Many of you know that Blog World New Media Expo 2010 in Las Vegas on October 14-16 is a big deal. (See the discussion in the comments in a recent Kikolani/Kristi Hines post.)
I’m strongly considering going. First I’ll discuss my goals, and then I’ll ask you important questions.
What I Want from the Conference
#1. Make connections with other bloggers
I’m getting to know many of you through our blogs: we read each others’ posts, we leave comments. I’ve also had some private e-mail exchanges with some of you. But that’s not the same as meeting you in person and getting to know you better through real person-to-person interaction.
From the professional/business side, I’m looking to find people who are:
- Potential joint-venture partners, meaning we help promote each other’s products as affiliates. (I’m working on a new product now and I have plans for several more.)
- Potential co-creators of products we do together, products that use synergy to combine our strengths.
- Good, honest, ethical folks I’d be comfortable sending my readers to, and who also feel the same about me.
#2. Learning from the speakers, panels, etc.
Undoubtedly I’ll pick up valuable tips for both blogging and selling information products. This is important to me, but I’m most interested in the real connections I’d make with others. Most or all of the information the presenters give will also be available on the their blogs and in their products, so I don’t necessarily need to travel to Las Vegas to get it.
#3. Stimulate my creativity
Traveling really sparks my creative juices. I always have my digital recorder in my pocket, ready for new ideas and insights.
#4. Break my usual routine
Variety makes life more interesting. New places, new people, new schedules — all make me feel more alive. I might turn this into an actual vacation and do some hiking in nearby Zion National Park.
Considerations on Whether or Not To Go
As many of you know from reading ProductiveWriters.com, I place high importance on my return on investment. Here are the important factors:
- Cost of the conference itself
- Travel, lodging, food, drink
- the value of the time I spend packing, traveling, and actually at the conference
Right now I’m leaning strongly toward going, but I do have questions…
My Questions about Blog World
#1. Who are the presenters?
Do you know who will be speaking, leading workshops, sitting on panel discussions? As of today, there’s no schedule of speakers and topics on the site. (You can view the 2009 Blog World Expo schedule here.)
#2. Is it worth it to go to the whole thing?
It’s $600 (by July 15) for the whole thing from Thursday through Saturday, but just $300 for Friday and Saturday. The full price includes the Social Media Business Summit.
#3. Are you going?Why or why not?
Talk to me…
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not going, but that’s strictly to do with scheduling issues/family responsibilities.
Everyone I’ve talked to says that if you can only go to one conference a year, go to Blog World Expo! Maybe there’s someone out there who’s gone and thinks it’s a waste of time and money, but I haven’t heard from them yet.
One way or another, I’ll get there in 2011~
Jean, thanks for sharing your take. One strong vote in favor…
And hopefully will both be there in 2011 and can say hello in person.
John,
I decided some time back that I would go. It is time to step up. It is pricy but I will take the word of others that it is important – David Risley for one, I haven’t looked at a program (good since there apparently isn’t one) but I am guessing that the weekend is for the amateurs and the weekday are for the pros, I am going for the whole thing. I like you want to meet some of the people I know only online and get my eyes off the familiar ground and looking at new ideas and directions.
Ralph, look just below at Kristi Hines’s comment. She gives the link to the 2009 expo, and it looks like there’s enough on each day for both the pros and the talented amateurs.
Twitter: @kikolani
Hi John,
They are supposed to be posting the schedule in July (hopefully before the early bird registration ends on the 15th). Anyway, I don’t know what this year will look like, but you can look at what they had to offer in the 2009 schedule.
2009 Blog World Expo
I think I’m looking at this even as half for the actual seminars, and half for the networking opportunities. I hope this helps!
Kristi, thanks for finding this link to the 2009 Blog World Expo. That’s a big help. There were so many workshops happening during each time slot that I would have no trouble finding ones I wanted to attend. Let’s hope this year also offers a large number of workshops.
Twitter: @kikolani
I would presume they would, as they would want to have something to attract last year’s crowd into coming back again. BWE also has a Facebook fan page that they are dropping small announcements on. Nothing too exciting, yet, but it might be a faster way to find out some small news. Like so far, they’ve confirmed CC Chapman, John Chow, ShoeMoney, Darren Rowse, and Chris Garrett are speaking.
Just “liked” the Facebook page Kristi. I know Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett from Third Tribe Marketing.
Hi John,
I attended last year – it was great. Lots of great content, nice people etc. And I made some great business connections. So, I’m in for this year, too.
Julie
Julie, thanks for your input. And Sacramento’s just three hours down I-5 from Mount Shasta, so I’ll count you as a local…
It looks like a great opportunity with lots of positives, but being a blogger and being that the internet and people are so connected, I think you can get this information from your home. Yea, you’re going to miss the speeches and everything, but use google updates to read about the bloggers that blogged about it. Connect with all these bloggers via email. The beauty of the online is you don’t have to be at a physical location to meets 100 people. You can do it on your computer.
Alex, you’re correct that I can get the actual instruction and ideas from the Internet. My main goal in going would be making face-to-face contact with people and building relationships with them.
