Local Guide @GaziSalauddinbd became a 2022 Community Builder for his prolific and creative meet-up activity. Gazi lives in Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila, Bangladesh, and his favorite meet-up themes are map editing and tree planting. In the last four years, he has helped plant over 2,000 trees! He is also interested in renewable energy, especially solar power, and hopes to encourage more people to be socially responsible.
Here’s what Gazi shared about his meet-up experience and what inspires him to connect with his community.
What was your first experience with meet-ups?
My first experience was quite good because the meet-up format was different. I organized a tree-planting event and a get-together under the banner of the Bangladesh Local Guides in August 2021. My latest meet-up was this January — an afternoon at the village fair.
How did you start your tree-planting activities? How have Google Maps and the Local Guides community helped you with that?
Every person has some sense of social responsibility in conducting personal and volunteering activities. I expressed my interest when the Bangladesh Local Guides invited me to participate [in a tree-planting event] since I live in a village and open spaces are easily available. I started this activity after discussing it with local youths and school teachers.
To conduct the planting program, I select roadsides, school grounds, and religious institutions. These places benefit greatly as more trees are planted, providing oxygen and more shaded areas.
Google Maps and the community help me in every aspect. Wherever I go to plant trees, I do other things as well, including map editing, uploading photos, and sharing about activities of Local Guides with the local youth. All the members of the Bangladesh Local Guides community have been providing spontaneous help and encouragement to me by planting trees in other parts of Bangladesh.
What goes into planning a meet-up? How do you choose the topic, name, and activities?
A meet-up takes a lot of preparation. First of all, I choose the venue. I research the place and visit different locations because it is very important to be easily accessible for the attendees. Based on the location, we decide what type of meet-up it will be, and the title is given according to this. Then, I post on social media and Connect to invite everyone.
In addition, some other arrangements should be made for the convenience of everyone, such as food and banners. The biggest support for any meet-up organization comes from the Bangladesh Local Guides community.
What are the three most important things you’ve learned from organizing meet-ups?
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Organizing meet-ups is teamwork. I have gained experience managing a team and developed organizational and leadership skills. This experience is very useful in my personal and social life.
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Through discussions with many Local Guides in real life, I learn things that can’t be found online. Тhen I can better contribute and teach new Local Guides or help solve a problem.
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As a meet-up host, you learn etiquette, become more flexible, and improve your public speaking and social skills. Networking becomes much more powerful, later proving useful for community building and personal life.
Which is your favorite meet-up you’ve (co-)hosted or attended?
I have never been an official co-host, but I have always performed some responsibility during the big Bangladesh Local Guides events. Two of my favorite meet-ups are:
- “[Recap] Map Editing Meet-up Mandari Bazar in Lakshmipur,” which took place at the largest market in my area. I got to explain to newer Local Guides about Google Maps, and as a result, many of them became regulars at subsequent meet-ups.
- The “Recap: 200th Meet-up of Bangladesh Local Guides” was conducted in the Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the most popular tourist places in Bangladesh.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone who’s about to host their first meet-up?
Before hosting, get to know the Google Maps and Local Guides Program policies well. Don’t meet up with certain expectations and share as much detail as possible with everyone.
Decide on a topic that you can contribute to in a positive way. It should satisfy the current needs of people. The main aim of organizing meet-ups [for me] is to edit the map of the selected place, add and correct incomplete information, and share my local knowledge with the people of the world on Connect.
A meet-up should [ideally] have 7 to 8 attendees, but what’s more important is how many people have been able to understand Google Maps.
Have you attended any of Gazi’s meet-ups? Do you have a question for him? Let us know in the comments below.
Want to see who else is a Meet-up Champion? Read our previous post here.
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