InterNations Blog

By now, the FIFA World Cup counts as old news, and even the euphoria in the wake of the German victory has died down.

However, at the InterNations office in Munich, we now have another soccer-related reason to celebrate: The first InterNations World Games series has just finished!

What are the InterNations World Games? – The local soccer tournaments in several InterNations Communities are part of our Volunteer Program.

“Why not give our members a strong sense of purpose in their Local Community?” InterNations founder Malte Zeeck describes the motivation for introducing the Volunteer Program in the first place.
“We can leverage our huge member base to make a difference on a global scale.”

Where and when did the InterNations World Games take place? – Our volunteers organized these fun activities in seven cities around the globe: Dallas, Dubai, Madrid, Moscow, Munich, Vienna, and Zurich.

The kick-off happened in Munich, as early as mid-June, just in time for the grand opening of the “official” World Cup. The finale, so to speak, took place in Moscow last weekend, on July 27.

Why did we come up with this idea? – With the InterNations World Games, we hoped to accomplish three goals that really matter to us:

- We wanted to increase awareness of the InterNations Volunteer Program in general.

- We intended to show a positive example of multicultural team spirit. We didn’t just want to do something for people in need; what’s also very important is to be inclusive and do it with them.

The refugees supported by the Volunteer Program in Munich and Vienna, for example, were invited to form their own teams and join in the competition. The Vienna World Games thus ended in a well-deserved triumph for the Caritas mixed squad from Nigeria and Afghanistan.

- Last but not least, we also planned to raise some funds on behalf of the local NPOs that our various Volunteer Groups cooperate with.

“The World Games activity was perfectly timed. It served as a great platform for promoting our recently formed Volunteer Program in Dallas and the fund-raising efforts underway.” Looks like our three Group Consuls from the Dallas area, Sanjeeb, Shalah, and Doaa, scored a hit with their tournament!

Who benefits from the InterNations World Games? – As mentioned above, every Volunteer Group works together with a local non-profit which they provide with regular and sustainable support.

In the seven World Games cities, the respective NPOs include household names like Caritas or the Red Cross; they aid refugees, orphans, or homeless families, as well as impoverished children or kids with special needs.

On behalf of these people and the entire InterNations team, we’d like to thank everyone who made this victory possible.

A special thank you goes to our local sponsors in Madrid (Schindler Group), Munich (Sat 1 / Club Padel München / Sony Music & Entertainment), and Vienna (Sportanlage KSV Siemens Grossfeld), who provided us with t-shirts for our youngest participants, great prizes for our winners, and the gracious offer of a free venue for the day!

Of course, heartfelt thanks go to our Group Consuls in all the InterNations Communities who got involved, to the volunteers who helped to organize the tournaments and made sure they ran smoothly, and to the over 300 attendees who came to participate, cheer on the players, and have fun for a good cause.

And unlike the FIFA World Cup, the InterNations World Games will hopefully return next year. Here’s to 2015!

You haven’t been there? Just have a look for yourself!

InterNations World Games 2014 from InterNations on Vimeo.

(Image credit: 1) Arun Amirtham 2) InterNations 3) Franz Schnedl; video credit: InterNations)

Filed under: InterNations Events & Activities, InterNations News, InterNations Team News on July 31st, 2014 | No Comments »

What would you take with you to a desert island? When we posed this question in the InterNations office, answers were predictably diverse, but not always serious. Here’s a look at some of the funnier suggestions on what (not) to take with you.

Prompted by the changeable summer weather, quite a few InterNations staffers have found themselves dreaming of crystal clear waters, sandy shores, and calm island life instead of working in a busy city.

Which got us wondering: What would we take with us to a desert island? You may have already had a read through our more serious list of suggestions.

However, among knives, sunscreen, and building equipment, there were also some less serious answers to be found. Here are the InterNation team’s top 3 things (not) to bring to a desert island.

Your Whole Library

True, bringing a book with you for entertainment and survival purposes is generally not a bad idea. Even if you get tired of reading the same old text, paper can at least be used to make a fire.

