the dishes of breakfat. Everyone was enjoying breakfast. We were taking pictures. We were exploring the google premises, discussing today’s events.
★innovative walls
★Beautiful Artwork
★Nuts and Yoghurt
★Scrambled Egg and dips
★Croissant and French Toast
★Onigiri(Japanese stuffed Rice), fruits and salad
★Breakfast with Local Guides
Keynote session and Fireside Chat with Miriam Daniel, VP and GM of Google Maps
We took our seats in the seminar room from 9:50 AM. @Kristen_NYC gave the inaugural speech of the event and then transferred the microphone to Miriam Daniel, VP & GM of Google Maps. She highlighted some milestones of Google Maps such as
10 years of Local guides,
★2 Billions+ views in Google maps, ★500 Millions + contribution,
★250 Million+ Business place, ★100Million+ updates to the maps in a single day,
★6,00,000 active Local Guides
and also highlighted many future developments. She also added the importance and global impact of the new feature. She believes it is very important to get feedback from our local guides on the new feature.
★Fireside chat with VP And GM of Google Maps, hosted by connect Moderator Penny
Sorry for the picture quality
Before the Connect Live, some questions were taken from the local guides to ask the VP. In the context of those questions, a fireside chat was conducted, moderated by Connect Moderator Penny. Most of the questions were about AI incorporation in Google Maps. Later, questions were also taken from the local guides of the session. And a QR. code was introduced to give feedback.
its a matter of sorrow that, I can’t talk about upcoming features due to NDA rules and testing phase.
★After the session with Miriam Daniel
How we interact with the world on Maps
Our next discussion workshop was with Googler Latika Malhotra . We were divided into groups of 8 and we shared our brainstorming, understanding, thought, idea with Latika. If there are any new ideas/feedback, we have been asked to submit them later through QR code.
★our session with Googler @Latika_Malhotra
Between sessions, fireside chats, and discussions, Google serves us quick snacks like dry fruits, cookies, mochi dessert, coffee, drinks, detox water, and many more.
★Japanese dessert Wagashi and Taiyaki
LGs Shaping Our Community: Stories, Initiatives
Our 4 favorite Connect moderators started a panel discussion about their projects.
Falguni’s She Leads,
Indah Savitri’s TRAC,
Nunung Afuah’s Reginonal Meet-ups,
Paul Pavlinovich’s 36 photo walk. As local guides, they highlighted the contributions and initiatives they have taken in their respective locations through their projects in the Connect community. A question and answer session was also held with fellow local guides. There were many discussions on how to enrich the Connect community, how to increase engagement, how to start meet-ups, small business support, sustainability. It was a very interactive session.
★Connect Moderator @NunungAfuah , @PaulPavlinovich , @FalguniP , @indahnuria
Small Group Lunch Discussions with Local Guides Team
Our lunch was organized on group wise. Kristen was coordinating our ‘lunch and listen session’. While enjoying the food, our group discussion went on, kristen talked about connect meet ups, summits, some barriers. For example, some particular on site features of Maps are unavailable in some countries, in some countries Google Maps is running with the help of a third party, these challenges were discussed. it was a great learning experience on a luncheon table.
★ with @Eve_ymelon @Izumi @AndiBrata
★Our Lunch and listen session with @Kristen
Back to the luncheon - Lunch was served with chicken teriyaki box, vegan bento box and prawn caviar bento box with Japanese green tea. My prawn bento box had prawn, shiitake mushroom, lotus root, cavier, japanese rice, soya balls, tamagoyaki (egg), ginger pickle, vegetables pickle, fish cake, bamboo shoot, carrot, pumpkin, green beans, sweet potato and spring onion, that bento box was just excellent and tasted great.
★Prawn Bento Box
★Prawn Bento Box with green tea
★Vegan Bento Box
New Ways to See your Impact & Contribute on Maps
There was a Q/A session. After this, there was a Discussion and feedback round table session, with Google officer Latika and same 8 group members. We all gave our feedback to the Google officer about the new features.
Pannel Discussion: Session with Google Expertise
Googler @KevinKwok hosted the fireside chat. Also there present, Hsun- Senior Staff UX Design Manager, Michael- Director, Product Manager, Xinmei- Director, Engineering. The expertise pannel gave us the vision about UGC. The Googlers answered questions one by one asked by Kevin. Selected local guide questions were taken. Everyone answered as there expertizing. It was an ultimate extraordinary firechat, knowledge sharing session.
Workshop with Googler
The Expertise and Googlers showed us some extraordinary works and it was just mind blowing.
