Being a Yelp Elite member was one of my highlights of 2021. I wanted to share all of the cool events and experiences that I was invited to this year.
What you need to know about becoming Yelp Elite:
Being a Yelp Elite member is only offered in "big" cities.
First of all, you have to either be nominated to become a Yelp Elite member or nominate yourself. I nominated myself since I didn't know anyone who was a Yelp Elite member.
You actually have to nominate yourself or be nominated every year. There is a committee that reviews your profile at the end of every year. It is possible to lose your badge if you are not active!
Tips for becoming a Yelp Elite member:
1) Be active on Yelp
Check-in everywhere you go! It shows that you are active on Yelp and that you actually go out and try local businesses.
2) Take (good) pictures
I am a visual person, so I love pictures. I want to see pictures of the food, updated pictures of the menu, and pictures of the business.
3) Make your reviews detailed
Get your server’s name and call out any small details. People read reviews to learn about your experience. You’d be surprised how far writing about small details go.
Bonus tip: Showcase your interest on all platforms
I recommend following your local city’s Yelp Instagram page. I would like and comment on the @yelpindy Instagram page. I would visit local Indy businesses and tag them in my posts. This showed that I am an engaged member of my community and that I was active on social media platforms.
How Yelp Elite Events work
Emails are sent Tuesday mornings and they list all of the (virtual and in-person) events for the upcoming week. Some events are open to the public and some are for Yelp Elite members.
For the Yelp Elite events, you have to RSVP for them and it’s first come, first serve. So most of the time there will be a waitlist for events. You have to wait to get a confirmation email for the events before you can attend.
Yelp Elite Experiences
I enjoyed all of the Yelp Elite experiences that I have been a part of! I love discovering new local businesses and trying new cuisines that I normally wouldn’t gravitate towards.
This was one of the last Yelp Elite events that I attended for 2021. Yelp Elite members were given a choice of a Freakshake or a Ice Cream Donut sandwich.
I ordered a Gingerbread Ice Cream Donut sandwich! It was huge. I actually really liked the gingerbread ice cream because it had gingerbread chunks inside and wasn't too "gingerbready".
This was one of the only non-food related Yelp Elite events that I attended. I actually got off the waitlist for this event. It was a super fun event where I got a skincare consultation and got my makeup done.
The salon itself is beautiful! Upon arriving, I was greeted by the receptionist Shelby who gave me champagne. There were also cookies, macarons, and champagne lollipops.
I had such a pleasant experience here! The actual storefront is super small- they only have outdoor dining. The indoor is super cute with newspapers as the wallpaper.
I ordered a Beef empanada and also got a Buffalo Chicken empanada. They were both phenomenal. The sauce it came with was to die for; I wish I knew what was in it.
I was excited to check this place out because I heard good things about Gallery Pastry Bar's original location.
The free Yelp Elite item offered was the "It's Berry, B*tch" cocktail, which was super yummy (you couldn't even taste the alcohol). I loved the flower it came with. My friend ordered the Gallery Collins and enjoyed her drink as well.
The macarons we got were tasty. The blue one had a caramel filling and the purple one was light and sweet. I liked the blue one more.
I enjoyed my experience here! I have never really gone rock climbing before so I was excited for this Yelp Elite event. However, I didn't realize that the rock climbing was without ropes/harnesses. I went alone and tried rock climbing for 5 minutes but realized that it wasn't for me....
The facilities themselves are beautiful! I love how open and modern it is. Upstairs is the cafe, where they sell and serve food and beverages. I think it would be a great space to work at. For my free latte, I got a hot Maple Cinnamon latte with oat milk. The latte was good but not the best latte I've ever had.
I was so excited for this event and I think it's a great way to showcase local businesses!
I got the Mangonada because the pictures looked amazing. It was super yummy. I would describe it as a mango fro-yo with diced mangos and chili powder - but it wasn't actually spicy. I really enjoyed it and found it to be refreshing on a hot summer day.
The pizza was super good! I'm not normally a fan of deep dish but I really enjoyed my personal pan pizza I got. The toppings I chose wore pepperoni and mushrooms. I reheated my pizza when I came home and loved how crispy it turned out.
This was my last Yelp Elite event of the year. And oh my goodness, it was such a fun event. I was so impressed with all the decor. All of the festive vibes were there! They played Christmas music at a loud volume, but I was still able to have a conversation with a new friend I made at the event!
I got the Claus-mopolitan drink and highly recommend it!
I hope you enjoyed reading about my Yelp Elite experience for 2021! I can't wait to see what events and experiences will be offered in 2022 (fingers crossed I will still be Yelp Elite....).
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