I was at Mom 2.0 in Houston this weekend, another amazing blogging conference. If you haven’t been to a blogging conference yet, here are my 3 reasons to attend. Going will change your life and your blog, promise!
- Reason #1: The People. This is the fun part, where you get to meet really cool bloggers. The ones you read daily about, the ones you want to take home in your suitcase, and the ones you aspire to become.
- Then for even more fun, you get to meet brand new faces. The ones you are so happy to know about, ones you can’t wait to work with, and the ones you feel like you’ve known each other for years. And of course I brought along my hot mama sidekick, Allison (we don’t go anywhere without each other!) In the photo above: me, Jyl, Laurie, Amy, photo courtesy of Mainline Mom
Reason #2: The Panels: I go to learn from above mentioned bloggers. Panels on writing, passion, pr, marketing, content campaigns, and offline experiences. One of the best panels was about 3 Mormons and the Bloggess! Funny name, fabulous session! Photo above courtesy of Gabrielle Blair.
- Happily, I was speaking on a panel at Mom 2.0. Gwen Bell, Deb Averett and I spoke about your Toolbox for Online Success. What you need to stay organized, build your blog, and manage a home-business. Don’t we look so intense as we discuss organizing your emails?! You should have seen us at the beginning of the session when Gwen had us all take a moment to “be in the moment”. I loved that zen feeling, closing our laptops, clearing the brain from an information packed weekend. Photo courtesy of Christy Nelson
- Reason #3: The Parties: It’s usually at the parties where the best kind of networking happens. You’re introducing yourself to the next person in line at the food table, but it might happen to be someone who will change your life. You exchange cards, you get to know each other, and bam, something new and amazing has hatched! Who knows what will come of it. That’s how it works. Getting out there, IRL! And… you usually get to dress up, always fun (me in a Mad Men outfit above)!
- I also hosted a fabulous party up in my suite with an amazing company, Cambria Cove, who sponsored me at Mom 2.0. There was chocolate, cheese, and a gift for everyone to take home. And you gotta love when the people you work with turn out to be like family. Chris from Cambria Cove could have been my sister. What a great business blogging is!
Hopefully you see why it is I keep going to these conferences, to learn, grow, and have a mama’s night out! Thanks to Kirtsy and The Tasteful Life for hosting an amazing conference. I was happy to have been in attendance.
Written by Marie LeBaron
Marie LeBaron is the founder and managing editor of Make and Takes. Always having a love of crafts, she enjoys getting messy with glue and glitter. There’s always some sort of project going on, her kitchen counter is often cluttered with crafts. When she’s not crafting and creating with her kids, she loves to run, read, and blog! Read other posts by Marie
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
As always, YOU are my favorite part of going to conferences. Best roomie EVER.
Fabulous recap! Love your take aways from the conference. And how did I not see your red shoes? They’re amazing!
It’s the fact that I called you the day after we got back and said I was going through Marie withdrawal. These online and offline experiences have bonded us.
PS: You’re an honorary member of the Three Mormons and A Bloggess show, I want you to know ;).
What a great summary – i think you said it all. Amazing women, loads of inspiration, new friends, old friends, soon-to-be friends, chocolate and cheese. My favorite things!
Beautifully recapped — and what a joy to see you!
It was great to see you again. The conference sparked some great ideas for us PR-types, too. What a fabulous group of women. I couldn’t help but walk away inspired.
I am so bummed I missed the chocolate and cheese. Two of my favorite things — and it looks amazing.
Loved the Mad Men outfit. Jyl’s right — the shoes cap it off perfectly.
Looks like a blast! I’m hungry for my first BlogHer conference in August… can’t wait to party with you there! Woohoo!
Marie, oh my goodness. You look gorgeous/amazing! I just love you!!! I want to go to one of these, I’m not a mom yet, but it really looks like a good time.