The range of reads suggested by the InterNations staff, however, surprised even the bookish members of the Editorial Office. From books on reincarnation (to feed the imagination) to Daniel Defoe’s famous novel Robinson Crusoe (“He managed somehow!”), there seems to have been something for every taste.

But let’s be honest, would you really schlep The Complete Works of William Shakespeare with you to a remote island? Our alternative suggestion: someone develop a solar-powered eBook reader, please!

A Monkey

Life on a desert island is bound to get lonely at one point or another. Having company, even if only in the form of a pet, is not such a bad idea.

One of our colleagues even had a very particular species in mind: a monkey! Her reasoning? “It can not only entertain me, but also get the bananas and coconuts off the trees for me.”

Thinking about it, this really does sound like a good idea. And who knows, if you are already proficient with training animals, you may be able to get any native monkeys to do the same. King or Queen of the Monkeys has a nice ring to it.

Batman

Looking at the various answers, you could usually tell very quickly how serious a person took the task.

Mini-bar, ice-cream machine, and an X-Box are realistically not going to help you much after a shipwreck. Better bring a knife, medication, and a rescue flare!

Or go all out and take Batman along with you, as one InterNations staffer suggested:

“Batman is always good at getting out of situations. I figure he’ll help me.”

DC Comics may disagree, though.

(Image credit: 1) 1623 Shakespeare First Folio edition, public domain 2) Bali: The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary by flickr user William Cho 3) Batman Artwork by Wikimedia Media Commons user Nicholas Gemini)

Filed under: Global Insights, Guest Author, Humour on July 24th, 2014 | No Comments »

Same procedure as every year: the latest version of Mercer Consulting’s annual Cost of Living Survey is making the rounds again. The yearly report takes a look at expatriate expenses, from housing over food to leisure, in more than 200 cities around the world.

Just like last year’s top ten list, the 2014 ranking shows a sharp divide: The paradoxically cost-intensive capitals of two rather poor countries contrast with various affluent cities. Once more, the list unites the boomtowns of Asia and the consistently high living standard of stable Switzerland.

The 10 Costliest Destinations

• Luanda, Angola
• N’Djamena, Chad
• Hong Kong
• Singapore
• Zurich, Switzerland
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Tokyo, Japan
• Bern, Switzerland
• Moscow, Russia
• Shanghai, China

A Closer Look at Luanda and N’Djamena

Luanda still ranks at the very top of the Mercer table, while N’Djamena has moved up a little from #4 in 2013.

However, if you have a look at the world’s gross domestic products by state, neither Angola nor Chad count among the wealthier countries by any stretch of the imagination. Their GDPs, as compared on a purchasing power parity basis, rather imply very low living standards for the average resident.

Why then are they such expensive destinations for expatriates? And why do expats keep moving there? While most people will hardly think of either city as a premier destination, both Luanda and N’Djamena do have a well-established expat community.

In N’Djamena, the foreign community mostly consists of diplomatic staff, employees of humanitarian organizations, and corporate assignees. Since 2003, the lion’s share of Chad’s national wealth has come from the petroleum sector; international companies, mainly from the US and China, have invested there.

Oil is also one of Angola’s key income sources, and both countries boast other natural resources as well, such as diamonds, gold, or uranium. Moreover, unlike unstable Chad, Angola has now put an end to almost three decades of violent unrest and civil war (1975-2002).

The development of Angola’s damaged and much neglected infrastructure requires plenty of qualified personnel, including hire from abroad. The Eurozone crisis makes the former Portuguese colony, with its fast-growing economy and construction boom, pretty popular among youngish immigrants from Portugal.

But life in these cities comes at a price. In places where a significant percentage of the local population lives under the poverty line, adequate accommodation, security measures, and imported consumer goods are all luxuries, which force you to dig deep into your pocket.

From Singapore to Switzerland

The rest of the list requires far fewer explanations for the casual reader. Hong Kong and Singapore have long been (in)famous for their elevated costs of expat living. In the two city states, space is limited, which leads to lots of high-rise buildings as well as soaring real estate prices.

Furthermore, in those meccas of capitalism and global finance, government aid for lower income groups is frequently limited to locals and long-term residents. Plenty of expats who move there for a career boost thus receive competitive salaries, but they are definitely going to need the money!

