In a few weeks I am heading to Chicago for another round of Bloggy Boot Camp. This will be my 4th blog conference which is kind of crazy to me!
I have 2 scheduled for Spring and probably 2-3 more next Summer/Fall.
Blog Conferences are a great way to meet new people, network, and learn amazing new things. I can’t tell you know much I learned that the last Bloggy Boot Camp that I have already implemented in my blog.
But before you pack up and head out to a blog conference be it one day in your city or a few days away to a city you’ve never been to there are some things I find helpful to know.
1. The City: Have you been there? Are you familiar with it? Do you know how you are getting from the airport to the hotel? Do you know if the hotel has Wifi? Is the hotel near a Starbucks(yes this is something I research). Are you going to have free time while you’re there? Do you want to try a new restaurant, see some of the sights, go shopping? Do a little research and find out whats close by. Nothing is worse than going to a new city and spending the entire time at a hotel. If the conference is in your city figure out what time to leave your house, what is the parking situation? Should you stay the night at the hotel?
2. What to wear. I get asked this question ALL THE TIME…What should I wear to a blog conference. For the last Bloggy Boot Camp I did leggings, a chambray top, a cardigan and boots. For the Chicago BBC the weather is going to be a very different story. November in Chicago=cold. Lots of layers will be packed in that giant suitcase of mine. I find it best to go the comfy but cute route. You will no doubt be in a zillion pictures, you will also be sitting a lot, standing a lot, and doing a lot of walking(especially at Blissdom). Some ideas for comfy but cute clothes are:
-Leggings or Skinny Jeans
-Toms, Flats, Riding Boots
-Scarves, Cardigans, a light jacket
-Cute studs, a fun necklace, a cocktail ring
3. What to bring during the day: I have a list of musts in my tote bag: iPad, sometimes laptop, Camera, Phone Charger, laptop charger, 3-4 pens, 2 notebooks, a bottle of water, gum/mints, lip gloss, business cards, granola bars/dry cereal. Bloggy Boot Camp was my first conference where I did not bring my laptop and honestly I didn’t miss it. My bag was lighter and my iPad stays charged A LOT longer! If you have a netbook, or a tablet I suggest having that instead of the laptop.
4. Speaking of Business Cards: YOU MUST HAVE THEM! If you want some amazing designed business cards I highly suggest Jenn @ Munchkinland Designs. She did mine and I got SO MANY compliments on them. There are also great sites like VistaPrint and MooCards. You can find a great variety in both price, quality and designs! Just make sure you have enough. If you are in love with your design like me get 500, or get 250 but 100 is not usually enough…from experience I can tell you this.
5. Remember to SMILE: Put your best foot and face and smile forward 🙂 Walk up to a stranger and say hi…I did that at BBC and met the fabulous Jen! Hi Jen! She lives and Dallas and one of these days we are gonna go get many glasses of wine 🙂 You never know what connections you will make and you never know what you’re going to learn so just be friendly and open.
I am no expert on blog conferences, these are just the things I find helpful and wish I had known before my first conference. Regardless if it is your first or tenth conference you will always learn new things. If you happen to be going to Bloggy Boot Camp Chicago come say hi to me!!
Have a great Monday!
Good advice! Just pinned it 🙂 Xo
Thanks doll!
Great advice, Neely! Hopefully I can make it to a big conference soon! 🙂
You should come to blissdom!!
Thanks so much for sharing this!! I am saving for my first blog conference next summer and this was so helpful as I mental think through what the conference will entail. 🙂
I promise they are super fun!
Love the advice! Hoping to get to a conference sometime.
I loved meeting you friend!!!
These are great ideas! Now only if I had the money to go to these conferences!
Love all this Neely! I am kinda thinking about attending Blissdom, but DAMN it’s in Dallas instead of my town Nashville this year – the first time I really want to go. Oh well! I don’t even have my blog public yet but I’m thinking it would be a fantastic experience where I would learn a lot and meet all the fab gals like you! Thanks for sharing your insight!
i’d love to read up on all these conferences, where to find them? Anyone know if there are some in the bay area?
Neely gah love ya girl! You are awesome and I aspire to be as successful of a blogger as you are one day! I am NO WHERE near that right now but I hope to be 😉 Would love to go to one of these conferences one day!
I always feel so lett out when you talk about these blog conferences! LOL guess that what happens when you’re a male blogger like me lol! Have fun it sounds super fun!
That is so cool that you’re going to BBC in Chicago! I’m still considering Blissdom here in Dallas in March. I think it will be amazing! Stacie xo
I was thinking of going to Bloggy Bootcamp in Chicago after going to Cincy for BloggyCon a couple of weeks ago. But I think I am going to wait until Blissdom and maybe do one more later in the year. Hope you have a great time!
Great info! I am hoping to make it to Blissdom this year so this is definitely helpful!
This is awesome! And please do another refresher post like this one in February or March for us going to Blissdom for the first time 😉 SOOO excited!!
Great advice! Thanks for sharing. Do you know how to find out about blog conferences?
You have some really great advice in this post. I happen to live in Chicago so on behalf of everyone in the Windy City I hope you have a wonderful trip, and if you need any suggestions on what to do when you are here just shoot me a message 🙂 Also, bring a jacket because it’s been SUPER chilly here in the Windy City… this morning the temp was 39 degrees!
I wish I were going to a conference soon. I’m dreaming, but it’s just not happening!
Are they worth the money? That is one thing that has me hesitant…
Throwing my stamp of approval into the mix… Jenn from Munchkinland Designs has done some work for me before and I highly recommend her! Hugs, Holly
awesome, thanks! I’m planning to attend the bloggy bootcamp in Phildadelphia in Sept, 2014! Great things to know. 🙂
Really great tips! I have always wanted to attend a blog conference and I swear that one of these days I’ll make it 🙂 I always wanted to know about the clothes, too… I imagine you will be taking a lot of pictures with other bloggers but I don’t want anything to pinch or annoy me while I’m sitting taking notes.
Thanks for this!
Great tips! Any word on a blog conf in New York?
This is great. I am heading to a conference in June and am a bit nervous about it. I loved reading through these tips.
I would add that there is a ton of swag, so if you are traveling, bring a big enough suitcase so there is room to bring home some goodies. Then think twice about what you will really use and don’t haul back stuff just because it was free.
Awesome tips! Will be saving these!