RECAP: Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite Talk

[KarenVChin]

Caption: RECAP: HOW TO SERIES: Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite Talk meet-up graphic banner. Banner: @KarenVChin

On Sunday, November 15, 2020, Italy Local Guide @ermest  and I, USA Local Guide @KarenVChin, hosted our first virtual Local Guides “HOW TO SERIES" meet-up -- Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite Talk. 

Caption: HOW TO SERIES: Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite Talk "Upcoming Meet-ups" post. Screenshot: @KarenVChin

With the new structure of how to create a Local Guides meet-up, Ermes and I wanted to share our experiences about how should a Local Guide create, specifically, a virtual meet-up invite and get Local Guides to RSVP successfully. Should you create an online event invite (such as an evite), a Facebook Event, or a Google Forms link? 

Sharing our experiences, our opinions only!

Ermes and I explored in our new ongoing “HOW TO SERIES” Local Guides virtual talks what we think is the best way to create a virtual Local Guides meet-up invite while maintaining a high level of security and privacy.

The Prework -- Before our Virtual Meet-up

Before having our November 15th virtual Local Guides meet-up, Ermes and I created an RSVP process geared to only current standing Local Guides who could apply using mostly free Google products. 

To protect everyone’s privacy and safety before, during, and after our virtual meet-up, we made a conscious decision to promote our meet-up to only Local Guides in good standing with the Google Local Guides Program and Local Guides Connect.

How did Ermes and I do this?

We created a Connect meet-up post that included our Local Guides Google Form invite as part of our RSVP process. 

We drove all social media traffic from each of our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. Also, we promoted the meet-up on two of the most popular private Local Guides Facebook group, using this Local Guides Connect post invite link.

Ermes and I wanted to prove a Local Guide can easily create and host a more safe, secure virtual Local Guide meet-up using only free online tools, mostly Google products, and word-of-mouth:

• Google Forms --  the RSVP invite
• Connect’s Meet-ups Board -- “the invite” link 
• Google Docs -- where Ermes and I collaborated and created all invite copy for both Connect and our social media channels
• Canva -- a graphic design platform app that one doesn’t need to be a graphic designer to create beautiful social media graphics among other types of online and print designs
• Our social media channels, private groups, trusted Local Guides friends, and Connect -- we targeted where we wanted to promote this virtual meet-up
• Google Meet -- we are Google fanatics; this is our only option
• Google Calendar - from our RSVP Google Form, we collected our attendees’ Gmail addresses; Ermes emailed the Calendar invite with the Google Meet link. Using this method, only the recipient has access to the virtual meetup, no one else. We unchecked Calendar Guest Permission’s options not to “Invite others” (attendees cannot forward the Calender invite) and “See guest list” (an attendee cannot see other attendees’ email addresses) for maintaining security and privacy.

November 15, 2020, 7 AM San Francisco Time / 4 PM Italy Time

Out of the 25 Local Guides who RSVPed, we had 20 Local Guides from around the world who spent 90 minutes with Ermes and me. They came from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia (Middle East, India, SE Asia).

Caption: Happy Local Guides who attended November 15, 2020's HOW TO SERIES: Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite Talk meet-up. Screenshot: @ErmesT

Thanks to all of you who took the time and spent an extra 30 minutes with us! We do appreciate your dedication!

Our Presentation

In case you missed our meet-up or want to get a copy of our presentation, click here. 

Caption: HOW TO SERIES: Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite's title presentation slide. Graphic: @KarenVChin

In it, we provided our rationale for using Google Forms and Local Guides Connect for creating our RSVP meet-up invite process.

Caption: Presenting Ermes Tuon & Karen V Chin's Local Guides Meet-up Invite Creation Insights &Tips as part of HOW TO SERIES: Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite Talk. Screenshot: @KarenVChin

We also included Our 9 Local Guides Create Virtual Meet-up Invite Tips to have a successful, safe virtual Local Guides meet-up.

Caption: Tip 3 from Ermes Tuon & Karen V Chin's 9 Local Guides Create Virtual Meet-up Invite Tips from their November 15, 2020's HOW TO SERIES: Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite Talk. Screenshot: @KarenVChinFeel free to ask us a question

Local Guides, if you have any questions or comments regarding our HOW TO SERIES: Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite Talk presentation, please comment below. Ermes and I are happy to answer any questions or respond to comments.

Caption: Italy Local Guides @ErmesT & USA Local Guide @KarenVChin sharing a celebratory moment after finishing hosting their first virtual HOW TO SERIES Local Guides Talk Meet-up - Create Local Guides Virtual Meet-up Invite Talk, November 15, 2020. Selfie: @ErmesT

Stay tuned for our next "HOW TO SERIES" Local Guides Virtual Talk meet-up in 2021!

Happy Holidays and the end of 2020!

Cheers,

Karen & Ermes

[chamodhk]

Thank you very much @KarenVChin  and @ErmesT for hosting this great meetup which was really helpful and fun. You made my first meetup really interesting.

Thank you again.

[KarenVChin]

Thanks for your kind words @chamodhk! I am glad you chose @ErmesT and me to be your first Local Guides meet-up to attend. Hopefully, you will be attending more, and you will have the courage to host a Local Guides meet-up on your own in 2021!

Cheers,

Karen

[Shrut19]

Namaskar,

@KarenVChin 

After attending this Meetup I am clear about posting screen shot of others participate..

Thanks for Sharing & hosting..

[Amiran]

Thank you so much dear @KarenVChin and @ErmesT for preparing such an organized meetup.

This is always nice to attend your meetups. These meetups not only are ways to meet our friends but also help to improve our skills as a local guide.

[Marianis]

Thank you for giving me your insights, @KarenVChin and @ErmesT . I love to follow, but become a host? Whoopz, have to think a lot because of the work load. I hope someday I can make a meet-up.

[chamodhk]

@KarenVChin Thank you very much for your kind words and I am really like to organize a Local Guide Virtual Meetup. Before it I have to reach level 8 and my goal is to reach level 8  before March 2021.

What are your goals in 2021. 

Stay safe and Happy end of 2020.....

[ErmesT]

Thank you so much for the recap, @KarenVChin 

It was beautiful to meet you @chamodhk , @Amiran , @Shrut19 , and we are happy that you found our meet-up helpful.

This is the scope of our How To Series, to go in deep with the local guides activity, both in Google Maps and in the community.

We wanted to start with a meet-up about meet-ups, because we realize the difficult of hosting a meet-up, especially if the meet-up is Virtual.

Over the next year we will address other important topics in our Local Guide activity.

We will be happy to hear your suggestion so if there is any topic you would like to have addressed please feel free to tell us.

Hope you will find the presentation helpful, @Marianis 

If you have more questions about organising a meet-up, creating an RSVP form or creating a safe calendar link, feel free to tell us

[KalyanPal]

It was a great meet-up from which I had learnt the new way to submit a meet-up. Also, gathered DO & DON'T knowledge.

Thank you @KarenVChin and @ErmesT for hosting the meet-up. BTW, I always try to join your meet-up.

#HappyGuiding

[Mohammadalauddin]

Hi @KarenVChin 

You can learn something from each of your meetups and you have written a post with different information. So I am very much interested in your post and reading is a lot of fun.

Thank you very much @KarenVChin for sharing nicely recap with us my dear.