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Sparkle (3)
I have been to BlogHer '06, '07, '08, '09, '10 and am about to leave for BlogHer '11. I also attended BlogHer Food in '09, '10, and 11.
This means I've lots of experience in...well...making mistakes. I share to help you avoid them or remind me what's to like about BlogHer.
- Shoes are important. No. Not cute shoes (always a plus, but not necessarily) Wear comfortable shoes. Wear shoes you can actually walk in quite a bit. Unless for some reason you blog in addition to standing on your feet and walking miles each day in heels--you might want to reconsider. Also, key to shoes: even if they're flats--make sure they fit right and are well broken in before you go. In '06 I had the coolest shoes ever, except the straps blistered the tops of my feet and rubbed the back of one foot.
- Clothes CAN be important. A standout outfit can help keep you in the forefront of someone's mind. See my Community Keynote outfit in 2009. It was stunning and memorable. Also, it was insane to pack, carry, and get dressed. It has stayed in my closet since. I also have never consistently managed to change for cocktail parties. No one cared. I generally wear my daily jeans and a t-shirt. No one cares. Really.
- Swag and Sponsors beguile. Make a clear-cut plan and stick to it for seeing sponsors and picking up swag. Free stuff, fantastic people representing the companies, more eye-candy and fun things to do than you can shake a stick at, can leave you with bags of stuff to figure out how to take or ship home...but little else. (I am so guilty of this--I can't resist a sample lady at a supermarket--how can I resist all those booths and the conversations with the sponsors? I love them. I really do and it is an important part of BlogHer to me, but I can't let it consume all my time.)
- Locating people. 99% of my text messages during BlogHer conferences are "Where are you?" Yes, my partner attends. Some years a child or two attends. (teens-none this year) I obsess over where they are at the conference. Why? I don't know. I live with them. They aren't "lost."
Set up check in points and times. If traveling with teens--make solid rules about when they must text you. Otherwise, realize everyone is having fun, learning, (or maybe sulking in their room having down time) and enjoy the ones you are with. This reminds me--don't waste BlogHer on talking to boyfriends/girlfriends/ on the phone for hours at a party or during a session. - Not thinking out sessions and back up sessions ahead of time or deciding to skip them at the last minute. (see lure of swag above) I've missed a lot of great sessions because I thought they were in a different slot or because the session I wanted was full and I didn't know what other session I wanted to check out. Attend sessions. They truly are worth it.
- Sitting with people I know--this is another problem with going with partner/children and knowing people from previous conferences. I hide with the three or four people who know my quirks or even dozen. This year, I am going to try to sit with other people and introduce myself. If you see me, feel free to grab a seat, join me, and start a conversation. I will try to talk to new people at parties, in the halls, and everywhere else. (and of course, make a point of saying hello, talking and hugging the people I've known--I hate getting home from BlogHer and finding out someone I really like was there too but I missed them in the shuffle. Inevitable--but hopefully the new app will help!)
- Not having a decent fresh post up on my blog while I am at BlogHer. Nothing is worse than someone meeting you, opening up their browser, looking at your blog and seeing either a "I am going to BlogHer! I hope to see you! post" and nothing else of substance (your child/dog/rainbow picture is fab--but draw me in a bit) or a post that is weeks old. I know. Busy. Packing. Looking for cute clothes. Arranging for parents, children, husbands, sitters, pets. Take the time to write a post. Schedule a post. Today.
