9 Ways I’m Preparing for a Blog Conference

Blogger Bash is less than 2 weeks away and it is my first big conference. I’m excited and nervous and a bit overwhelmed by the whole idea, but mostly I’m giddy at the chance to meet some of my blog friends in real life (IRL), meet with great brands and learn.

1. Business cards

I ordered new business cards before Disney Social Media Moms On the Road. This is actually the second set I’ve ordered in the last few months and I kinda love how loud these ones are. I wanted business cards that included all my pertinent information but were still fun and not cluttered. I think I achieved that with these. Business cards are your way to leave something behind for brands and bloggers to remember you, so make sure you have them and that you love them.

2. Wardrobe

Whenever I have an event coming up whether it’s dinner with friends or a business event the first thing I think about is what am I going to wear. People who don’t think about fashion first really confuse me. It was mentioned at the Disney Social Media Moms On the Road conference that “you are your brand”. You are a reflection of your blog and your brand. Do you want to your brand to look like it’s wearing an old dress and some dated accessories? Or do you want it to look fresh, pressed and styled. You are your brand, make sure to dress in clothes that reflect you and your brand. Also make sure you are comfortable and appropriately dressed. You will be on your feet for hours (see number 3) and you may be in cold conference rooms. Consider these things. Pack a sweater or a scarf.

3. Shoes

In my early 20’s I used to think of myself as Carrie Bradshaw able to work 8 hours in heels, race through the city and party at night. Now, not so much and my shoe selection is a lot more comfortable and casual than it is Carrie. However at a whopping 5’0″ on a good day, I need a little heal of some sort. I’m currently debating a wedge that I love and has not let me down comfort wise and a new pair of Aerosoles I recently picked up. And while I’m still undecided I will be doing some shoe shopping and breaking in because that’s a must. Last month the Disney conference was only about 5 hours long and I packed 4 pairs of shoes for my 24 hours in Philly. What can I say, I like options.

4. Social Media

The list of sponsors for Blogger Bash is on the website and I’ve been going through and making sure that I follow them all. That way if I want to tweet something out or share a photo about a product there info is already in my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram app. This has always been a big help whenever I cover events for Jersey Family Fun. Also I try to be aware of hash tags in advance so that I can follow them and use them. It’s makes me so much more comfortable when I have all of that ready to go and then I can enjoy the event without stressing about finding contact information.

5. Blogger Contact Info

While I’m heading to Blogger Bash with my friend Jen and a friend of hers. There are several other bloggers going that I want to meet-up with and bloggers who I’ve never met in person that I want to meet for the first time. So I’ve been collecting contact information and trying to figure out times when we could meet up. I’m also trying not to get myself overwhelmed by the idea of meeting so many new people. At Disney Social Media Moms on the road I knew a lot of people from their blog but I didn’t know them in person and I’m so bad with faces that a lot of the time I felt overwhelmed by it. So if you see me, say hi and I promise I will do the same.

6. Keeping up with the conference Facebook page

In order to get to know some more people before the conference and to keep up with what’s going on I’ve been checking out the conference Facebook page. It’s been really helpful with keeping me up to date on what events have been added, what deals are available to bloggers and what bloggers will be there. It’s also fun to get to know the bloggers and share in the excitement on the conference.

7. Directions, Maps and scheduling

I like to have all my ducks in a row when I travel especially to New York City. While I have a pretty good understanding of the city and how to navigate it I still like to have directions, map and my agenda near by. I’m putting together a folder for myself and the bloggers I am traveling with that will include directions to all the events, a map of the area and our schedule. I also have the tendency to memorize directions when in New York so I don’t look like a tourist.

8. Elevator pitch

I’ve read a few places that what you need most at a blogging conference is comfortable shoes, business cards and an elevator pitch for your blog. If your not familiar with an elevator pitch it’s what you would tell someone about your blog if you were in an elevator with them. So I’ve been working on summarizing what the blog is about condensing it into a pitch.

9. Researching past events

I have spent some time googling past blogging conferences to get an idea of what to expect. This is the first year for Blogger Bash but Sweet Suite has been held before and there are so many other blogging conferences that it is easy to do a quick Internet search of “what to expect at a blogging conference”. To help you in your search for information about blogging conferences I’ve rounded up a few great posts from some local blogging friends of mine, make sure to check them out.

Conference Fashion Rules

Tips for Organizing Conference Materials

Blog Conference Tips Vlog 

3 Blogging Conference Tips

What to Wear to Blogher or to a Business Meeting

What are your tips for attending Blog conferences?  I would love to hear them.