If Singapore is often called the “Switzerland of Asia”, then Switzerland should perhaps be considered the “Singapore of Europe”: a relatively small country with a highly skilled labor force, a well-developed service sector, a strong finance and insurance industry, and a general reputation for prosperity and stability.

All these factors spell “excellent standard of living”. Alas, it also means paying the equivalent of five US dollars for a simple cup of coffee in beautiful Zurich (and we’re talking just coffee, black or with milk, not a big blended caramel frappuccino).

The Impact of Fluctuating Currencies

Speaking of US dollars: Some of the changes in the ranking are simply due to currency fluctuations. New York City (#16) is used as a base of comparison, and the prices are also compared in USD. Any year-to-year change in exchange rates is therefore reflected in the study.

This explains why both Tokyo and Moscow have dropped a few ranks since 2013. When measured against the US currency, both the Japanese yen and the Russian ruble are now slightly weaker than they were last year.

The Chinese yuan, on the other hand, has strengthened. Therefore, Shanghai – indeed one of China’s most expensive places – is the first city in mainland China to move up among the Mercer top 10.

(Source: Mercer.com; image credit: 1) Hong Kong Skyline: A Symphony of Lights by flickr user WiNG) 2) Delapidated apartment building in Luanda, Angola by flickr user Martin H. 3) Zürich and Lake Zürich by Wikimedia Commons user MadGeographer 4) 100 ruble banknote 2013, public domain)

Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Moving to Another Country, Polls & Surveys on July 16th, 2014 | 51 Comments »

After our beta testers were invited to try out our new networking features, they sent us lots of positive and helpful feedback.

Many of you let us know that you’d like to see your sent pending contact requests, as well as those that you’ve received. Therefore we will be adding a sent contact requests page to the feature.

Plenty of InterNations members shared their suggestions on enhancing the usability and design of our messaging interface. We will release an updated version of that feature at an upcoming stage in our ongoing relaunch. Your feedback will help us in making it as user-friendly as possible.

Last but certainly not least, you also contributed to helping us fix some bugs, thus ensuring that the networking features are ready for the general roll-out among all InterNations members.

A big thank you to all our beta testers! If you’re interested in joining them, you can still sign up for our beta testing program!

Filed under: InterNations News, InterNations Website on July 15th, 2014 | No Comments »

Have you already signed up for our InterNations beta testing program? As a beta tester, you will be part of an exclusive group: the first members to see and try those parts of our website that are going through a major relaunch.

Today, we have just released the first round of changes to update an essential part of the InterNations website — the features that help you manage your international contacts and network with other expats and global minds.

New Networking Experience for Beta Testers

Here’s what our beta testers can try out:

* Connecting with other InterNations members is now a lot easier. You can add them faster to your network. You may still add a personal message if you wish, but this part is now optional.

* The page for contact requests sports a brand-new look: The design is sleek and simple, and more importantly, we have increased its general user-friendliness.

* It really matters to us that all our members feel comfortable and safe when using our website. Therefore, we have added a new functionality to networking on InterNations: You can now block another member from twinkling you, as well as sending you a contact request or a personal message.

Give It a Try and Have Your Say

We hope that the first installment of our site relaunch will enhance your InterNations user experience. Just check out the screenshot in this entry, or try out the new features yourself on InterNations.

If you aren’t a beta tester yet, there’s still time to sign up for the beta testing program!

Got any suggestions regarding the new networking functions? Need to ask us some questions about this part of the relaunch?

Feel free to leave a comment below!

Please understand that we may not be able to reply to everyone individually. However, we will indeed read every comment and do our best to accommodate your input and clarify open questions.

Thank you for your support!

(Image credit: InterNations — To see a full-sized version of the new contact requests page, please click on the small screenshot included above.)

Filed under: InterNations News, InterNations Website on July 7th, 2014 | 1 Comment »

When I described saying good-bye to Catharina, our long-term Local Ambassador in Madrid, a few months ago, I promised to be back with exciting news concerning our InterNations Community in the Spanish capital. This time, my visit to Madrid was again a very special one.

