The Star Malaysia - Star2

The perks of being a Yelp Elite

- By JENN HarrIS

MORE than 300 men and women draped in black- and- white lace and sequins and tailored suits, their faces hidden behind feathered masks, mingled about the Vertigo event space in Glendale, California, on a recent evening for a masked ball.

Bartenders poured glasses of cognac and champagne while revellers vied for the best selfies, posing next to light fixtures wreathed in pearls and upon plush chaise longues.

The collective glow of smartphone­s illuminate­d most of the guests’ faces. They were paying close attention to every detail, commenting to one another on the food, meticulous­ly documentin­g each bite.

The elaborate masquerade ball is an exclusive event for the Los Angeles Yelp Elite Squad, a group of reviewers deemed worthy by a secret Yelp Elite Council. Yelp, of course, is the popular user- generated review website on which men and women nationwide rate restaurant­s, hotels and even nail salons.

Yelp started in 2004 and has grown to include more than 50 million businesses worldwide, providing anyone who has access to the Internet the chance to be a critic. The San Franciscob­ased company reported having more than 135 million unique visitors in 2014 and more than 71 million reviews on the site.

Yelp has been organising parties for its members since 2005; the Elite Squad launched in 2006. The secret Elite Council is like the Freemasons of the online review world: you know of its existence but little else.

But the perks of being an Elite member don’t quite live up to the level of secrecy surroundin­g the profile. You get a nifty badge next to your Yelp user name that says “Elite” and an invitation to parties, which often include free food, drinks and sometimes swag bags.

These Yelp- organised events can include trips to wine country and parties on yachts, in clubs and at restaurant­s.

To become a member, you either nominate yourself online, or the Elite Council chooses you. According to Katie Burbank, a Los Angeles Yelp Community manager who organises Yelp events for regular and Elite members, the frequency and quality of a user’s reviews are considered when deciding on Elite status.

Reviews of restaurant­s, hotels, barbershop­s and all kinds of businesses are included.

“When I became Elite, the whole world opened up,” said Ron Romero, a 36- year- old clothing company director from Burbank. Romero, who attended the masquerade with his wife, also an Elite member. Romero has more than 200 reviews on the site.

Jin Yoo- Kim, a 33- year- old filmmaker, is a gold badge Elite member. She has posted more than 1,050 reviews and has been an Elite member since 2007. YooKim has her eyes on a black badge.

In the Yelp Elite world, there are different badge levels, including gold and black. Gold means you’ve been an Elite member for five or more years; if you’re sporting a coveted black badge, you’ve been an Elite member for 10 or more years.

Yoo- Kim, who says her friends often tell her that when they Yelp a restaurant, her review shows up first, believes the badge comes with a certain amount of power on the site.

But according to Burbank, the biggest difference between Elites and regular Yelpers is the parties – and the swag.

Lisa Safley, a 32- year- old English teacher from Long Beach, has a black badge and has been an Elite member since 2005.

“One of the last gold badge events I went to was only 12 people and it was somewhere in Hollywood with dinner and wine pairings,” said Safley. “It was probably like a $ 100 dinner, so that’s nice.”

Yoo- Kim says she went to a gold badge party at the Capital Grille at the Beverly Center, where there was an ice sculpture and a cooking demonstrat­ion, and each guest left with steak rub and a US$ 25 ( RM95) coupon.

“There are events where nonElites go, and it just gets so crowded,” said Yoo- Kim, who remembers an event in a giant warehouse in downtown with hundreds of people. “That’s why I like the Elite events, because it’s kind of like being on a guest list.”

A private citywide guest list, with badges, ice sculptures – and steak rub. – Los Angeles Times/ Tribune News Service

 ??  ?? Lisa Safley, a yelp elite member, attends a monthly yelp- organised party for its elite members. — Los angeles times/ tribune news Service
Lisa Safley, a yelp elite member, attends a monthly yelp- organised party for its elite members. — Los angeles times/ tribune news Service

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