 |
In January, I am attending Blissdom Conference in Nashville, an awesome conference dedicated to creating your bliss in this online social space. I’m expecting to have lots of fun and look forward to fellowship and girl-time with many of the wonderful women I met at Type-A Mom plus some new ladies that I have yet to meet
. If you are interested going Angela England is hosting a giveaway.
Do’s & Don’ts of Blissdom (or any) Blog Conference Preparation
DO take time to reflect on the image you want to project at Blissdom, there will be lots of pictures taken and first impressions made.
DON’T stress over what to wear. Jo-Lynne at Musings Of A Housewife wrote this wonderful post about What To Wear To Blissdom last year and an UPDATED version for Blissdom 2011.
DO pack a pair of those purse-sized ballet flats if you plan to wear heels.
DO check the weather forecast before you pack your bags. Nashville Temperatures in late January average from Highs of 50 to Lows of 30s.
DO make sure the clothes you pack are best for your body type, personal style, and make you feel confident.
DO learn how to Light Up a Room. Charisma can be learned. Also learn How to make fabulous party conversation for those evening functions.
DO pack a surge protector (especially if you have roommates).
DON’T be afraid to send out a tweet if you need are in need of company. My first night in Asheville at Type-A, I was alone and wandering around looking for a place to eat dinner and I tweeted about it and then someone tweeted me back an invitation to dinner where I met some awesome ladies that I still talk to (and one whom I am now rooming with for Blissdom).
DON’T be intimidated by the successes of others, everybody has to start somewhere. All big bloggers were once small bloggers
DO check out Chris Brogan’s list of 27 Things To Do Before A Conference.
DO go to the conference with an agenda. Who do you want to meet? What do you intend to learn? What skills do you want to master? What brands do you want to connect with? If you’re forgetful (like me) write it down in a journal dedicated to conference notes.
DO have a blogger business card with your name, twitter handle, facebook page, and any other info that you want your colleagues, PR people, and brands to know about you. Here is my card which is also a DON’T because it lacks white space (which is important when people write notes to themselves on your card). I designed myself through Vistaprint and will make sure all future cards have white space.
DO check out this tutorial to learn a cute way to keep your contacts organized!
Here is a video I did about What To Pack For Type-A that is very relevant for Blissdom as well.
If you have any specific fashion-related questions, I’d be more than happy to answer them! Check out my daily outfits and fashion posts for inspiration. I definitely plan on taking pictures of attendees for MomStreetStyle.
That’s all I can think of now but will likely be following up (especially if there are beauty/style related questions).
Can’t wait to see/meet everybody!
UPDATE: this great comment was left by Angela England with some great additional advice (she’s been to/spoken at tons of blog conferences)
Great tips! Thanks also for the shout-out.
I would add the following –
DO be prepared to be surprised. Be open to those providential opportunities you simply cannot plan for.
DONT forget that even the “down times” can lead to wonderful opportunities if you take the time to reach out, say hello, strike up a conversation and be friendly to those around you.
Case in point – you and I connecting at Type-A! An unexpected providential happening because we were both willing to open up and reach out to someone we didn’t know beforehand. Fabulous post! Angela <
Hollywood Housewife adds the following tip:
I would also say to make sure and DO step outside of your social box. Force yourself to walk up to someone and say hi (especially if they’re alone). I’ve met the most interesting people this way, even though it’s tempting to either keep to yourself or stay within your group of friends.
