Become a Google City Expert

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For the last six months I've been a Google City Expert. I review my favourite places via Google Maps, in exchange for invites to free Google events at some of the best places in Sydney. I've met some really trendy people and get to contribute content on one of the most popular platforms on the web.

To qualify for the program, I had to write 50 reviews up-front. To keep my membership, I write five new reviews a month. Unfortunately I was sick for the last event, which was a dinner and cruise around the Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney. It would have been a prime experience.

Here are some of the events that I have been to and that I hope to make you jealous of:

Des(s)erted on an IslandThis event was targeted at new-joiners. Private boats took us to Cockatoo Island where we had our private spot at the Island Bar. We got to try as many desserts as we wanted, made by the wonderful theinternetchef/posts Internet Chef, Bridget Davis .



My favourite was the gluten-free brownie. By far the best brownie I've ever had. I took the party box we received after the event, to work the next day and it blew the office away.

Drinks were provided and there was a temporary tattoo station. Of course I got one.



Lights! Camera! Action - a night at Madame Tussads

Madame Tussads was entirely booked out just for us. There were funny awards given out (recipients got trophies), prizes for best dressed and food and drinks were provided. We were also allowed to bring a plus 1 from outside the program. I'd plus 1 that on Google plus (somebody sound the bad joke siren).



Bar crawl with the experts

It's more than just events and expert status. It's also about meeting people who, like you, like to try out new things and know the best places to go in town.

I organised an event when I first joined, for Sydney experts to meet up and get to know each other. Google kindly funded some drinks, nibbles and Google merchandise (Google sunnies and stickers were about everywhere we went) for us to enjoy. We banked up a few places to review as we bar-crawled:

- Assembly Bar
- Papa Gede's
- Uncle Ming's
- Grandma's Bar



Not only do I get invited to some great events thrown by Google, there's an incentive to keep writing. Each month, the program runs a competition for the best reviews. Some of the latest competition prizes included molecular gastronomy cooking class at Zigi's, or one of a few Sydney experiences: "Harbour Bridge in a helicopter, zipping up the coast on the back of a Harley-Davidson and spinning up a storm on an extreme jet boat ride" (Google).

So get those 50 reviews up! This is a very rewarding program, you should definitely sign up.

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#fun_things_to_do
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%wnsydney