Tips For Your 1st(2nd or 3rd)Blogging Conference

So, I’ve been to  a few blog conferences now and I’m starting to feel like a veteran of sorts! So today, I’m sharing a few tips to help you enjoy a conference. Because I’ve learned( and have not always followed my own advice) what works. So without further ado…

1. Set an Agenda. This is always important. What do you want to accomplish? What do you need to learn? What brands do you want to meet with?  The key to this is to first, look at the agenda. What sessions interest you? Which ones can help you build your brand? Or which one just speaks to your heart? Look through the list of conference sponsors. The expo halls at the conferences are places where you can get overwhelmed seeing all of the brands available.  But really, is that ice cream brand relevant to your brand? Or is that affiliate marketing company a better bet ?
2. Connect Before Hand: One of the best things about conferences is “meeting” all of your online friends and reconnecting with the ones you have seen before.  One of the worst things ever is to get a tweet or a response on Instagram saying: I’m sorry I missed you! So before you get there, have twitter handles, a list of names, instagram handles and FIND YOUR FRIENDS.
3. Say Hello: I’ve met some of my favorite bloggy friends at conferences simply because I said “Hello, my name is LaShawn.” DO THAT. I met my friend Arlett over at Chasing Joy at my very first blogging conference and all because I said hello.
4. Network! Hand out those business cards you paid a pretty penny for! How is anyone going to remember you if you don’t? I always take a business card and write down a little factoid on the back of it so that later on when I’m going through the cards, I can remember the person! Plus, this is the MAIN reason why you are here! To meet new people and to connect to new brands. Make sure your contact information is on your cards. And network!
5. Enjoy. My last tip to is just simply enjoy the experience. Enjoy meeting new people, enjoy coming out of your comfort zone and do the wobble on the dance floor. Laugh. Cry. Sit in the lobby and have a long conversation with a couple of bloggers that you just met. You won’t regret it.

Next month, I’m going to my very first Type-A Parent Conference here in Atlanta as an Official Conference Partner. I can’t wait! I’ve only ever heard good things about  Type A Parent Conference and I’m excited to be a part of it.

For today only, if you too would like to attend, you can get 25% off  of your ticket for 24 hours only!  DO IT! I would love to see you there!!

What about your guys? Any tips for blog conferences? Have you ever been to Type A Parent Conference? Do tell!!