Are you attending a conference? Looking for some blog conference tips? Then you are in the right place!
Deynece and I have big goals this year, goals to help us be the best business ladies we can be and invest in our new endeavor. To provide the best information for our readers. One of the best ways to do this is through a blog conference. Our first is this week!!!! Our first was BYBC and it seriously knocked our socks off! I am blown away by the amazing people out there. The second will be at the end of April. It’s called the Summit C by The Southern C community and I am THRILLED to be going.
While BYBC was my first BLOG conference, I have attended dozens of other conferences. Conferences for medical students, for estheticians, for those in the mental health industry and its various specialties as well as business management. That’s a LOT of conferences!
In preparation I put together a few tips (reminders for myself) on how to get the most bang for your buck. The Southern C was kind enough to lend me some of their photos from last year and let me tell you- this “party” takes Southern charm and elegance to a whole new level. You’ll see what I mean…
Blog Conference Tips
Balancing It All
After all the planning and prep and what feels like forever- finally, you’ve arrived at the conference location.
Adrenaline will be pumping as you jet from one place to another, run to meetings, attend sessions and parties – all while trying to stay up to date on any unforeseen events that crop up in the last minute. The non-stop activity may keep you going during the day, but the minute you walk through your hotel door at night the exhaustion will set in. You will NOT believe you have to set your alarm for such a short time from now. Ha! If you are like me, you may even wonder if it’s even worth going to sleep.
Conferences are notorious for fun, and it can be hard to unwind but they also have a lot of effective, late night networking sessions so get ready to harness your inner night owl.
Learning to balance those late nights and early mornings is crucial – not only for the success of the conference – but also to maintain your sanity!
Get Sleep
Be honest and realistic with yourself, you probably aren’t going to get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep. The important thing is to know how little you can get by with. Make sure you are getting enough sleep so that you are functional the next day. Especially if you require 8+ hours, try to go to sleep a bit later or wake up 15-30 minutes earlier for a few days leading up to the conference to get adjusted in a gradual way.
I make sure to bring things that help me battle my insomnia. That consists of a sleep mask I can’t live without. Earplugs. Melatonin. I don’t try anything new during the conference so that I am not surprised by some effects the next day.
Hydration!
Drink water! You will feel naturally energized, recover faster from the effects of any late night indulgence you may have had and can stay ahead of the dry mouth that comes from back-to-back conversations. We all know how important it is to stay hydrated, so do it!
Energy/Caffeine
Overloading on energy drinks and caffeine is not the healthiest choice, but it can be very effective if used properly. Just don’t have too many or you will be crashing hard later!
“Heavy use” is equivalent to 500-600 mg a day – which translates into 5 or more cups of coffee or 2 energy shots. Anything beyond that has been proven to cause unpleasant side effects.
Energy For Your Electronics
If your conference isn’t equipped with a charge station like the Summit C then make sure you pack a portable one so neither you nor your phone is running out. Bring extra camera batteries as well!
Vitamin C – Before, During & After
All Vitamin C, all day erre day! A combination of minimal sleep, shaking hands and lots of people in a confined space means you are going to need some kind of protection against illness. Start taking Emergen-C a couple days before the conference, during and continue for a few days after just to make sure you don’t catch any bugs going around. Keep a mini hand sanitizer in your bag and remember to spritz in between conversations!
EAT!
Even if your conference is like the Summit C and providing all the lavish meals you can imagine, you still don’t want to risk getting hangry. Pack a few power packed bars in your bag. This will relieve so much stress if you are caught up in conversation or some other exciting opportunity and you miss a meal.
It’s OK to Say YES!
Conferences are for networking so do lots of it! Have you seen the movie Yes Man? Be like that. J Put yourself out there and challenge yourself to get to know people and be involved. Say yes even if you don’t know anyone else going… Chances are many other people will be in the same position! They wouldn’t be there otherwise. A blog conference is going to be a different mix of people with so many creative introverts who are more comfortable behind the screen.
Fake it till you make it!
You only get one chance to make a first impression. You want to represent your brand well, confidently. What you choose to wear plays a role in your mindset. If you are wearing something that makes you feel good, you are going to be more confident, more effective and more likely to network. Make sure to try it on beforehand so that you know it fits and makes you feel great. I am bypassing my strong desire to wear my PJs and going for something that represents my personal brand better than PJs and a top knot.
Have A Plan, Have Fun
Make a SMALL game plan, when you know the conference schedule decide a few things you really want to achieve. Know what you need to do and not do in order to get work done and have a successful conference! Think about the successes of any past conferences you have attended and what worked or didn’t work for you, ask other conference attendees before hand and be flexible.
Have you attended any conferences blogging or other? We’d love to hear your blog conference tips. Are you planning on attending any in the future? Which ones have been your favorite or are on your bucket list?
XOXO~ M&D
P.S. If you can get to the Charleston area to attend The Southern C Summit I would love to connect beforehand! If traveling for a blog conference is out of the question you should look into the Build Your Blog Conference. It will all be available virtually for a year afterwards!
