Google Local Guides is an exciting new program that allows users to contribute photos, reviews and data to Google Maps to help share information.

In 2016, Google hosted an international tech conference called the Local Guides Summit in San Francisco. This year they will be returning to the San Francisco area October 10-12.

The tech conference allows local guides from over 30 different countries to connect and collaborate together in a shared setting.

If you have not already signed up, head over to their main website for more information. Once you have an account, you can start gaining points by submitting reviews and photos to Google Maps. It will take some time to build up to level 5, but once you have obtained that level, Google provides server space, as well as opportunities to attend the Local Guides Summit each year.

Currently, I am on level 3 after adding photos and reviews causally for the past year. My photos have been seen over 140,000 times. Google does compensate users by providing cloud space to store photos, videos and online data.

If you are currently on level 5 as a local guide, the application process for the summit will be open from April 3 to the April 24.

Watch over the Local Guides Summit from 2016 with YouTube.