I have been conspicuously silent lately because I’ve been tending my other blog and attending Bloggy Boot Camp Philly! I thought that since perhaps I didn’t meet many book mommy bloggers there, these tips might be worth reposting over here? Whaddayathink?’
I was thrilled to be attending my first blog conference. And also scared to death. Why? Cuz I’m afraid of little green monsters. I was scared because I was going to be in the presence of some of the awesome mommy bloggers who I follow and respect. And secretly crush on. My crushes not withstanding, I learned a few things at the conference and I thought maybe someone else might benefit from too.
- Find the right outfit for you. Seriously. I wanted to make the right impression, one that said “Wow, she looks like a lot of fun!” rather than “Oh no, here comes that dork.” My outfit HAD to be comfortable (all the way down to my knickers), work with comfy shoes (cuz who wants to meet someone who’s looking all crazy cuz her feet are sore?), and layered cuz of the cold air conditioning. So I got all of those right except for the layering.
- If you wear makeup, wear it. Again, I wanted to make the right impression, and look, as Tiffany from SITS says “well rested” which to me, translates to “looks 29.” But whatever. Wear lipstick too. That’s my mom’s tip from like, 1867. Still true.
- Bring plenty of blog business cards. It is so fun to trade and it REALLY helps you to meet people. And read them. Which brings me to my next point.
- Meet people. Everyone. Smile, open up your mouth, and talk. To. Everyone. You never know who you may connect with. It was FABULOUS to meet my online twitter friends in person, some of whom I wouldn’t have met if I hadn’t made it a point to speak. To everyone. No excuses, introverts, cuz I am one.
- Take notes. I took a notebook (got at a thrift store for 2 bucks), but many people took laptops, ipads, etc. Whatever works for you. I’m happy with my choice NOT to take my lappytop cuz it would have been one more thing for me to worry about.
- Stay the night at the same hotel as conference goers. I’m local but I booked a last minute room at a different hotel. So, I got to stay late and mingle!
- Take your camera. Take pics with your Tribe. It’ll help you remember everyone!
- Here’s a tip I wished I’d used: learn your friends’ real names. Cuz when I was showing The Man my pics the next day, I had no idea anyone’s real name. Here’s the conversation he and I had:
Me: and here’s a pic with me and XtremeParenthood
The Man: what’s her real name?
Me: dunno. And here’s a pic with me and Dutchbeingme.
The Man: what’s her real name?
Me: <shrugging> don’t know. Now here’s a pic with me, ScaryMommy, NapWarden, and MamaKat.
The Man: <catching on> Oh! Niiiiiice.
Me: I know, right? So pretty!
You get the idea right?
9. DON’T Hit the bathroom just before the break. I did and therefore had no idea what was going on when I got back. Story of my life, actually.
10. Live in the moment and have a good time. Don’t fret about how you look or what you forgot or what time lunch is or whatever. Be in the moment cuz you’ll never get that moment back and you might miss something AWESOME!
Can’t wait until my next conference!!
PammyPam