Building a community

A huge part of Sam the Local is curating a group of Locals who love to share what they know about Hong Kong. Each person has unique knowledge that they can share with others and can in turn show others to see these things through private, customized experiences.

Each month, we do a gathering with our Sams/Locals that allow them to get to know one another, share their learnings, and learn about the great things about Hong Kong that others are privy to. Last night we had one such gathering to get together for Chinese New Year. It was really a great experience for all of us. Maggie and/or I have met each of the Locals in person before they come onto the platform through 1-hour trial Outings, but the Locals don’t always get the chance to meet the others, except see in the pictures on the website. As everyone settled in and went through introductions and we chatted, Maggie and I were able to more in-depth share each of the Locals’ passions and knowledge with the other Locals.

Some of the food we enjoyed throughout the night

Throughout the night, we talked about the favorite places that the Locals liked to go in Hong Kong, where there are vegetarian/vegan restaurants, the history of the tea culture in Hong Kong, places for scenic photographs, and so many other topics.Each time one of the Locals wanted to share a story or piece of history we didn’t know about, we would all lean in to hear more clearly.It made me really happy to see this community that we had built, where people who wouldn’t usually meet, were so intrigued with the knowledge others had.

As we discussed topics for future Locals’ Outings, areas that Sam the Local could improve, tips for the website, our growth in the past year, and best practices when showing customers around, I was really happy for each person to be so engaged to know more. The openness of each of the Locals to share what they knew and each person’s interest in learning how other people interacted with customers continues to empower Maggie and I to keep building this community of Locals. This was also great learning for those who did not yet have bookings and could learn from the experiences of others.

I am really glad that Maggie and I are able to share in this journey with our Locals, their willingness and interest in helping us grow and create positive experiences for our Explorers/customers, and showcase what a magnificent city Hong Kong is and all the hidden gems there are.

Squeezing onto a tram together as we journey to Dinner Part 2 to Dessert!

I’m looking forward to seeing this community continue to grow and that our Sams become the local friend each person can count on as they explore a city.

Thank you to this wonderful community of Sams/Locals!

Anita Chan is the Co-Founder of Sam the Local, a P2P platform that connects people to Locals for customized, interest-based experiences to explore Hong Kong.