No need to be paranoid at all. Even the most famous and well known of bloggers is nervous before BlogHer Con. Every single one of them has been just as worried as you are.

It's just fun. Don't sweat it. :-)

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

Okay, so I just joined BlogHer, and excuse my ignorance, but what does one do at these conferences?

MinnesotaMom
www.minnesotamom.wordpress.com

I would LOVE to know more about the who, why and how of this conference. I spend a lot of time on the road conferring (both speaking and attending) and I am not clear on what the given value of the Blogher conference is. I'm NOT doubting that it's valuable, but would like to know why.... When I attend / speak at conferences about women in business, i know who's there, why... Likewise, startups, parenting or sexual violence or... But Blogher is such a huge and diverse place.... what is the focus / purpose of the conference. (Now meeting all these amazing people in one place is probably purpose enough, but....)
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Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com

First of all, there is no reason to worry about all the what ifs. I can tell you from experience that you will not even make it in the hotel doors before you've met a blogher on the street walking in with you.

Everyone hugs and says "oooooh, yeah...I know that blog..." or "I think I've heard of it..maybe not? give me your url again!" and I swear on my minivan all those "what ifs" are gone before you lay your bags down on the hotel bed.

Alyssa-you should take a look at last year's conference...being sure to comb through the schedules for both Day One and
Day Two (and the SL conference, of course) and see all the things you can learn, the people you can meet, the amazing array of speakers you can hear. I've met Arianna Huffington, Elizabethe Edwards, Amy Sedaris, Ester Dyson, Susie Bright...that's just off the top of my head too. The networking is insane and the information at each session invaluable.

Then there are the cocktail parties and just plain old getting to HUG that blogher you've been reading all year long.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

WOW!! This conference sounds amazing! I'll definitely have to check it out!

http://rangersrus5.blogspot.com/
http://happinessfromtheinsideout.blogspot.com/
http://lifehaveityourway.blogspot.com/

Bertie

This will be my first BlogHer, and I'm really looking forward to it--there are so many amazing women I'm dying to meet! I'm definitely a little bit nervous, but I'm hoping to do enough networking online before the conference actually arrives to have a few friends waiting in San Francisco!

Jen
Semi-Charmed Wife

New blogger who is attending.  I'm hoping it's a lot of fun but I'm nervous that everyone already knows everyone else and I'll be standing over by the wall by myself.

Everyone doesn't know everyone else.   Don't worry.  

I'm more nervous this year than I was last year -- and that was my first time.    (I just love being a virgin!  Since I can't remember back that far in my own life... and if I do try to remember it just taxes me...  and I have a hot flash.  LOL.)  

Why would I be nervous?  Well.... here is a list of all the silly "what ifs" that have crossed my mind.  

• What if I run into someone who remembers me that I don't remember. 
• What if I have a drink and say something stupid?  (Like I don't all the time, anyway!)
• What if no one wants to hang out with me?  
• What if I don't find a roommate and my husband is angry about the money for the room -- and what if I'm so worried about that that I can't have a good time. 
• What if someone realizes how little progress I've made in the past year toward reaching my goal of becoming Cyber-crone extraordinaire?
• What if no one after the conference checks out my blog(s).
• What if my avatar spazzes out while in a Second Life panel?
• What if my pants rip, my pits sweat, or I fall over a cord walking into a session late?
• What if someone important remembers that I had to cancel out attending in '06 late in the game after volunteering for podcasting duties?

But then I remember how much fun I had, how much I learned, how energized I was, how I loved finding out about the fantastic concept of the un-conference without which I wouldn't have gotten up to speed on wiki info.... and a zillion other things.   And I know this one will be far better logistically for me because I was in the overflow hotel last year and between traveling to Navy Pier and back for events I never got over to the "main" hotel where all the Blogger Divas to Die for were lodged with the exception of my Diva Foodie roommate.  And this one will be better because I will have tons of business cards with me for the speed dating event at the beginning of Day 1.  (And a power strip.  Thanks Liz!)

Take my advice newbies!  Don't be nervous until next year.  Just have fun and set your brain to absorb this July. 

Nancy

Build Peace
Virtuality
My Life As An Avatar

I was reading your list of "what ifs" and I was starting to get nervous myself!

But what a great way to bring it on home :)

Elisa Camahort
BlogHer
elisa@blogher.org