In March, after Catharina stepped down as InterNations Ambassador to move back to Germany, we found our very first Community Manager to support our expat members on location. After a thorough recruiting process (we received more than 300 applications!), we finally welcomed Christoph to this new position.

Meet Christoph, our New Man in Madrid

Christoph was born in Mainz, a historical German city in the Rhine-Main area, famous for its carnival celebrations. After finishing secondary school, he moved to nearby Wiesbaden to do his one-year community service in a home for people with disabilities – an experience that left a lasting impression. He spent some time in Wiesbaden, but became increasingly sick and tired of everyday life in Germany.

In search of adventure he escaped literally to the ends of the earth: He packed his bags and went to New Zealand for six months, long before the Internet and staying in touch across the globe became a thing. He enjoyed meeting the relaxed and friendly “Kiwis”, as well as exploring New Zealand’s amazing scenery.

“Down under”, he figured out what he wanted to do in the long run: Returning to Germany, Christoph graduated in Cultural Studies and Management from the University of Leipzig. There, he started his career as an intern at the Leipzig Opera House – and eventually became the Executive Director of Leipzig Ballet.

Since Christoph married a Spanish expat woman, the couple decided to leave Germany for Madrid in 2005. Once arrived, Christoph was very busy behind the scenes: First, he worked as the Executive Producer of big musicals like Chicago or The Lion King, then as the Executive Director of the Spanish National Ballet.

In 2013, however, he took off a year from work to spend more time with his family, after so many years in 24/7 jobs, exciting though they were. Fortunately for us, Christoph was looking for a new challenge when we were looking for our first Community Manager!

InterNations Community Manager: a Short Profile

The reasons for introducing this position mostly come down to this: We’d like to offer our InterNations Ambassadors and Group Consuls more direct, hands-on support, thus creating an even more vibrant local life for our Madrid Community.

Christoph’s responsibilities include selecting and supporting the Ambassadors and Consuls, organizing all official InterNations Events, and coordinating the InterNations Activities in our highly dynamic group section.

With more than 21,000 members, Madrid has now established itself as one of our Top 10 InterNations Communities worldwide. Every week, another large InterNations Event takes place in one of the city’s top locations.

It is now Christoph’s task to organize these huge gatherings, with over 300 attendees each, and to ensure that our expat crowd in Madrid can attend various great event venues. Recently, they’ve explored several locations with rooftop terraces to make the most of Madrid’s mellow summer nights.

In addition to our Madrid Events, there are around 60 InterNations Activity Groups in town, which organize at least one activity per month. Our Albatross Members in Madrid can, on average, choose among two different activities each day!

Theresa (our Head of Community Management) and I met up with Christoph on the rooftop terrace of the Círculo de bellas artes for a business lunch. We wanted to talk to the venue’s manager about organizing an InterNations Event there, and we needed to discuss the Group Consul kick-off meeting scheduled for later that night.

The views of the cityscape were amazing, and a few light showers of rain couldn’t scare off the patrons. Everyone just held up an umbrella while continuing to eat and talk and relax outside.

Kick Off! The First Group Consul Meeting in Madrid

At 19:30, the Consul kick-off session (the first of three) started at Macadamia. The informal tapas bar with its relaxed ambience was perfect for a presentation and casual networking among global minds.

What was the idea behind this meeting? It was quite simple, really: Get all Madrid Ambassadors and Group Consuls together to introduce them to Christoph, as well as each other.

We could explain our global mission and vision, and they had the chance to tell us what drives our Group Consuls, what they like about InterNations, and what’s bothering them. Over Spanish fingerfood and delicious drinks, everyone could share their personal story about why they’d decided first to join InterNations and then to become a Group Consul.

The 20 Group Consuls in attendance all agreed that they’d started or taken over an Activity Group because they just like sharing their hobbies with other international people. They are all socially active people who believe in the idea of InterNations – to bring members from various cultures together.

As happens so often when I get to meet our members, I was hugely impressed by the diversity of interests, backgrounds, and personalities.

For example, there was Asel from Kyrgyztan, who runs the “Follow the Silk Road” group, aiming to bring the culture of various Central Asian countries a little closer to Madrid. One member, Jorge, organizes an impressive five groups in total: He’s the Consul of both the popular “Madrid Singles” Group and a variety of Activity Groups for sports enthusiasts.

