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20 #BWELA Tips for BlogWorld Newbies – and 3 Secrets about the Event

Oct 22, 2011 In-Person Networking
Posted by Allison

As most of you probably know, one of my biggest (and most awesome) clients is BlogWorld Expo. I’ve written about how life-changing this event can be on my other blog multiple times, and it’s definitely a conference I recommend for anyone even remotely interested in blogging, social networking, internet marketing, and anything else new media. If you’re a business owner, you should be there. If you’re a writer, you should be there. If you’re awesome, you should be there. (If you haven’t purchased tickets yet, you can do so through my affiliate link here.)

About a year ago, I went to my first BlogWorld event. I was scared shitless. The event is really overwhelming and it’s hard to know what to expect. So today, I wanted to put together a list of my best secret tips for newbies. Keep in mind that you can use a lot of these tips at any conference, so even if you don’t attend BlogWorld (boo), you can use this list the next time you do get out of the house for a professional conference.

Go a day early if you can afford it. You’ll want some time to settle in and relax before the madness begins.
Stay a day or two late. People stay in town and continue networking and partying, and with no official events to attend, you’ll have more freedom to hang out.
Write on the backs of business cards you collect. By the time you get home, you’ll forget half the people you meet if you don’t jot down a quick note reminding you who these people are.
Even better: take pictures with you phone and upload them to Twitter or Facebook, tagging everyone as you go. It’s a great reminder of the people you met when you look at pictures after the event.
Go to as much official stuff as possible. There’s this new trend in conferences where people “attend,” but don’t actually go to any of the sessions or keynotes. Maybe at other conferences, that’s justified, but the content at BlogWorld is BEYOND AMAZING. Take advantage.
Follow the official conference hashtag on Twitter to connect with others attending (for BlogWorld LA, it’s #BWELA).
RSVP to the event on Facebook.
Plan a daytime schedule. You don’t have to follow it necessarily, but you should have an idea of what you hope to do and when things are happening. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on cool stuff because you’ll forget what’s going on.
Stalk people who inspire you until you find them…and say hello. Seriously, a-listers don’t get to feel like rock stars in real life any other time of the year. They like meeting fans.
Re: the above tip – don’t be creepy. Say hello. Tell them why you like their blog. Say goodbye. They are not your new best friend. :-p
Meet new people. I know you want to hang out with current friends, but also take the chance to break away from your safe little group and have dinner with people you don’t know.
Dress to kill. Lots of people will be taking pictures. This doesn’t mean that you need to be in an evening gown or something, but leave the sweats at the hotel room.
Speaking of a hotels, stay in one of the office conference hotels. Not only will you get a discount, but that’s where the action tends to be when the party ends.
Don’t make tons of plans. You want to have your trusty schedule, but avoid promising people that you’ll go to events together or have dinner or whatnot. Just play it by ear and see where things go. Tons of unoffical parties pop up and you want to be available to go.
Make sure you have a really great post up on your blog before you leave. People will be checking, so you want your homepage to be spectacular (not that it shouldn’t be all the time).
Don’t pay for things that could be free. For example, many conferences (including BWELA) have free shuttles and official networking parties usually have some free food.
And speaking of food, don’t forget to eat and drink plenty of water. It’s easy to get busy and forget these things.
Get there early. I know your hotel bed is cozy in the wee morning hours, but you seriously don’t want to miss a minute.
Ask a question in the sessions. Not only will you get an answer from someone pretty smart, but you’re also making a connection with the presenter AND everyone else in the session will hear your name and URL too.
Take a little notepad with you everywhere. There are tons of great ideas floating around and you won’t always have your laptop turned on to record them. You can also use a smartphone ap to take notes, but be aware that it sometimes looks rude to be on your cell phone when speaking someone. Jotting down a note on a pad of paper doesn’t look as rude. And, you can also write something down for someone else if you have paper with you.

And now, five secrets that you may not know about the event that could really help you make the most of BlogWorld:

Secret #1: Track down the conference organizers and say hello. Don’t wait to pass them in the hall, because it might never happen. Catch them as they’re coming out of or going into the conference office. Don’t take up too much of their time, because they’re super busy, but introduce yourself and thank them for organizing the event. These are the people who pick speakers every year, among other things. You want them to get to know your name.

Secret #2: Elevator pitches suck. You’ve probably heard that you should have a 20-second pitch ready to go so that when you meet new people, you can talk about your blog or product. Screw that. If people are truly interested, they’ll ask you questions about what you’re doing. Just get to know people first before spouting off some kind of canned pitched like a doofus. Yes, you should be able to quickly tell me what your site/product is about, but I don’t need you to pitch me anything just yet. Let’s be friends first.

Secret #3: Everyone is nervous. The event staff are nervous. The experienced attendees are nervous. The speakers and special guests are nervous. The vendors are nervous. Just because you’re a newbie doesn’t mean that you’re the only one who is nervous. We all have insecurities, and most of us spend all day behind the filter of a computer screen, so it makes us a little anxious to meet people in real life. You aren’t alone.

Have you been to BlogWorld or other industry events? If so, leave a comment with your best tips and secrets!