All over the world, Local Guides are on a mission to help people find the places worth discovering. To celebrate the stars of global community, Connect Live is back and will be bigger than ever. The event will be held November 12 to 15 in a show-stopping new location in San Jose, California. There, Google will host 200 Local Guides Levels 5 and above from around the world.

Applications to attend will be open from March 4 to April 30. If applicants apply, they will receive an email about the status of their application by June 3. If applicants are thinking about applying, Connect Live will be delivered in English to best serve their global community.

Benefits

• Flights, transportation, and hotel stays on primary arrival and departure dates will be arranged and paid for by Google.
• Also, Meals will be covered by Google during the duration of the event.
• Visa or ESTA fees for one application will also be paid for by Google.
• However, attendees will be responsible for securing visas on their own.

Selection Criteria

Applications are open to Local Guides Levels 5+ during the application period.

Applicants will be selected based on a number of factors including, but not limited to:

• The submission of a complete application including:
  1. A 1-minute video message responding to ONE of the prompts provided. Prompts are: Tell us about your favorite place and what makes it special; What’s one thing you want everyone to know about your community?; or Why are you proud to be a Local Guide?
  2. A new post on Connect that describes a cause applicants care about sharing on Google Maps and why. Whether they are passionate about finding the world’s best French fries or making the map more eco-friendly, Local Guides want to know about it.
  3. A new list created on Google Maps about any theme, including a title, description, and at least five places.
• They will also be looking for:
  1. High-quality, well-rounded, and consistent contributions on Google Maps over the past 12 months
  2. Consistent involvement with the Local Guides community such as actively contributing on Connect or hosting meet-ups.