I just found a Google Doc I created last year that I titled Notes For BlogHer 2011, and despite having gone to five previous conferences, I still find myself scrambling to get myself ready every year. Every year, starting the weekend before, I start amping up the anxiety and stress and moments of panic. OMG MY BUSINESS CARDS SUCK and SHOULD I BRING MY LAPTOP? and WHAT THE HECK SHOULD I WEAR? and so on and so forth.
So here are the five items I put in my Notes For BlogHer 2011, exactly as I wrote them, in bold, with comments in italics. Please to enjoy.
- You MUST have a way to access email and twitter. Do NOT take your laptop. You will not use it. I’ve been going back and forth on the laptop issue. Without it, I have no way to dump my camera card if it fills up. My Xoom Tablet does take pretty good photos, even if I’ll feel ridiculous holding up a ten-inch slab and yelling “say cheese” at groups of people. However, since the Tablet was shipped before the SD CARD SLOT WAS READY, I have no way to SHARE the photos I take with it. GAH.
- You MUST leave a kick-ass post up before you leave. Last year you got a huge burst of traffic the Friday of BlogHer and the post those new readers saw was just sort of okay. I know I should get a post ready to publish on Friday, but if it’s something like “hey, I’m at BlogHer!”, I’ll have no way to add pictures to it, see above re: the camera issue. I suppose I could just do a “Welcome to Table for Five, here’s more about me and my family” kind of post, but only if you all help me think of a BETTER TITLE than “Welcome to Table for Five”, because that just makes me want to roll my eyes at myself.
- You MUST get a business card holder that has a loop to go around your wrist. I remember this from last year, constantly taking my business card holder out of my bag then putting it back in, only to “lose” it under a pile of swag and have to frantically fish around while a polite PR rep waited. I saw someone else with a card holder that looped around their wrist and knew that’s what I needed for this year. Have I bought one yet? ARE YOU SERIOUS? HAVE YOU MET ME?
- Do NOT take any extra tote bags, unless the conference is declared swag free which is unlikely. The swag issue got so out of hand at last year’s BlogHer that there was buzz by the last day that maybe this year the conference organizers would just declare the conference swag free. Yeah, that didn’t happen. At registration, there’s an official BlogHer swag bag of some kind, and in the expo hall, brands giving out big stuff usually have bags of some kind for you to put it in. You’d also think after five BlogHers that I would have figured out for myself to use a BACKPACK while visiting the expo hall, but instead I have Tanya from MommyGoggles to thank for that
- Put more thought into your clothes. A LOT more thought. After 5:00 it is COCKTAIL OUTFITS, dresses if possible. Yeah, this one ain’t gonna happen. As usual, Chris and I are living on the tightest budget ever in our 26 years together, so I had no money for anything new. I know that no one really cares what anyone else is wearing anyway, not once in five conferences have I ever heard or read “can you believe what so and so was WEARING?”. However, for those of you reading this who are going to BlogHer and are wondering about clothes, the truth is this – wear whatever you want, unless you are going to a specific event with a dress code. Otherwise, really, whatever you want.
So those are my tips, hope they help someone! Back to packing and organizing and trying to get blog posts written and set to publish and you know, STRESSING OUT.
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Heh. I struggle with the business card issue so badly. I can’t even ever remember to hand them out. I get to swept up in talking! LOL
Hi ,thanks for your tips
Alternately, on the business cards, I make sure whatever tote I have has a small pocket, preferably on the outside of the bag, and that’s where I stash my cards. Makes it easy to just grab one.
Have fun! I’m sure I’ll see you there!
Twitter: SahmReviews
says:
I’ve only been to one BlogHer but I’ve done other conferences. (And sadly, I won’t be at BlogHer this year, either) but I digress…
Badges are usually on lanyards with a pocket-style pouch for your name badge. It’s the perfect place to stash a handful of business cards (on the backside) that can be easily accessed when you need them and easily replenished when (if ever) you have time to stop and do it! If I knew I would be walking the hall or speed dating or whatever, I kept my card holder available but if I was just doing my own thing, I utilized my stash in my badge.
Hi, you’re right, it does help to think about the details before you get there! always good to plan ahead.. thanks for the tips.
Hi, thanks for the tips
tableau
How about an iPad or even iPhone or something to keep your blog updated so we can follow along? Just a thought1
For conferences, even though I look a bit geeky, I take a nice lighweight strolles to carry all my stuff, camera, cards, brochures and bags. But only on the convention floor!
Business cards is really important if your meeting with other bloggers.. It will help your business more if they know something about you.. If you’re just talking to them about your business it won’t matter because sometimes they might forget it but if you give them business card and they will go through it they will search you and see what you’re doing and up too..
I think these things seem to apply to ANY conference. They might be a lot of fun, but there are always a lot of minor annoyances.
But I may have an idea for the business card issue. At least, a friend of mine does. He’s in the online industry too, and he just has a QR code saved on his phone, which has his contact details on it. He just holds out the picture on the phone, the other guy scans it with an app on his phone, and bingo, contact added!
Only really works for people in the tech/internet world though….unfortunately for me…
You can always just take a picture of those business cards with your smart phone too. Enter them later!
In 2009 I bought a new stroller and pram combo and took it to BlogHer. My little one happily snoozed about 50% of the time, she was happy I was happy. Of course, it was the last year I took her