Conventional Wisdom
January 5th, 2010 by FiddledeedeeIt’s the Backwards Edition of Works for Me Wednesdays. We get to ask a burning question this week! Mine is about blogging conferences:
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The internet has been all abuzz with discussions of upcoming blogging conferences. What was once a rare and unlikely event has become commonplace.
There are conventions and conferences to suit every type of blogger’s needs.
I’ve been blogging for well over 3 years now. And frankly, that shocks me because I’m notorious at stopping and starting creative projects. I have no less than 4 scrapbooks at various stages of disarray in the bottom of my closet. And the laundry room that I set out to make more festive has been half-finished for 10 years now.
TEN YEARS.
But blogging seems to have stuck. And I always feel that I have room for improvement. Improvement in the creative process, and not just in my excessive use of commas. And the business end of blogging, which I fell into by chance, FASCINATES ME.
Enter the blogging conferences.
But which one to choose? Some of the upcoming 2010 conferences that I know of are:
- BlissDom – Nashville, TN February 4-6
- Mom 2.0 Summit – Houston, TX February 18-20
- BlogHer – New York City August 5-7
- She Speaks – Concord, NC July 30-August 1
- Blogalicious – Miami, FL October 8-10
I’m certain that there are more that I’ve missed.
The only conference that I’ve ever attended was She Speaks two years ago. I was overwhelmed by the women that I met, and all that I learned that weekend.
I would love to attend a conference devoted to bloggers this year. Because I have a burning desire to get away from this insane asylum so that I can have ADULT CONVERSATION learn more about my craft. Really.
If you have attended any of these conferences, which one would you recommend and why?
Also, are you currently planning on attending one this year?
Posted in Works For Me Wednesday | 19 Comments »
January 5th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Well, I am going to Blissdom next month, She Speaks is amazing for speaking/writing, but you may be interested in a new Christian Women’s blogging conference in Oct. called Relevant…in PA. It was just announced and is going to be amazingly different than the rest.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Blissdom, Blissdom, Blissdom!!! I will be there and we can become BFFs!!!!!! Well actually it is just a really great conference with really great bloggers. I had a blast last year!!!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
I would LOVE to attend one. Trouble is I have found the price tag way out of my reach. And I mean waaay out of my reach. So I’ll just have to live through others and paint the envy a different shade of green. :}
January 5th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
I’m not quite sure what differentiates these conferences either. Though I can give my uneducated opinion that BlogHer didn’t get very good reviews last year–per what I read on the twitter and in blogs. My impression is that it’s become too big and commercialized. No doubt it has value, but you strike me as someone who would enjoy something a little more personal and manageable.
I agree, I wish I could make it to a conference. It’s pretty hard now that I’m living in the PNW. Aren’t a lot of conferences for bloggers in OR or WA.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Don’t blog, just read, but ME TOO on the scrapbooks! One for each chid partially finished through high school, partially finished through college sports (also each child), plethora of pictures collected for each child’s family album I want to make with old photos of grands and greatgrands they never met…..*sigh*.
January 6th, 2010 at 12:05 am
I haven’t been to any of them, but I am going to Blissdom this year. I can’t believe it’s only a month away!
Good luck on choosing!
January 6th, 2010 at 5:47 am
Putting the whole blogging aspect aside, I say, NEW YORK CITY! NEW YORK CITY! And another thing…. why doesn’t it shock me that the Miami conference is called Blogalicious?!
January 6th, 2010 at 6:38 am
I don’t know anything about blog conferences. . . .
If they cost money (HA!), then I wouldn’t be able to attend one, unless it was in my hometown.
So, I shall remain ignorant so as not to be envious.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:47 am
I am headed to Blissdom, SheSpeaks and Relevant this year. Last year I went to BlogHer, SheSpeaks and SITscation. I really enjoyed the last two, BlogHer was not really my cup of tea.
Hope to see you at one of the conferences. I know a lot of great gals going to mom 2.0 so it is probably good as well.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:50 am
I am really, really hoping to go to the Relevant conference this year. It’s close enough that I can drive, so I think it is doable.
January 6th, 2010 at 11:11 am
I went to blissdom last year and I’m going again this year. I liked the smaller size. Less fuel for my social anxieties. I think Alli has a real heart for the bloggers she plans for and the topics aren’t just for people who make money off their blog. It’s for people who blog because they love it. Please come!!!
Love that you’ve switched to full feed, by the way.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Blissdom.
I think you’d love it and it has the most valuable info in one conference for the type of bloggers we are, plus, all your favorite people attending & speaking, with great surprises.
Blogher is ok, but only for meeting people & going to parties. I have been the past 2 years & don’t plan on going this year. Last blogher there were sessions I wanted to attend, but the rooms were over capacity. That sucked. I even waited in line outside of one 45 minutes before it was to start. I didn’t get to sit in even ONE session during the entire conference.
I’ll be at Blissdom (workshops & conference!)
steph
Steph
January 6th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
I don’t have any input because I haven’t attended a conference (yet) but I wanted to say thanks for posting this! It seems as if there are SO many to choose from and hard to navigate which are worth attending. I love reading the responses from your readers and I’m looking forward to stopping back to see additional ones.
January 7th, 2010 at 3:38 am
Been to She Speaks 2 years and this will be my 2nd year at BlissDom. In short, it really depends on who you are, what your goals are and what you’re looking to learn.
She Speaks is outstanding as a ministry support but the information is geared specifically towards writers, speakers and women’s ministry leaders. Blogging (at least for right now) is kinda an after thought (in other words, not really info on making money – these ladies are there to make money speaking/writing).
BlissDom is excellent in my opinion for learning about specifically blogging — all aspects of it. Last year it was small and great for this introvert. I’m a little afraid of this year because I think it’s going to be bigger, but I’ll just have to take breaks for myself!
The Relevant Conference Jen mentioned above is one I’m really looking forward to and hoping I can go. It’s geared more towards what I’m looking for (just writing better and sharing my beliefs). I don’t know that it will have so much making money sessions. http://therelevantconference.com/
Hope that helps a little. If you have any questions about She Speaks or BlissDom, I’d love to try and answer them from my perspective
January 7th, 2010 at 11:57 am
I had no idea there were so many! And I’m pretty sure this won’t be a decision I’ll have to make in the next year or ten b/c the only people who read my blog are my mom. Make that “person.” HA!
But good luck in your decision!!
January 7th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
I’m hoping to go to Blissdom. I live just south of Nashville and it’s the most convenient to me and most reasonably priced. Hope to see you there!
Susan
January 7th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
I’ll be speaking on the panel of Casual Bloggers Conference here in Utah.
Anything outside of Utah is way beyond my budget.
January 8th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I keep hearing about these but really have no idea why I would go. Except to meet the women whose blogs I read? And to learn how to use fewer exclamation points (or commas? haha)
Though since I just read that Ann Voskamp is speaking at Relevant one I SOOOOO just want to go slobber on her feet. Or something.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Blogalicious? Really? I hadn’t heard of that one. =)
I’ve never attended a conference either, but I would love to. I would be attending by myself because none of my BFFs blog, so that scares me a bit. Sadly, I’d also probably be a fashion outcast, because my main attire consists of yoga pants and t-shirts.
I’ve enjoyed reading all of the comments on this post though. I’ll be stopping back to see what else the gals have to say.
Good luck choosing one (or five!)