Anna from Moscow is one of the Consuls for our Volunteer Program Group, which cooperates closely with Soñar Despierto, an NPO supporting underprivileged children and their families. Two of our three Madrid Ambassadors also joined us: Joy, the polyglot in charge of “Language Exchange”, and Roberto, one of the global minds behind the “Global Nomads”.

These are but a few of the people I met that night: There are Activity Groups for dogwalkers, for salsa dancers, for expat women, for hobby photographers, and many more.

The Future of InterNations Community Life

The Group Consuls had something else in common: Once Christoph finished his presentation, they all had tons of questions to ask and lots of experience to share. The brainstorming effect of that initial session worked out really well.

Oftentimes, they were able to answer their fellow consuls’ questions and give one another tips. They invited one another to their upcoming InterNations Activities, and plenty of contact details were exchanged.

However, one common concern arose that evening: Most Group Consuls are rather bothered by the tendency among certain members to sign up for various InterNations Activities, but never show up. As soon as money is involved (e.g. for concert tickets, restaurant bookings, etc.), this becomes a major problem.

As a next step for finding best-practice solutions to such issues and just having a good time together, Christoph suggested a monthly “Stammtisch” for Group Consuls: an informal meet-up to discuss their experience and catch up with one another.

The following morning, during our team breakfast at the Hotel de las Letras, the three of us were really thrilled about the positive community spirit that characterized our first meeting with the Madrid Group Consuls.

By now, we’ve found a Community Manager for Munich to further test this model, and we are currently thinking about adding a third city. Who knows? Maybe there’ll be community managers and InterNations offices in all our top communities one day…

(Image credit: Malte Zeeck / InterNations)

Filed under: InterNations Communities, InterNations Events & Activities, InterNations News, InterNations Team News on July 3rd, 2014 | No Comments »

It’s time to celebrate! In July, InterNations will be scheduling special Events and Activities to honor our nearly 400 vibrant Local Communities around the world.

This month’s theme is “Celebrate Your Community!”, so don’t forget to thank and toast all the amazing people who are spreading the InterNations spirit across the globe:

• our Local Ambassadors, who regularly host so many great get-togethers for their international guests
• our Group Consuls, who create countless Activities for other expats and global minds with the same interests
• the participants in our InterNations Volunteer Program, who give back to less privileged people in their communities
• all the InterNations members who enjoy getting connected online as well as offline

In addition to fêting our active community life, the theme is also supposed to provide a local twist to the ideas that our InterNations Ambassadors and Consuls come up with. This is the perfect opportunity to get creative and provide especially our expat members with a local-style experience or treat.

For example, in Lugano event attendees can take advantage of the Ticino’s warm summers and picturesque lake: They will be chilling under the July sun at the Lido di Agno, aka Golfo di Sole, one of the region’s most popular public beaches.

The San Francisco Community has decided to combine their international event with the 4th of July celebrations for Independence Day in the US. Thus, they can all watch the fireworks display over the waterfront together.

And a bit further to the north than sunny California, the InterNations Malmö Community explores one of the most charming and authentic corners in town, the quaint historical neighborhood of St Gertrud, which now hosts a conference center, several pubs and restaurants, and a quiet courtyard.

These are only three upcoming gatherings from our InterNations Event Calendar for July. Just check our site to see how your Local Community celebrates!

Of course, our Activity Groups also have plenty of fun in store. Social Nations Malta, for instance, will attend the local Marsovin Wine Festival, dedicated to Maltese vintages; Dinner Nations Oslo tries some traditional Norwegian cuisine, and one of our groups in Istanbul invites you to a Turkish weekend brunch with a splendid view of the Bosporus.

Yes, in July there’ll be indeed plenty of time and reason to celebrate, no matter where you are. Enjoy!

(Image credit: 1) InterNations 2) Fireworks in San José, California, 4th of July 2007 by Wikimedia Commons user Ian Kluft)

Filed under: InterNations Events & Activities, InterNations News on June 25th, 2014 | No Comments »

Right now, football fever has plenty of fans worldwide firmly in its grasp. But what about those folks who don’t care much about the FIFA World Cup 2014? (Yes, they do exist.)