I loved meeting you at Blissdom! I wish I could have gone to Mom 2.0… maybe next year? I think my favorite thing about blog conferences is putting a face to the name. I love how many times you’re in line for the bathroom (these are conferences with mostly women!) or waiting for the doors to open at a party, and you strike up a conversation and hear that person’s blog or twitter handle and KNOW THEM. It’s amazing.
I also love your Madmen outfit!
(Also, I can’t leave a comment here without stating my love for Gwen Bell and Jenny the Bloggess!)
It looks like so much fun – really wish I could have been there.
I’m coming to BlogHer and hope we’ll get to hang out a bit. (I’m SO SCARED.) (BUT COMMITTED.)
You are one gorgeous lady! I wish I could get away with wearing that red lipstick, seriously!!
Love the dress, the red shoes and fun people! Glad you had fun.
That is Rachel, right??? She is awesome!
you = total awesomeness.
How do you find out about blogging conferences in New England?! I want to go to one!!! :)
I bet this is what we need. My mom and I have been trying to really get our blog going, and we definitely need some help, we’re flying blind. :)
Anyone know of any Blogging Conferences in Northern California coming soon?
It looks and sounds sooo fun. I LOVE the red lipstick and the darling dress. Next year for sure.
So, do you have sponsors for every conference you go to? And, how do you get them? Or better yet, what are some suggestions you could give to newbies like me (as in,never been to a conference and would need a sponsor to even go)?
Holy hot momma! You rocked that dress, those red shoes and fabulously sexy red lipstick! Sounds like you all had so much fun. I am so glad you enjoyed it, partied, paneled, networked and had an all around awesome time!
Sooooo great to meet you. The mad man outfit is HAWT, but what is even HAWTER (can ya add ‘er’ to hawt?) is your willingness to try anything…yes, even jello.
Awesomeness.
CANNOT wait to get to know you even better.
Please tell me you are going to come 80′s dancing with us next week. :)
I think you look lovely. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you in such bold lipstick. I love it!
I love all these comments about my lipstick. You all know me too well to know that the red lipstick is a BIG deal!!!
Marci – You don’t need to be a mom, just start a blog!
Sue – So happy you’re coming to BlogHer and of course we’ll hang!!
Erica & Captive Illusions – Here’s a great list of conferences that are happening this year. BlogHer is in NYC this year. This one travels every year, so look for where it will be in 2011! http://momitforward.com/2010-women-and-mom-blogger-conferences
Tracy – A sponsorship is an “I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine” kind of thing. You need to decide what you can do for a company in return for covering your expenses. Something else important, we also contacted the conference hosts and cleared it through them, making sure we didn’t step on any toes. If you let them know what you’re doing, and it doesn’t take away from the conference, they understand that we all need a little help to get to their conference. Here’s a couple of links that talk about how to work with companies to help sponsor you to get to conferences.
- http://www.mommymelee.com/2010/01/how-to-get-sponsored-for-blogher-10.html
- http://www.dealseekingmom.com/how-to-get-a-blog-conference-sponsorship/
I have a blog! Just barely started posting schtuff. Aren’t you impressed? :D
Spending time with you and Allison was such a wonderfully unplanned bonanza. I wanted to take you both home with me.
First off, LOVE the polka-dot dress and bright red lipstick!!!
Thanx for this article. This is something I’ve been wanting to do, but honestly, am kinda shy and scared to take it on. My other fear is that I’m still too small. Whenever you go, I see pictures of the “big” bloggers. I guess I just wonder if it’s okay if smaller bloggers go, as well. Or are people going to be like, “Who are you and business do you have being here?”
Angee – You need to go! They are super helpful as well as fun. And no one thinks anything like “who are you”. There’s really a cool vibe at these. People are super friendly and want to get to know you and what you’re all about. Check the link above in my comment above for a list of upcoming conference!
You look lovely in your black & white polka dot vintage dress and red high heels. I’m so glad you had a fun time at the Summit!
thank you for this so very much. : ) love the recap.
LOVE the red shoes!