It’s Blissdom at Blogging Conferences
We love going to blogging conferences, even though we always face the challenge of leaving behind the office and an overflowing inbox for the madness surrounding any blogging conference worth attending!
This week, Britton Edwards and I travel to Blissdom in Nashville. I’ve never attended Blissdom, but have long heard raves. When I met the wildly dynamic Barbara Jones, Blissdom’s founder, at another blogging conference, Blogalicious, I made a vow not to miss this year.
The names of these blogging conferences probably give away the nature of the blogging conference beast, don’t they? Blissdom? Blogalicious? Still, my husband asked, “So what exactly do you DO at a blogging conference… sit around all day and blog?” Lawd, How can I possibly explain what goes on at a blogging conference without busting my cover!?
Truth is I love blogging conferences for the communing. At Everywhere, we spend so much time connecting the dots online, it’s just a fantastic payoff to connect the dots in person. And frankly, I love the sound of squeals at blogging conferences. Squeals take place the moment when two bloggers, having only seen one another via avatars or blog photos, realize they are standing up close and personal with a digital BFF. Britton and I love meeting bloggers who’ve worked on campaigns with us. Often we’ve had long phone (and Twitter conversations) with them, but never met face to face.
This Blissdom will be both a trip down memory lane and a chance to meet some folks we’ve never met in person. This year we’ll see our Atlanta posse (whom we NEVER see in our home town), like Stacie Haight Connerty, Anissa Mayhew and Desiree Miller. We’ll see a lot of our LA friends like Leah Segedie and Rachel Matos.
We’ll see all our Heart of Haiti ambassadors, tripsters and supporters like Jeannette Kaplun, Ananda Leeke, Ana Flores, Fadra Nally, Johnica Reed and Stacey Ferguson. And for the first time ever, we’ll finally meet Vegas mom blogger Emily Knight, whom we’ve been working with on a Cox Communications campaign. We’ll also meet the most devoted reTweeter of all things @beEverywhere, ever, Jenna Farelyn.
And we’ll meet what seems like 100 new friends and get to know women bloggers who found their voice, their platform, their community and their niche through blogging.
Confession: I’m a bit of a collector, so I actually save every single business card I get at blogging conferences. I keep them in neat little packets in a huge colorful bowl on my desk, labeled by conference. I love going back through my collections and remembering when I first met someone and reflecting back on the many connections we’ve made since then.
So in answer to my husband, “What exactly do you DO at blogging conferences, sit around and blog?” Think I’ll just let him continue to think that.
Join the conversation at #Blissdom Thursday, Feb. 23rd to Saturday, Feb. 25th. Catch our blissful tweets @beEverywhere @brittonT13 and @danicakombol.
see you soon!!!!!!
You are so sweet to remember me in your post. I’m thrilled to be getting the opportunity to meet you!
We feel the same way! Love blogging conferences & all the connecting that happens!
yes. yes. yes!
Can’t wait to meet y’all!
See you guys soon!!
You doing the road trip thing Stacie?
Can’t wait to meet you!!!
Oh I know you will have an awesome time. I had to miss Blissdom this year or forsake my iPad savings fund. I hope to catch the next conference. They are always so much fun.
It was great meeting you. I look forward to spending time on your web site/blog/twitter and getting a better understanding of what you do. In the mean time I think of Haiti every time I wear my sun necklace-and that is a very good thing.
Be well