What should they do to keep busy until the big finale on July 13? And what have the footie fanatics got to look forward to once the spectacle is over?

So, here’s our list of five fun activities for all expats who think there’s more to summer than soccer!

1) Attend an open-air concert.

No matter where you are living at the moment, every major town has at least a couple of music events that take place outdoors. Smaller, local ones are often for free, whereas large international festivals are tourist attractions in their own right.

The younger generation in particular will be flocking to the many rock and pop events around the world: to Glastonbury in the UK, Roskilde in Denmark, or Vienna’s Danube Island, to cite but a few famous venues. There’s even an annual rock festival at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan!

However, if you’re like me, you may think that your days of camping in the mud and sharing clogged showers with drunken teens are rapidly coming to an end. More mature music lovers might prefer enjoying their favorite arias or classical masterpieces in a spectacular setting – for instance, in Verona’s amphitheater or on a floating stage on Lake Constance.

If you’re in the UK, don’t miss out on the popular “proms”. Though they are held indoors, mostly in the venerable Royal Albert Hall, it’s an entire summer chock full of classical and contemporary “serious” music. The anything but serious Last Night of the Proms can also be watched outdoors on gigantic screens in Hyde Park.

2) Go fruit-picking.

Right now, it’s still strawberry season here in Germany, and every single food magazine available at supermarket checkouts seems to be advertising their most popular berry recipes. Just check what’s literally ripe for picking in your area and plan a daytrip to the countryside on the next weekend!

If you like planning in advance, you may also consider a mini-break in late summer or early autumn when the local harvest season starts. Depending on your location or destination, it’s then time for gathering apples, grapes, olives, and more.

Quite a few agricultural estates offer visitors the chance to participate in the harvest. It’s an excellent opportunity to get some exercise in the fresh air, buy fresh produce, and try your hand at a local recipe or two. Have fun!

3) Enjoy star-gazing.

What could be more romantic than sitting outside on a mellow summer night, watching the sun set and the stars appear slowly in the night sky?

This summer – especially the month of August – is also a good season for hobby astronomers: It should be easy to observe several fascinating phenomena like the closest and largest full “supermoon” of the year, or a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, the brightest planets in the sky.

To truly appreciate such astronomical events, you should take a trip away from all major cities and larger towns. The “light pollution” from urban areas is usually too much of a distraction.

For the same reason, the very best places on earth to look heavenward are actually found in Chile’s deserts and mountains. There’s even such a thing as “astronomical tourism” to Chilean observatories for the truly dedicated astronomy geeks.

Even if you aren’t much of a science nerd, you shouldn’t miss out on the Perseis Meteor Shower on August 12 and 13. Just count the falling stars and make a wish for each and every one!

4) Never go to bed at all.

If you’re in for the exact opposite of star-gazing, then look for northern places where the sun doesn’t set. In midsummer, from around June 12 to July 1, you simply need to cross the Arctic Circle to soak in the midnight sun.

But even somewhat further to the south, the so-called “midnight twilight” is pretty widespread at this time of the year. In Saint Petersburg, the long hours of sunshine are known as “White Nights”, giving their name to one of the city’s most popular arts and culture festivals as well.

If you would rather combine the midnight sun and the rugged outdoors, you might plan an adventure holiday in such destinations as Alaska, Iceland, Greenland, the North Cape, or Svalbard.

The latter – a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean – is home to seven national parks, nearly two dozen nature reserves, and about 3,000 polar bears. So you might be rather careful when you go hiking, fossil-hunting, kayaking, or horse riding there!

5) Get soaking wet.

If you want to have some fun in the cool water, your next summer holiday could be a good opportunity to explore one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

Die-hard football fans who are already in Brazil should rejoice: The pristine Baia do Sancho, on the Fernando de Noronha islands off the north-eastern coast, isn’t only a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it also ranks regularly as the loveliest beach around the globe.

Fortunately, there are beautiful coastlines in less remote places as well. For instance, Rhossili Bay in Wales and Sicily’s Rabbit Beach have their ardent admirers, too.

