As of this month, I’ve been blogging for 9 years (woo hoo!) and I’ve loved the experiences I’ve gained from it, as well as the ways in which I’ve been able to help provide for my family. I also have loved the brands I’ve worked with and the friends I’ve made along the way. As a blogger, there have only been a few conferences I’ve chosen to attend, including BlogHer (this was my 5th one), Mom 2.0 (I attended my 4th one), and Network Niche (I attended the last one). I had the opportunity to connect with several different brands, form partnerships and ambassadorships, as well as network with other bloggers. I plan to attend both BlogHer (not sure of the location yet) and Mom 2.0 (Los Angeles, California) next year!
This year, I actually traveled to Orlando, Florida in May for Mom 2.0 and back to Orlando, Florida in June for BlogHer ’17. I didn’t mind though because my mom, stepdad and sister live out there. My family and I live on the California Central Coast, which is about 3 1/2 hours from the airport. What I do now is take the Amtrak train to the airport instead of driving and parking or taking an airport shuttle. It’s definitely the way to do it! I was ready to go with my purple luggage and purple purse!
The flight to Orlando was pretty uneventful (which I like). I can be a little bit nervous when it comes to flying because of motion sickness (thank goodness for Dramamine) and the fact that I’m afraid of heights and don’t really understand how planes stay suspended in the air so high above the ground. Part of the way I calm my nerves is by making friends with my neighbors on the plane. Being in such tight quarters in Coach definitely makes it worth it to get to know your neighbors. Plus, I’m always the one who has lots of snacks and candy to share. I love meeting different people and learning about the different jobs people have, as well as the experiences they’ve gone through in their life.
While attending BlogHer ’17, I took a little bit of a difference approach towards what I wanted to get out of the conference. At a lot of the conferences, I tend to hang out with the bloggers I’ve known for a long time (ya know, it’s in my comfort zone). However, this time, I went out of my comfort zone and met a lot of new. awesome bloggers in addition to meeting brands…and of course, having fun! Conferences usually rent temporary stages from companies like https://portablestaging.uk for the duration of their event. I was excited to meet my very first blogger friend (Jenn from Today’s Challenges) from this conference at the airport (she was my roomie at the hotel)! I’m so glad that I took this approach this year at BlogHer ’17 and am here to share 6 Things I Learned From BlogHer ’17.
1 – Conference Social Media Channels and Handles. At BlogHer ’17, I learned that to get the most out of the conference, I had to get active on the conference social media channels and engage with other bloggers through the hashtag. I joined the BlogHer Facebook Group and followed both brands and bloggers on Twitter prior to the contest. It was a great way to open the door and meet new brands and bloggers prior to the conference.
2 – More than just swag. At a lot of conferences, you may hear a lot about the swag. While getting swag can be fun, it’s not why you’re at the conference (or at least it shouldn’t be). I made it a goal to network with brands and bloggers while at the conference, rather than just collecting swag. Don’t get me wrong, there are some fun things to take home, but there were also a lot of things I gave to my roommate who was going to distribute them to families in need at her church.
3 – Meet new bloggers. One of the biggest things I mentioned earlier was stepping out of my comfort zone and making new friends. I remember walking into the Night at the Expo. I grabbed my drink and looked around the room. I literally recognized ZERO faces! This was my chance. It was my chance to approach other bloggers and introduce myself to them. I was a little nervous doing this, as I kind of felt like the odd woman out, but I did it and was so glad I did! I met a lot of other moms and bloggers at this conference and it was awesome! I highly recommend overcoming your fear and getting out there and meeting people. Don’t be afraid to meet new bloggers. Guaranteed you’ll run into bloggers who feel just like you do.
4 – Mac and cheese + mashed potatoes goodness. One of the brands I was excited to connect with was Bob Evans. At their booth, they had Mashtinis for bloggers to sample. I had no idea that Mac and Cheese mixed with Mashed Potatoes was really good! I topped them with chopped ham, shredded cheddar and bread crumbs and it was so good! I was ready to go back for seconds!
5 – Brand Sponsored Events. Something that I’ve learned from all of the conferences I’ve attended is to go to as many sponsored brand events as you can fit in your schedule. I was so excited to be invited to the Princess Cruises event and then was lucky enough to register for the Medieval Times event and the Bob Evans Event. I not only met up with brands, but also met new bloggers and ate some yummy food at these get-togethers.
6 – Take lots of pictures and share! As bloggers, we have a tendency to take a lot of pictures when we’re out with our family or traveling. However, at blogging conferences, we tend to get caught up in work and forget to take pictures. Don’t be afraid to pull out that selfie stick or even ask someone to take a picture for you. Take pictures of the conference activities, swag, food, bloggers you meet, and even take selfies of the hotel and surrounding areas. While taking the pictures is a good thing, sharing them is even better and can actually help you a lot when you go to publish a blog post about your experiences!
