We’re excited to introduce our new Meet-up Champion, @PaulPavlinovich ! Paul lives in Melbourne, Australia, and hosts some of the most popular photo walks and photography workshops for Local Guides. We recently caught up with him to talk about what he’s learned through his years of experience with meet-ups, so keep reading to find out what he shared.
What was the first meet-up that you hosted or attended?
My first meet-up was in 2012 for the Google+ photography community, and we wandered around Melbourne’s dockland. My first “official” Local Guides meet-up was a picnic that Kim Flowers, Kamal Tailor, and I put together in January 2016 for the Melbourne Local Guides community shortly after we were granted local control of the Google+ community. We met at Albert Park Lake and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We’re doing another picnic soon to celebrate coming out of lockdown in Melbourne.
The biggest change for me around meet-ups is that I’ve learned I don’t have to be in control. I organize the event, and what happens next is simply organic. This way, everyone at the meet-up is involved and enjoys themselves much more than if they’re just following someone.
One of your signature meet-up projects is the 36 Walk, which made its debut back in 2017. Local Guides in 27 cities around the world joined and hosted a photo walk, too. What was the inspiration behind this project?
I’m old enough to have used film because it was the only thing we had. With film, every frame costs you money, and you tend to be constrained in the shots you take, which means you find things you really want to capture, and put more thought into each shot. With the progression to digital and the great camera and near-infinite storage of the smartphone, people just snap, snap, snap. I found with myself I went from approximately 1,000 shots per year to around 25,000 shots per year. My quality had gone through the floor because I didn’t care, and this was also happening with other people.
The 36 was designed to reintroduce constraints by self-limiting the number of shots made during a photo walk, and this is embodied in its tagline, “Consider, compose, click.” I find that this approach lifts my quality. The first 36 ran only in Melbourne, and after posting the recap, quite a few people asked if they could do it, too, and the worldwide idea was born with a great series of people taking the concept and running their own local version all around the same day. The first post-COVID 36 will be coming back in April 2022.
You’ve hosted meet-ups on two different continents. How do you prepare for a meet-up in another country?
Would you be surprised to know I use Google Maps and Local Guides? Basically, I use Maps and Street View to work out a basic path. Then, I’ll find a local or two on Connect or socials and talk with them about the path. I’ll use their knowledge to help avoid problematic areas and to add more “can’t miss” places. If they’re willing, I get them to help run the walk on the day, as having a local around is really helpful if you need to change plans or if people have questions.
Last year, you hosted a series of 10 virtual photography workshops for Local Guides. What are the most important things you’ve learned from organizing such a large-scale virtual event?
That was an amazing series that developed a Connect Live-like feel. We started out as a class and became a family.
Running ten workshops over a short period is hard. The most important thing I learned was to not be a one-person band. Bring in other people from all over the world to give them a chance in the light, especially highlighting equality and using their own passions to add spice to the events. Not only does this give you a bit of a break as they take on some of the load, but it keeps the audience involved, and it highlights people who might otherwise go unnoticed. It’s just part of my Local Guides philosophy—it’s not all about me :). Having one or more people you trust to act as moderators and keep the show on the road during technical problems is also critical.
Do you have a favorite meet-up you attended?
The favorite I’ve attended has to be Connect Live, of course; the favorite I’ve organized was the San Jose 36, which ran the day before Connect Live 2019. This 36 offered a way for the attendees to get together and break the ice before the main event, but it also allowed some of the Googlers to join us in an informal setting before they had to run the big one.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone who’s about to host their first meet-up?
Spend some time thinking about what you want out of the meet-up and consult with your target audience to find out what they want. Then plan out your meet-up at least a few weeks in advance and publish it reasonably early and communicate it via Connect and socials. Get people excited and give them time to work it into their busy calendars. Plan out the day loosely, but don’t be afraid to adapt: if the meet-up is failing, change it up on the fly to suit the attendees. After the meet-up, reach out and get feedback on what was good, bad, and ugly to help run a better meet-up next time.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?
I love being a Local Guide because I enjoy helping other people and I know my contributions on Maps positively impact both local businesses and the people who use them. During the last couple of years where I’ve lived in the most locked-down city in the world, Local Guides and Maps have been an outlet. The need to keep my contribution streak going has encouraged me to find reasons to go out within the government health constraints, so I don’t forget what the outside looks like. That opened my eyes to all the cool things that were within five kilometers of my home.
Have you attended any of Paul’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.
Photography Leader.
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