But what if there’s not enough time or money for a beach holiday this year? A stay at the nearest waterpark can be just as fun.

Thrill-seekers might be interested in locations in Brazil or the Bahamas. Those amusement parks offer the world’s allegedly tallest and fastest water slide, or a transparent tunnel through a shark-infested lagoon, respectively.

But the largest indoor water park is actually not located in an especially exotic place. “Tropical Islands” occupies a former aircraft hangar in the countryside near … Berlin, Germany.

And what’s on your to-do list for this summer?

(Image credit: 1) Glastonbury Festival 2011 by flickr user jaswooduk 2) Fresh Strawberries from Sanok, Poland 2013 by Wikimedia Commons user Silar 3) Perseis Meteor Shower by USDA Forest Service, Coconino National Forest 4) Midnight Sun in Finland by Wikimedia Commons user Catrin1000 5) Baia do Sancho, Brazil by Wikimedia Commons user CCintra)

Filed under: Adventures Abroad, Expat Advice on June 18th, 2014 | No Comments »

Edyta, an InterNations member and Activity Group Consul in the Netherlands, addresses all those mysterious “Ghost RSVP’ers” in her open letter.

If you think you might be infected by the “Ghost RSVP’er” disease, I highly encourage you to get a cup of a good coffee, sit down comfortably and read my letter carefully.

My name is Edyta, and since last year I have been a Consul for one of the InterNations Activity Groups in The Hague, The Netherlands. As much as I like being a Consul and I believe that initiative is what keeps the world running, I have considered quitting. The only reason for that were the “Ghost RSVP’ers”: members who repeatedly click “attend” on multiple activities, without ever actually showing up.

Please do not get me wrong: It has happened to me, too, to skip events organized by my colleagues, even though I was on the guest list.

You are looking forward to an InterNations Activity, you are ready to leave the office, when suddenly your supervisor stops you and hands you a critical task, which needs to be finished immediately. You stay in the office, you miss the activity, and you have no chance to change your attendance status on time.

This happens to all of us, and skipping an activity or two does not make you a “Ghost RSVP’er”. Ghost RSVP’ers click “attend” for all other reasons than the actual intention to attend the activity, and they do it repeatedly. A very weird phenomenon, most probably very familiar to all Consuls.

After some simple experiments and chats with other Consuls, I realized that the problem is rather easy to solve. When an InterNations Activity was posted without mentioning anything about the RSVP, the turn up was around 50%, depending on the nature of the activity.

When the activity description was clearly labeled on the bottom, a bit like an alcohol commercial or a pack of cigarettes, asking the members to “RSVP wisely”, the percentage rose to around 70%. In one of the latest activities I went even further and sent a private message to all guests subscribed.

The result of my message? Incredible. The turn up was probably around 90%, and the day after I received two messages with short apologies from those who could not make it.

People are great. Communication is what makes the difference, and a lack of it is the source of most of our problems. The guest list is communication! By clicking “attend”, you communicate to the Group Consul and other members: “I find it interesting and I am planning to attend the event.”

However, the guest list is not a field to promote yourself, to support the idea without the intention to join, or whatever other reason you have for clicking to join.

Three reasons why you should never turn into a repeat “Ghost RSVP’er”:

Your profile on InterNations is your personal brand. Carefully chosen picture, professional profile description, etc. You try to brand yourself as well as you can; you try to show yourself at your best. The message seems positive, but the actions are what matters.

Will you trust a brand if the products are failing you over and over again? If you click “attend” randomly on all events, but you never show up – this is how others will remember you.

The attendance list is not a black hole; your name and picture won’t disappear unnoticed if you do not show up repeatedly. It is an important tool for Group Consuls, and yes, the Consuls have a really hard time filtering all ghosts from the guest list when estimating the actual number of attendees.

“30 people subscribed? Let’s see… 5 master ghosts (‘They are always clicking “attend” on all events I create, but I have never actually even met them in person!’) and 5 aspiring ghosts (‘Did not show up a couple of times, so who knows what will happen this time?’); I should better make a reservation for 20 people. Or should I make it 15? But what if they all show up?” Dear Consuls, does this sound familiar?

