Tuesday, August 14, 2012

What is #BlogHer12?

Airport travel

This time last week I was just starting to unpack from BlogHer’12. I had made it home after a nice week in NYC and I was slowly recovering from the time change, the late nights, and general craziness that is BlogHer! BlogHer’12 was amazing and overwhelming all at the same time.

I was lucky enough to snag a room in the conference hotel. I did not have to worry about transportation back and forth from conference to hotel and was able to hop up to my room whenever I needed to – totally the way to go btw!

I cannot tell you how many times people in the hotel and on the street stopped me to ask what was going on and what the big conference was. Apparently my large tag and lanyard gave me away as a conference attendee. My response was simple, “I am here for #BlogHer12 a blogging conference. It is a huge conference for bloggers to learn, connect, and share.”

That definition is simple enough, right? I mean… what do you say to a random stranger who is looking around at 4,000 bloggers who have taken New York by storm? Everywhere you looked in and around the Host Hilton Hotel in New York you saw men and women (yes, men go to BlogHer too) wearing BlogHer badges loaded up with bags of swag!

Laura and the Lorax

Obviously that definition of BlogHer doesn’t even begin to cover the BlogHer12 experience. There is so much to see and do that if you don’t take the time to plan ahead you can get overwhelmed and miss out on some great experiences. For example, a must for me was sitting in on the BlogHer Voices of the Year and getting a front row seat at the BlogHer Fashion Show. Both of these events were inspirational and highly entertaining.

Martha Stewart #BlogHer12

Katie Couric #BlogHer12

Aside from the fabulous speakers like Martha Stewart and Katie Couric, who were each awesome in their own right, every seminar I attended had wonderful presenters. I learned something new during each of the events and seminars I was able to attend. Be it from the person sitting up front leading the panel or the fabulous fellow blogger sitting right next to me.

My number one piece of advice for anyone wanting to attend a BlogHer conference is jump into the experience with both feet! Try to experience BlogHer completely. Go to the official BlogHer parties, attend the key note speeches, talk to companies you are interested in working with, talk to the other bloggers there.

Laura (Mom Mart) & Amy (Grinning Cheek to Cheek)

Although my mother always told me not to talk to strangers, I LOVE to talk to strangers! Do not be afraid to just go right up and introduce yourself to people. I bought my tickets for BlogHer12 knowing that I was not going with a group of friends. In fact I didn’t find out until a few weeks before BlogHer12 that some of my blogging friends were headed to BlogHer12 too! Even though I had some friends attending BlogHer12, I was not with them a majority of the time. So I made new bloggy friends while at BlogHer12. I went up to complete strangers and said hello. I approached people who were by themselves looking completely alone and I approached groups of people who looked like they were having fun. In fact my rule of thumb for BlogHer conferences is this: if you aren’t having fun, what is the point?

Blogging is fun; if it wasn’t fun I wouldn’t do it. I blog because I love it. I blog because it is a way for me to feel like I have a voice and to share my experiences (both good and bad) with others. I share my craftiness and I share my opinions and although I may not always agree with someone about something I try to keep an open mind and heart. Everyone blogs for their own reason and their thoughts, opinions, and perspectives are all different and worth taking a minute to listen to.

With that being said, BlogHer is a platform for bloggers to interact with other bloggers that they would otherwise never have had the opportunity to meet. It is a chance at making new acquaintances and creates stronger friendships between people who have only ever communicated online. It is a way for Brands to connect with bloggers and bloggers to connect with brands. It is a way to further the craft of blogging and to gain more knowledge from experts in the field. It is also a very fun weekend!

Sparklecorn #BlogHer12!!!

New York City

I will share more about my experience of BlogHer12 with you in the next few weeks. I just wanted to be able to answer this question for everyone in NYC who kept asking me what is BlogHer12…. It is awesauce on top of delicioso blogging fun. I will definitely be going next year, especially since it is being held in Chicago!
  

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