The days whe people attended conferences to get some valuable information are long gone. You’re absolutely right, conferences nowadays are about making face-to-face contact and building valuable relationships. Even in the modern online world people are more likely to trust those whom they met in person.
Dennis, the online world is great for connecting with people, but humans are social creatures who need real interactions to truly form strong bonds.
As I said in the post, there are lots of ways to get information on the Internet; getting it at a conference is not necessary — as you correctly point out.
Hi John,
In terms of meeting people face-to-face I think the experience would be rewarding. However, in terms of the sessions I don’t see any reason why they can’t be viewed online. Virtual meetings are the way to go. That would save on travel time and expense. The conference organizers should take this into consideration and if more people request online access perhaps they’ll offer it next year.
If you decide to go, I’ll be looking forward to your follow-up review.
Ileane, I agree that it would be good if they streamed the sessions. I know there is a vendor hall, so perhaps they want the warm bodies actually there so they can interact with the sponsors of the conference.
Twitter: @GrowMap
I don’t attend any conferences any more, but if I were going I would definitely do the entire conference. Given the high cost of travel, hotels, etc. the additional costs would be minimal in comparison and well worth it.
I agree with Dennis that the days of these conferences may be numbered. More of us do everything online every day. I know that some people feel that only in person contact provides the “real interactions to truly form strong bonds” but I have never felt that way. Some of my strongest relationships are with people I have never met in person.
I do have some tips about attending conferences. While it is great to be in the same hotel as the conference, if that is outside your budget or the rooms are sold out and the conference is in a city that has good public transportation options, use Yahoo Local or a similar directory to search for other hotels – or my personal favorite – Bed & Breakfasts. Sort by reviews to choose the best.
Many of them now have online booking. If the one you want to stay at shows booked up for your dates try searching for individual days. When I attended Internet Retailer Conference in Chicago a few years back everything was booked up but I was able to find a great little B&B with a room each night – just not the same room on all the nights.
Since I pack light it wasn’t a big deal to me to change rooms each night. I simply switched keys and moved my things before heading out to the conference each morning. I got to experience several unique themed rooms instead of just one and I really enjoyed the peace of the B&B and their garden and the BBQ restaurant next door.
It was a short taxi ride over to the event and I didn’t even have to call them – they were flowing by right in front of the entrance to the B&B. Even with the cost of the taxi I saved about half the cost of staying at a hotel.
I always find someone who knows the area before I even leave and get directions and tips on navigating the area BEFORE I arrive. Not all concierges are as talented as others and not knowing how to get to the conference on time is no fun.
When a group I founded used to throw our own little International conferences we would stay at the homes of locals or split the cost of hotel rooms with others in our group. Imagine getting to spend all those extra hours sharing knowledge and wisdom with each other.
Sometimes we would decide to get together during some big industry event. Many times we’d all end up in one room talking half the night and analyzing pedigrees and have to almost force each other to get some sleep. Many of us were speaking at some other major conference and the others came to learn from and support each other.
When I flew to South Africa to speak at a conference, six of the other speakers from all over the world already knew each other from our gatherings and I was able to pick each person out at the airport as they arrived.
At that conference the organizers put us up in an all expenses paid (even meals, wine, and drinks “as long as we didn’t drink the bar dry”) for the first four days and for the second four individual sponsors invited the speakers they most wanted to interact with to be guests on their estates. (They paid for us to come there.) Do they ever do anything like that for these?
I know many people who speak at conferences and they all say the most important benefit is what they share among themselves which is far more and often times far different than what the speakers are willing to share publicly.
Maximize the benefits by knowing who else will be there and exchanging contact information before you leave home. Set up to meet the night they arrive or pick a place to meet the first (or each) morning.
At some conferences they set up a method for finding others while you’re there, but that doesn’t always work well. At the Internet Retailer Conference I attended the method was online but they had nowhere near enough Kiosks set up for getting online to check messages. There were often long, long lines to use them.
That was before cell phones had Internet access on them and laptops were light enough that you might want to carry one around all day.
Wow Gail! This is a very good and very detailed advice. Things have obviously changed a lot with conferences over the last decade. You were definitely wined and dined in South Africa.
I’ll try to stay at the same hotel as the conference. If not, there are several other big casinos within a few hundred yards, if memory serves. I like the B&B idea, and if my partner Stephanie comes, we might be tempted to do that. Your Chicago experience sounds like the ideal way to go.
My main reason for going is connecting with other people, so I’ll take your advice and set up meetings before we all arrive.
Twitter: @websiteweekend
I’m probably going to go, but I might not even go to any of the sessions. The real value is meeting people face to face.
Although, since I’ve already met Ralph, not sure if have any reason to go now… heh…
Dave, several people agree with you, including me. I’d go primarily to get to know so many of the people I’ve only interacted with online.
I unfortunately will not be attending this event this year…although I will like to do so next year. I’m sure it would be a great opportunity to network and learn new stuff to take your blog to the next level. Have fun!
Hope you can make it next year Michelle. I think it’ll be about the same time and likely in the same place.
I’ll be there, although only attending on Thursday. I’m meeting up with some big names on Wednesday, and can only spend so much time away from the family…at least this year. Next year, I’d love to stay for the weekend as well.