Comments (33)
Yay! Can’t wait to attend the summit with you and the other Charleston Blog Society blogger babes!
Great tips!!! I will be attending my first blogging conference next week. Sleep is so important! I am the type of person who has to have at least 7+ hrs to be able to fully function. So I will be getting enough sleep before attending. I am very excited about networking and getting my blog out there. Thanks for all of these tips! I will be keeping them in mind!
I hope you are bringing lots of business cards! Haha! I am so excited for you! Get A LOT of sleep beforehand because there was not much done between days at ours. So tired but so worth it!
Great tips. I haven’t been to a blogging conference before, but I hope to in the next year.
I hope you get too! I am ready to register for next years because it is now a must do! It was really great to get to know others as well as work with sponsors! Then the classes are just icing on the cake?
I’ve never been to a blogging conference, and don’t really have any on the horizon any time soon… but I would LOVE to go to some someday! I love what you said about a bunch of introverts getting to know each other! I know I’ll be so nervous and awkward, but I’ve seen so many bloggers talk about coming away from conferences with great, new, lifelong friendships, and I would LOVE to experience that! It would be worth a bit of nerves 😉
Its so true! 4 of us just got off a screen call to help brainstorm on a project one of our new friends is hoping to undertake. Ha! We were going through withdrawals! 🙂 You will love it!
Thank you for the great tips! I haven’t yet been to a blogging conference, but definitely would like to attend one in the near future. It is comforting to know that a lot of the other attendees will be introverts as well. I’m a huge introvert, and the thought of a conference full of people I don’t know is really intimidating. Thanks for putting things at ease!
Seriously! Everyone is so amazing too and it made me feel sooo not cool but then you start chatting and you all feel the same way and you all think the others are so great! Haha. It was so so fun! It was also so great for business. Yay!
I’ve never attended a blog conference before! Great tips!
It was really great. I woke up the day after feeling like I had run a marathon but it was so worth it! 🙂
Oooh - loved this post! I’ve never been to a bloggers’ convention, but will be going to one this summer - I’m excited, but had no idea what to expect until I read your tips. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Yay! Seriously you will love it! I am blown away by the amazing people we met! Which one are you going to? I am debating between one more- one in Los Angeles, another one local to Charleston or one in NYC.
So glad you guys had fun. That was my very first conference last year too! Now I am heading to my fourth! I love them and get so much out of them! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Oh that is so cool! Will you be attending again? Any tips? 🙂 It was so fun!
Great tips! I’ve been to a few conferences and the best piece of advice I received and believe to be true is to just be yourself - put yourself out there and realize many people are new to that conference and may not know anyone either. Also, it helps if you can find out a few of the people who may be attending the conference through FB conference groups and reach out to them. Maybe arrange to grab coffee or a glass of wine before or during the conference.
This is such great advice! We were lucky to have a FB group and that is exactly what we did! We are keeping the FB group going even though it’s ver. So smart! Is there any in particular that stands out to you?
Great tips, I am attending my first blog conference next month. It’s only a local event for 1 day, but I still am hoping to get a lot out of it.
I am sure you will! Especially being a local event it was so great meeting and brainstorming with others! Then the speakers and sponsors on top of it is just icing on the cake! I’d love to hear how it goes 🙂 ~ M
Great tips! Although I haven’t attended a blogging conference, I know from other types it is good to have a plan and to plan to enjoy yourself.
Exactly!! Having fun makes the learning that much easier!
I haven’t been to a conference yet, but its on my list to do for this year and I’lld definitely be keeping these in mind!
They are so much fun and so Informative!! Thanks for stopping by!
These are amazing tips! I’ve been to a few conferences and I totally forget to sleep often times. Making a note for my next trip to squeeze in more shut eye!
xo, Alicia | Alicia Tenise
These are great tips! I’ve never been to a conferance before, but one of these days I really need to do it.
http://www.mysocalledchaos.com
How fun!
I hope to attend a blog conference in the next year or so.
xoxo, Jenny
Attending a conference is on my goal list for 2016, these are some great tips to take along. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips! I remember my first conference it was exhilerating and exhausting all at once. I agree with everything you mentioned above with the addition of packing healthy snacks and trying to eat well. All the free food is awesome but many times I have found it to be lacking in the yummy greens and lean protein sections. To combat the fatigue I stock my hotel mini fridge with yogurt, fruit and pack some healthy protein heavy bars and nuts in my purse. Helps me feel great all day long!
I have never attended a blogging conference however I would love to. The networking and shared interests with one another would be so worth it.
In off for my first conference this year - thanks for the tips!
Woohoo! You’ll love it! Which one are you attending?
😀 This list just makes me excited about going to my first conference! I haven’t picked one yet, but the goal is to attend one this year. Fingers crossed!
Ooooh! Fingers crossed indeed! Which ones are you considering?