Just like fortunetellers, it seems that Group Consuls need to be able to predict the future. If we overestimate the number of guests, the restaurant owners will claim we are to blame. If we underestimate it and not everyone has a place to sit – we are also to blame for being bad Group Consuls. I must admit that being a Consul really helps you to refresh all the statistics lectures on calculating probabilities you had in college!

Then we arrive at the second point: If you avoid becoming a “Ghost RSVP’er”, you do not only make the life of us InterNations Consuls easier, but also your own.

Will you take a person seriously who promised you something three times, but never actually did it? It is a natural human reaction to ignore that person.

If you skipped three events in a row, but suddenly decide to attend the fourth one, do not be surprised if you do not meet the group in the announced meeting place. They may have changed their mind about the venue and might be already in another restaurant. No one waited for you because they’d already waited for you three times in vain.

And above all, because of the ghosts, the InterNations Activity Groups may not grow as much as they could: Their full potential is not used, there isn’t as much variety as there could be, the activities are not as frequent as they might be, and a lot of great ideas stay forever hidden in the minds of the Consuls, never to be actually realized.

How many Consuls might decide to quit and leave their groups abandoned and facing a slow death? Among those who still decide to keep up their task: How many great ideas are abandoned? Because of the unreliable nature of the guest list, the Group Consuls will avoid exposing themselves to a high risk.

Organizing a simple meet-up for after-work drinks, where everyone pays his or her own bill, is not a high-risk event. The only negative thing which could happen is receiving “that look” from the restaurant’s manager: “Are those the thirty people you expected? Really? What kind of unreliable friends do you have?”

Please remember that the Consuls of our InterNations Activity Groups are not professional event managers; they do it voluntarily, and they do it for you. If they book, for example, a venue based on the number of people subscribed and less than one third shows up, they may end up with a serious financial problem to sort out.

If the guest lists were reliable, the Group Consuls would be more willing to organize more complex, more interesting, more special activities by taking bigger risks. But unfortunately, until the “Ghost RSVP’ing” disappears, what we will see the most will be simple “coffees” or “drinks” all over and over again.

So please remember: It is all about communication and simple human interactions. Someone is counting on you! So if you change your plan, please change your status.

You completely forgot or it was too late to change it? I think your Consul would appreciate a short message; at least he or she will know you take it seriously next time.

Let’s all together try to make the guest lists more reliable and avoid the “Ghost RSVP’ing”, and it would benefit us all.

(Image credit: iStockphoto)

Filed under: Guest Author, InterNations Events & Activities on June 18th, 2014 | No Comments »

As you may already have heard, there are big changes for InterNations ahead: Our site relaunch is coming, and we’re going to need your help.

Why are we starting the relaunch?

We want to provide you with the best possible experience on our entire website and offer enhanced usability to all our members.

Thanks to the relaunch, this will apply regardless of where and which device you are accessing InterNations from: your PC on your desk at home or your smartphone in the airport lounge.

What are we planning?

We’ve got plenty of updated features in store for you. Among other things, we are looking forward to present

• - mobile-friendly usability for key areas of our portal
• - a personalized calendar for all our Events and Activities
• - a new networking tool for getting to know other expats and global minds in a one-on-one setting
• - clear design and intuitive navigation
• - a “makeover” for your profile page to better reflect your expat history and international lifestyle

Who can assist us with valuable feedback?

All InterNations members are invited to become beta testers, as well as to check out the preview of our new member profile.”Newbies” and long-term members, regular visitors or people who only log in once in a while – we are happy to receive everybody’s input!

How does this work?

• - Want to give us feedback on the planned profile page? Have a look at this blog entry and just leave a comment over there!
• - Interested in joining the beta testing program? Then sign up here to participate.

All participants in our beta testing program will be the first to get to try out new features. If you sign up as an InterNations Beta Tester, we will notify you immediately once we have an exciting site update ready for you.

Thank you for your support! You can make a difference and help us create an optimized website experience for all InterNations members.

Filed under: InterNations News, InterNations Website on June 4th, 2014 | 8 Comments »