Admittedly, my turn around time on this post has not been stellar. After I returned home from BlogHer earlier this month, I wanted to sit down and start writing this post immediately, but…there was just so much to absorb. So much to say. And with the walk through for our new house scheduled just 5 days after our return, and our actual move 12 days after our return, there just wasn’t time to sit down and write a thoughtful post about the entire experience. Excuses, excuses. But now we are settling in and I wanted to make sure that this post was written, because in the days before BlogHer I scoured the internet for “How to Prepare for BlogHer” and “Things You Should Know About BlogHer” posts. Since this was my first BlogHer, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
To say that BlogHer was overwhelming would be an understatement. I never in a million years imagined how busy I would be during those 3 days. What I originally thought would be 3000 bloggers, learning sessions, and an expo hall, turned into 5,000 bloggers, private parties, and an expo hall that encompassed 5 rooms (plus hotel suites)! It was bigger than I ever could have imagined. In fact, it’s a bit hard to write a post about it, so I decided it might need to be done in bullet points. Without any further introduction, here it is – things I liked, things I disliked, and how I would do differently next time!
Things I liked about BlogHer:
- I met some super nice and talented bloggers, like Shannon from BabyShmizz and Jen from Lehigh Baby Momma. I genuinely had fun hanging out with these ladies and I’ve been keeping up with their blogs ever since. I’m hoping to get a chance to meet up with them again.
- I got to meet some great brands, many of which I’ve already started working with. Watch for some great giveaways coming up!
- I was amazed by the all the different types of bloggers that were at BlogHer – political, fashion, health & fitness, vegan/gluten-free/Paleo, cultural, etc. I expected it to be predominately parenting and family bloggers, but that just wasn’t the case. It was great to see all the different perspectives on blogging, and really opened my eyes to how many blogs are out there.
- Most people seem annoyed by it in their BlogHer wrap-up posts, but I’ll admit, I kinda loved the swag. People warn you about how much swag is at BlogHer, but until you see it for yourself, it’s hard to imagine. Let’s just say mine had to be checked at the airport because I never in a million years could have carried it all home (and I was careful about what I took from the Expo Hall to begin with!).
- I loved that it was in NYC. Erajh and I made a mini-vacation out of it and he was able to hang out with some friends of ours while I was busy with the conference. I’m also glad that we left a day earlier than we original planned to since it gave us time for sightseeing.
- The key-note speakers were top-notch. I couldn’t believe I was there listening to Katie Couric speak, in person. And the fact that the President took the time to address us via video conference? Unreal.
- I loved getting to meet bloggers that I’ve followed for years. And they were all incredibly gracious when I gushed about how much I loved them.
- It was just too big. There were so many people there that it was hard to get seats to key-note sessions (Martha Stewart/Katie Couric) unless you got there way in advance. And in the sea of people, it was common to meet a blogger, but never to run into them again. I’m headed to Blissdom in Dallas this coming March, and I’m really looking forward to it because it’s a much smaller conference (less than 1000 bloggers).
- I felt like many of the brands that were in the Expo Hall present weren’t looking to make long-term connections with bloggers at BlogHer, but instead just wanted to you give you some coupons and send you on your merry way. Literally, they had nothing to say to you once they handed you the coupons. It was very awkward.
- The private parties. Ugh. Okay, I don’t dislike them in and of themselves, I disliked that they turned me into an old version of myself, circa 1996 during sorority rush. I did not like it one bit. But it’s hard not to get wrapped up in the hype surrounding these parties…trust me, Twitter makes it impossible. I did get invited to several private events, but there were several I didn’t get invited to. And then there were those events that I never even heard of until I got back and started reading other people’s BlogHer wrap-up posts. What do you mean Chevrolet had a party? Really?
- Some of the sessions were disappointing. Gosh, I hate to say that, but it’s true. For example, in the session on what bloggers should charge for their services, not one person gave me an idea of what I should charge. Not even a general ballpark idea. Yes, I know it’s all relative to the blog, your specialty, and your numbers. But come on, at some point we have to talk about actual dollar amounts. And none of the speakers were willing to tell you what they charged (it’s a very hush, hush thing in the blogging world). But that’s what I went there to learn. Sure, I know what my prices are, but are they comparable to other bloggers? I still don’t know. If you don’t want to talk dollars, don’t have a session on it. It’s that simple.
Things I will do differently next time:
- Less partying, more learning. By the end of the first day, I realized that I had only attended 1 out of 3 sessions. I felt like a failure. I was there to learn, right? So why wasn’t I going to any of the sessions? Well, the answer is, there’s just so much to do. I did better the second day and attended 2 out of 3 sessions, but still. Next time, I’m going to put the sessions first and the parties second.
- Try to get a little more sleep. It’s hard because there’s so much going on, but by Day 2 I was dragging. So. Incredibly. Tired. Next time, I’ll find a way to work sleep into the schedule. It will be hard, but I need to make it happen.
Aw!!! I was so happy to meet you too! Definitely have to meet up in Chicago, or before that!
You heading to Blissdom? The ticket is a little steep, but I’ve heard it’s so worth it. I can’t wait, and it’s not until March!
Oh and congrats on losing the “blogspot” in your name! It’s a huge step. Welcome to the “.com” world! LOL
I have never been to a blog conference (have always wanted to go) but I think I would prefer a smaller one like blissdom over a super huge one like blogher…but now discovering that blogher 2013 is in chicago (i live in a suburb about 40 min out of the city) I may just have to look into it more! Thanks for sharing your lessons learned!
Gosh! I could not have written that better myself!! Basically, I skipped most of the parties and the crowded rooms drove me nuts!! I totally agree that the sessions were seriously disappointing. I have had much better experiences at the smaller blogging conferences like SheCon and Mom2.0
Are you in South Florida? Maybe we should chat sometime?!
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia! Yes, I’m in South Florida! Did you go to SheCon? I was there. It was a great conference. Small, but I got a ton out of the sessions and Ms. Lori’s keynote on Saturday afternoon was great. I think blogging wise, I got a more out of SheCon than I did BlogHer. I heard that SheCon almost didn’t happen this year, so I’m nervous they might not do it next year. If they do have it, I’ll definitely be there again!