★With Googler @TinaWill
★With Googlers
★With Googlers
★With Googlers
The Final call was from Kristen and she officially gave her last speech of ConnectLIVE and formally closed the 2-days event. And we took a group photograph of 60+ people and I just wondering this was my special moment which i could cherish for lifetime.
★Final Thank you by @Kristen_NYC
★Group Photo after session
Closing Reception
After we finished the formal event, we went to the 35th floor. Our post-event get-together was organized there. The surroundings were so beautiful, there was glass all around, we could see the city of Tokyo from a bird’s-eye view, it was a great experience.
★Cheers! To CLTokyo 2025
We were given an eco-friendly bag as a gift at the beginning. Then the table was filled with various diverse cuisines such as, nachos with guacamole, plant-based hamburger, mushroom quiches, corn mousse, fresh fruits, Jamón Serrano wrapped around breadsticks, salmon slider, falafel, Ahi Tuna, cheesy potato poncho, veggie wrap, roasted pork, sparkling water, drinks (alcoholic, non alcoholic). All cuisine has mentioned the dietary restrictions.
★Mexican - Nachos with Guacamole (Avocado dips)
★Corn Mousse
★Ahi Tuna
★Mixed Fruits
★Plant based Hamburger Steak
★Salmon Slider
★Veggie wrap
★Mushroom Quiches
★Falafel(Chickpea kebab)
★French-Jamón Serrano wrapped around breadsticks
★non alcohol drinks
★Sparkling water
The beautiful 10 year anniversary vanilla Japanese short cake was cut by kristen.
★10 years of Local Guides
★Connect Live Tokyo 2025
★@kristen’s Speech
all the appetizer, main course, dessert were just blow my mind. We did chichats, did play Bonzini babyfoot Foosball, enjoyed the 10 anniversary cake. We took group photograph. At 7:00 pm the event got her ending edge.
★Bonzini babyfoot foosball
★At a glimpse of CLTokyo Closing reception
What I am taking with me
I had the privilege of visiting the Google Tokyo premises. Miriam Daniel said that there are 6,00,00 local guides, out of which Google selected 55 and gave them the opportunity to visit the Google Tokyo premises. I feel very lucky. Its a life changing event and I will cherish this experience for the rest of my life.
Personally meeting and talking to Googler, Google map’s VP and GM, product manager, developer, UGC design personnel, it was the most important and special memory for me, experiencing the workshop, idea generating, everything was a best medium of learning and knowledge sharing for me.
What I also have experienced in this 2-day program is brotherhood, laughing with everyone, enjoying. Immersing myself in joy with everyone without any restrictions, this environment Google has created for us, I have no words to thank you for it.
★With @MahabubMunna
★With @Designer_Biswajit
★With Beautiful @NunungAfuah
★With Lovely @FalguniP
★Lovely soul @NyaiNurjanah clicked this beautiful photographs
★With my Indonesian Local Guides
★Thank you @Radjasitanggang For thr click
★All Bangladeshi Local guides
★Connect Yourself in Connect map
Getting to know all the innovative, creative, local guides, sharing cultural aspects, learning their thoughts, idea generation and representation. A strong bond has been formed with everyone. I am taking with me the beautiful moments spent with everyone.
Apart from that, I received an eco-friendly bag, 10th anniversary badge, scarf, notebook, pen as a gift from Google. And I actually received souvenirs from other local guides as part of the leave one take one ritual.
★Google Eco bag, 10 years coat pin, scarf
★Souvenirs i have got
Last breakfast Gathering at Lyf Shibuya
★Breakfast with @Rahbar @MahabubMunna @Designer_Biswajit
★with @MasaruKamikura @ALG87 @Cindy0422 @FalguniP @zac555
★Last Breakfast Gathering at Lyf Shibuya after CLTokyo 2025
Finally, I would like to say that I came out of the dream world of 2 days and ended the Connect Live with a bunch of memories. Thank you Google, all Googlers, product manager and all the personnel for your immense hardwok and has gifted a successful event to us. Hope to see you again at another summit. Special mentioning, Eagerly waiting and wishing that our luck favors, We @SoniaK Apu, @MahabubMunna, @Rahbar, @Designer_Biswajit da, @Papel_Mahammud, @MohammadPalash, @Soykot_azam will all have a blast time at the next summit, finger crossed. Thank you everyone. This is Trisha Signing off from ConnectLIVE:Tokyo 2025.
Thank you For your Time, being with me for so long and Thank you again for knowing my experience
#CLTOKYO2025 women-at-localguides #LocalGuides10anniversary
#GoogleMaps
#ConnectLIVE:Tokyo2025
