[Virtual] Italy, December 21, Our 10th Year of the Local Guides Program - Virtual Meet-up

[ErmesT]

Hello Local Guides, it’s time to party!!!

What a memorable year 2025 has been for our community!! 20 years of Google Maps, and the 10th anniversary of the Local Guides program. There was so much to celebrate, and thanks to the entire community, Connect did it in the best way possible. A different theme every month, fantastic logos created by us, meet-ups involving local communities worldwide, and to top it all off, a Scavenger Hunt that will take us right through to the end of the year.

Official Events:
quiz, virtual photo booth, Connect Live events (New York, Tokyo, Bengaluru), Scavenger Hunt

Some of the Unofficial Events (but there are many more):

10th Anniversary Logo/T-shirt Design!

JAN: 12 Months of Celebrations, Celebration meet-ups

FEB: Show Your City, [Women Inspirer] (Lets Inspire on Connect & Beyond - Women & allied spotlight series)

MAR: TRAC

APR: Earth Day

MAY: Accessibility

JUN: EuroMeetup2025, PRIDE

JUL: Meet-UpNusantara4

SEP: Let’s Talk About Reviews

OCT: Videography, Road Mapper

NOV-DEC: Community Spotlight

The response from Local Guides has been incredible, as witnessed by the numerous topics and meet-ups that have appeared on Connect this year.

That’s why we want to wrap things up with a virtual meet-up that allows us all to connect—not just to celebrate, but also (and above all) to share our own experiences and those of our local communities.

Join us for the party

To celebrate together, we have chosen a special day: Sunday, December 21st. For the Northern Hemisphere, it is the first day of winter, and this year it also coincides with the start of the holiday season.

We apologize to those who will have to get up early or stay up late to join; to give the majority of people the chance to participate, the meet-up will take place at 3:00 PM GMT. For @KarenVChin , my co-host who lives in San Francisco, it will be 7:00 AM. In New York it will be 10:00 AM, in Italy 4:00 PM, in India 8:30 PM, and in Tokyo, it will be midnight.

During the meet-up, we will have special guests who will share what 2025 was like for them as Local Guides.

We want to hear from you. You will be the stars: the stories of local communities and the tales of how you celebrated this 10th anniversary.

You will find two forms below:

1. The first is to be counted in the Meet-up Statistics. If you’d like to fill it out, please do so by December 13th to give us time to prepare the presentation. Our 10th Year of the Local Guides Program - Virtual Meet-up - Statistics Form
2. The second one is for those who want to join us to present their experience regarding one of this year’s focus events. In this case, please reply no later than December 7th so we can organize your presentation together. Our 10th Year of the Local Guides Program - Virtual Meet-up - We Want to Hear Your Story

We can’t wait to see everyone there to celebrate this fantastic year of the Local Guides program together

Karen & Ermes

[AjitThite]

Submitted both the forms, @ErmesT @KarenVChin.
It would be fun!

Cheers!

[Roman_Ahmmed]

Hi @ErmesT and @KarenVChin,

Thank you so much for organizing the 10th Anniversary of the Local Guides virtual meetup. I have filled out and submitted both forms. I hope this virtual event brings a lot of fun and excitement.

Best wishes!

[PrasadVR]

@ErmesT

20 years of Google Maps, and the 10th anniversary of the Local Guides program.

Thank you for your initiative, @ErmesT and @KarenVChin. I’m excited to join the event.
I have filled in both forms and submitted them.

[Erna_LaBeau]

Can’t wait to see you both online, @ErmesT @KarenVChin

[TerryPG]

This looks like so much fun, had a great time at the last Virtual meetup that you two did.
Looking forward to it, Forms filled out. Able to help if needed.

[MoscowMani]

Registerd and looking forward to meet the amazing people behind the scenes and all those lovely national and international LGs…

[K.K.Sharma]

Thank you, @ErnesT, for summarising the 10th anniversary events in this meet-up proposal post. It’s a great collection where one can easily find the important events held during the anniversary celebration. I have filled out both forms. Two challenges that were also held during this celebration—though #LG10 was not mentioned there—can be included as they were part of the celebration year- Challenge: Share menu photos on Google Maps to win a Connect badge, Challenge: Review a dog-friendly place on Google Maps to win a Connect badge

[Maximilianozalazar]

@ErmesT maravilloso

[AdrianLunsong]

I’m just tagging the Point of Contacts from the Community Spotlight initiative! I see some of you are already aware of this Could you help to spread the word to your community members as well? This Big Year End Party is also the wrap-up for the spotlight week and it would be great if as many folks can join in! Thanks!

@CamilaPardo (Argentina)
@ChinonsoOnukwugha (Nigeria)
@cuicani (L’équipe Francophone and Mexico)
@Kumaarsantosh (TRAC)
@TerryPG (Canada)
@curatorofmemory (India)
@br14n (Indonesia)
@SophatCHY (Cambodia)

[cuicani]

Hi!

My both teams have been informed and we’ll do our best for being there. Thank you for the reminder

[PennyChristie]

This sounds like fun @ErmesT and @KarenVChin I wish I could join you but it will be 3.30am for me in Sydney. I will definitely be sound asleep dreaming of the celebration

[Kumaarsantosh]

@AdrianLunsong

This Big Year End Party is also

Thank @AdrianLunsong. The team has been informed.

[Diana_R]

I can’t wait Let’s Celebrate 10th Anniversary of Google Local Guides Program Best wishes Karen & @ErmesT

[YuliiaZa]

Form submitted. See you in a fortnight @ErmesT and @KarenVChin !

I hope nothing will prevent me to join (power cut offs due to missile attacks or something similar)

[MarkAuchincloss]

Yes I can make it. I completed the first form only. Best regards.

[MoscowMani]

I am waiting for it…

[LightRich]

Listo para este meetup que será un gran cierre par 2025.
Me parece muy interesante escuchar nuevas historias de local guides de los que conocemos poco pero que seguramente identificamos por sus publicaciones en Connect.
¡Gracias por esta idea @KarenVChin y @ErmesT !

[jeverio]

Hi All, from SIngapore!! It is going to be 100 am at our location here but I will be in Norway for my holidays, so will dial in, I prefer a physical meeting would be great for us in SIngapore one day!!! Not sure if anyone from SEA will dial in unless they are night cats as they labelled them here?

[ShreyaMusings]

I just got to know about this so can I fill both the forms now @ErmesT