What it's like to go a Yelp Elite event (YEE)

Yelp {Elite} events usually feature 3 F's:
1. Food, 2. fun, and 3. friends.
A few highlights: I've gotten invited to Yelp HQ in SF, went to Tahoe with Robbie B., Josey, and Sylvia, and dined on delectable dessert at Cinnabar Golf Course.

So how do you get invited to Yelp events?
Make friends with an Elite Yelper. Some events allow +1s, but recently many have been Elite-only, which I will detail how to obtain below. If you don't know someone who is Yelp elite - you can always try yourself (AKA what I did.) Here is  my journey:

In college I made a yelp account in November 2010 so I could share my experiences about eating and exploring restaurants along my food journey. I also like to upload my food pics so that they might be useful to others and so that it can serve as a memory of where I'e gone. Even though Yelp may seem like a collection of posts by a bunch of entitled assholes, it has been useful to find a particular dish or type of food and find places you otherwise wouldn't have gone to.

I wrote several reviews when I did the CAPPP program in Washington DC, and was invited to become a yelp Elite after becoming one of DC's "Top Yelpers of the Week."
(I still very much like chocolate milk.)

But alas, to be Elite, you need to be 21 years old (most of the events have tons of alcohol.) I was still 20 back then, so I could not join the Elite Squad.

I still consistently wrote reviews, was invited to Elite events back in Los Angeles, but it wasn't until Jocelyn renominated me to Elite that I got this wonderful email in 2015:

Hundreds of reviews later, I finally got the coveted Elite "badge" in my profile, and I still try to post food pics and write reviews so I can sample the best offerings from local restaurants, while meeting new people who also make food a big part of their life.

I just went to a Yelp Elite event tonight at Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, and even though it is awkward to go alone, I ended up reconnecting with a fellow Yelper I have known for maybe 2-3 years now and met new "foodies" in the Sacramento community. Besides dinners, the Yelp events are generally parties that have open bars or a good number of drink tickets, photo-booths, and lots of swag!


From being bougie with Jean at an Eyes Wide Shut winery, winning the Yelp Halloween blindfolded pumpkin carving contest with the help of Abby W., withstanding pain to my groin in my first spin class, to actually getting invited to HQ in San Francisco and speaking with engineers, Yelp truly embodies the spirit of sharing and has provided me so many fond memories. Yelp has been so enjoyable for me because one thing I love about life is sharing more experiences and spreading the word about good food and fun in the world!

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