I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to attend BlogHer ’17 and look forward to hearing where BlogHer ’18 will be next year!
Did you go to BlogHer ’17? What did you learn from attending?
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I have never been to one of these big conferences. I might have to make it a point to go next year.
I give you a lot of credit for getting out there and networking. I would love to go to those conferences if I knew I could get jobs and posts from it.
Blogher is one of the best conferences any blogger will ever attend. I’ve been to it several times, and it’s always so much fun and so informative.
I met some great bloggers at this conference. Those mashtinies were delicious might I add.
Although I haven’t been to a BlogHer conference in a few years, I’ve always found it to be a valuable experience. Meeting new bloggers is a fun part of it!
It looks like you had a wonderful time. I didn’t go this year, but I am going to try and go next year.
I am excited to go to my first ever conference next year. It isn’t BlogHer but I do hope to be able to attend one of those too someday. The only reason I can go to the one I AM going to is that it is being held only an hour from my home! WOOT!
I love all your suggestions and have learned a lot about what TO do when I go to the conference next year.
I’m so jealous reading this! I was hoping to make it to the conference but couldn’t justify the cost being my 1st year of blogging. Hopefully I’ll see you there next year!
Great that you have been blogging for so many years. What a wonderful experience you enjoyed and looks like you had a great time from the photos.
I wish there was a conference closer to me! I would love to network with more people in person. So often bloggers just connect with each other online, but it’s really limiting.
What a fun trip! It looks like everyone in attendance had a blast, and that’s the most important thing about blogging…always have fun.
BlogHer ’17 was so much fun. I had so much fun meeting my fellow bloggers and networking. I can not wait to go back next year.
I haven’t been to BlogHer in forever. It sounds like you had a great experience and learned a lot!
It looks like it was an awesome conference! I wanted to go but just didn’t get to make it this year, but I want to go to the next one for sure!
BlogHer sounds like is was FUN!! I have been blogging for almost 7 years but have never attended BlogHer. I need to make that a priority next year!!
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It looks like such a fun event and like you had a great time! How absolutely gorgeous are those slow cookers! I’ve never seen anything like that before!
I’ve never been to a blogging conference and I think I’d worry a bit as I am quite shy and don’t really know many other bloggers. I’m glad you made the most of it and met new people x
BlogHer sounds absolutely fantastic, I would love to make it to a conference one day. I always worry about the meeting people though.
Oh wow, we started blogging at the same time. I wish I could attend BlogHer someday, that looks like fun!
I didn’t go but looks like so much fun. I’m hoping I can make it next year.
So bummed I missed blogher this year. I heard it was amazing!
It’s so nice too see this article. It looks very fun and great conference. I wish I can attend there soon.
There’s plenty to learn from conferences especially for something as big as BlogHer! Love that you learned so much and that you enjoyed and had a great time with people too!
I hope to attend one day! Thanks for the review, it helps me to see what benefit I would get by attending!
What a really fun event! I wish I could join you next time! 🙂
I loved following your trip! Sadly, I didn’t get to make it this year. I want to save for next year though!
I haven’t been to one but it sure looks like an awesome event. I will try and give BlogHer18 a go. Hopefully, I will get to meet you at the next conference. 🙂
I’d definitely like to attend Blogher sometime. It looks like so much fun and a great way to connect with other bloggers.
This is so cool. First, congrats to your 9 amazing blogging years! How great it would be to attend an event where all of you could be learning so much from one another, having a fellowship with your own would really be an event not to miss.
Conferences, especially the good ones like the ones you attended, provide such amazing knowledge. I bet it was a huge plus to get to visit the fam!
Gatherings like this are truly mesmerizing! It is so good to know and meet new people, having great time with them and just having fun. I used to have like this in my high school days and they are full of memories.
I loved Blogher and thought it was so much fun. It looks like you had a great time and learned so much!
I did not go to Blogher this year but was suppose to. Something came up and I backed out. I bet it was a fun time to meet new friends!
Good for you for going!! I’ve had it on my blogger bucket list to make it out to Blog Her, but every year I end up having some sort of scheduling issue. Looks like you had a great time!
That must have been a fun trip this year! You seemed to have learned more than this as well.
It was a blast this year! Medieval times looks like a lot of fun!
Sounds like you fit so much in! I love conferences that have both fun and information like BlogHer.
Wow. It really looks a fun event and I have a friend attending in BlogHer too and she’s really having fun.
I have always wanted to go to BlogHer. the last so many years it just hasnt worked out. Maybe in the near future!
I so wished I could have went this year. Hubby getting sick at the last minute really messed things up for that, but there is always next year! BlogHer and Mom 2.0 are both in my plans for 2018!
love love love your tips! got my tickets to Alt for February and I will definitely take your tips with me. also, I am like you when it comes to flying, lol.
I’ve been blogging for eight years and haven’t been to BlogHer yet. It’s definitely on my bucket list. Looks like a great time and a good opportunity to meet with brands and bloggers.