[img_assist|fid=3075|thumb=1|alt=BlogHer '07 Theme] BlogHer '07 is less than six months away, coming to Chicago on July 27/28 this year, and we're happy to bring you the first detailed announcements about the Conference.

The Theme: A World of Difference

As you can see by our beautiful conference button, our theme this year is A World of Difference. BlogHer's annual event continues to be dedicated to bringing bloggers together, and to celebrate the fact that although there are, in fact, many blogospheres, we can find common ground. Programming and activities will be designed not only to help birds of a feather flock together, but also to help bloggers learn from those outside their own flock.

By celebrating A World of Difference we hope to make BlogHer '07 a place where you can both meet your virtual friends face-to-face, and a place to broaden your blogging horizons and learn from the collective wisdom of the entire BlogHer community.

The Programming Tracks: Two days, six tracks

This year we will be presenting six tracks of focused programming, four two-day track and two one-day tracks. Each track will be co-chaired by me and at least one other expert in the field.

The tracks are:

Art of Life Track (2-day)
Co-chairs: Kalyn Denny and Jenny Lauck

This track will be devoted to the passions about which so many of us blog...food, art, photography, crafts, knitting, writing, poetry, music and more.

Business of You Track (2-day)
Co-chairs: Jan Kabili and Lena West

This track will be devoted to personal and business advancement. We expect to discuss speaker and media training, self-branding and promotion, mentoring, turning your blog into a book or a business, and perhaps even managing your time, your finances, your blogging policies and practices...the business of you.

Community Track (1-day)
Co-chair: Nancy White

This track will explore the care and feeding of communities. Possible topics include building bridges between local for-profit and non-profit companies, continuing the discussion of community assistance and relief programs that was kicked off at BlogHer '06, how to galvanize social change with your blogs, and wherever else the BlogHer community leads us!

Identity Track (2-day)
Co-chairs: Jory Des Jardins and Liz Henry

This track is about both the immutable and the dynamic aspects of our lives. Race, gender, age, sexuality, parenting, singledom, faith...many of us blog about who we are, not what we do, and this track will explore your many facets.

Politics Track (1-day)
Co-chairs: Morra Aarons-Mele and Lisa Stone

While Election '08 coverage and the drive to register women voters would be enough ground to cover, we're also looking to expand the Politics track beyond the U.S...should we be talking about the politics of war, about gender equity worldwide, about how different regions of the world are drawing women into the political process? You tell us.

Technical Track (2-day)
Co-chairs: Barb Dybwad and Nelly Yusupova

We're calling in some gurus to help us build two days of Deeply Geeky content. Last year we covered audio, video, photography, tagging, HTML & CSS, SEO and more acronyms galore. What should we focus on this year?

In addition to the tracks above we will have some general sessions, plus some alternative spaces, like an Internet Cafe and a Collaborative Workspace. We are also considering adding an optional Sunday half-day unconference, sort of a "BlogHerCamp" and would love your feedback on that. Let us have it!

The Call for Ideas

So, now is the time to start sending us your submissions. You have until March 16th.

What we're looking for:

-Session ideas. Anything from a line or two to a full session abstract or proposal will be accepted. And you can submit an idea even if you don't want to be considered as a speaker for it.
-Speaker ideas. Again, we're happy to have you propose yourself, or recommend someone else.

How to submit:

Please submit via email to me and to the co-chairs for the appropriate Track. Please use [BlogHer 07 Submission_Track Name] in the subject line to help us organize.

Emails:

Every submission should go to:
Elisa Camahort: elisa at blogher dot org

plus

Art of Life Co-chairs:
Kalyn Denny: kalynskitchen at comcast dot net
Jenny Lauck: mizzjenny at gmail dot com

Business of You Co-chairs
Jan Kabili: kabili at saga2 dot com
Lena West: blogher2007 at xynoMedia dot com

Community Co-chair:
Nancy White: nancyw at fullcirc dot com

Identity Co-chairs:
Jory Des Jardins: jory at blogher dot org
Liz Henry: lizzard at bookmaniac dot net

Politics Co-chair:
Lisa Stone: lisa at blogher dot org

Technical Co-chairs:
Barb Dybwad: barb at weblogsinc dot com
Nelly Yusupova: nelly at cgim dot com

Tomorrow Kristy will be unveiling:

-Our conference venue
-The three conference hotel room blocks and how to reserve your room
-The code for our BlogHer '07 buttons, including an updated "I'm Going" button

Stay tuned, because the news is going to start coming fast and furious now!

Elisa
on behalf of Elisa, Jory, Lisa, all of our kind and generous Track Co-chairs and BlogHer's event planner/goddess, Kristy