Goodbye, 2017! The InterNations Year in Retrospect

The Year InterNations Turned Ten

The defining moment of 2017 was probably our ten-year anniversary. When we founded the world’s first community for expats and global minds in September 2007, we had no idea if it would take off and soar like our mascot, the Albatross, or if it was going to be a brief adventure with a final crash landing.

Fortunately, a decade later, our journey is far from over. Not only has the InterNations Team learned a lot from ten years as a start-up: one major reason why it’s been smooth sailing so far is our busy and exciting community life.

For our anniversary events on 7 October and beyond, our InterNations Ambassadors and Consuls worldwide went out of their way to make it a truly memorable occasion. Close to 60,000 guests got together at 280 events around the globe, creating “the world’s longest birthday celebration”. 

From gathering in style at a black-tie gala in Rome to hosting a fundraiser for a good cause in São Paulo, everyone joined in this celebration of crossing borders, bridging cultures, and connecting global minds. If you’d like to relive some of the best moments, take the chance to (re-)watch our short highlight video!

Speaking of good causes: we now have almost 50 Changemakers Groups around the globe. In 2017, around 11,500 members have shared their time and talents with people in need: organizing games for kids in Japanese orphanages; cleaning beaches in the Philippines; preparing meals on wheels for senior citizens in Canada, and more. Not only do our Changemakers know how to put the “fun” in “fundraising”, but they also have a very hands-on approach when it comes to helping others.

InterNations Says “Thank You”! — What About You?

As always, a heartfelt thank you goes out to our more than 6,000 volunteers worldwide! By hosting the perfect event, sharing their hobbies at regular activities, or seizing the chance to support others, our Ambassadors and Consuls have made expat life a great experience. Not only on our birthday, but for an astounding 1.5 million people signing up for over 50,000 official events and activities, all year round.  

Remember: You as a member now have the opportunity to say thank you, too! When attending an event, you will receive a short email the following day, asking you to rate it.

For anyone who’d like to let the host know that they chose a great venue or how friendly and welcoming the atmosphere was, this is the chance to do so! We’d also love to hear your constructive criticism to find out how we could make these events even better. 

This year, we have already come up with a new feature to improve the events for our volunteers and members alike. Our Guest List Manager app makes it easier for the host to handle check-ins at our official events, significantly reducing waiting times at the entrance. 

Unique Insights into Expat Life with InterNations

We would also like to thank everyone who participated in the latest edition of the annual Expat Insider survey. Over 12,500 respondents living in 188 countries or territories and representing 166 nationalities shared their opinion on life abroad. The surprise “winner” of our 2017 country league table was Bahrain (1st out of 65 destinations), with its capital Manama also taking the lead in this year’s expat city ranking.

With the InterNations head office located in Munich, we were also curious to see how the city would fare compared to 50 other expat hotspots worldwide. According to our respondents, it has a high quality of urban living and offers great career opportunities, but expats often have a hard time getting settled. Well, we are definitely working on that — making Munich more welcoming, one event at a time.

If you want to read more about expat life, there’s not only the Expat Insider survey results, though. Don’t forget to explore the InterNations Magazine, offering unique perspectives on expat life around the globe. Launched in August, our magazine looks at life in our InterNations Communities, reveals great expat life hacks, and gives our members the opportunity to share their experiences abroad.

Things to Come…

For the year to come, we are already looking forward to many exciting projects: in 2018, we will be taking the InterNations App to the next level, presenting a design makeover for our entire website, and expanding our services by adding new business solutions for corporate clients. It’s certainly going to be another inspiring twelve months.

Enjoy the holiday season, have a wonderful new year, and see you all in 2018!