This time last year I had never attended a blogging conference.
I’d been to a blogging event where I met some bloggers IRL but never to a programmed day where other bloggers gathered to hear other bloggers talk about blogging.
Before attending Aussie Bloggers Conference in March 2011 (this has now morphed into the Digital Parents blogging conference), I really had NO idea what to expect.
My husband was convinced that it was just an excuse to escape the family for the weekend (or it was similar to a Star Trek convention).
And on seeing this photo from AusBlogCon on Danimezza’s blog* this week, he may have been a teeny weeny bit correct. About the escape bit.
I have no idea what song I thought I could sing and dance to with Mrs Woog
I do need to put this photo into context. Below was me earlier in the day … sitting on a panel discussing social media.
We were really impressed with Mark Pollard's ... umm ... knowledge
I really had worked REALLY hard all day, listening to other bloggers, taking notes and semi-live blogging what I heard (semi because the wireless internet was not cooperating). You can read the posts here.
By the end of the day, our collective bloggie brains were pretty much mush, so we did want women do best when left to their own devices. We drank wine, we talked too much, did crazy dancing and pretended we were 17 again and at Schoolies … except the asking for our ID bit. Damn it. No-one asked for that.
The thing is, from that blogging conference on, I was hooked. Not only had some online friendships jumped out of computers and iPads to start real life friendships, but I felt inspired to keep doing what I was already doing … but better.
I went on to speak at Nuffnang’s Blogopolis in Melbourne and attend the ProBlogger training day in October. Both events gave me an opportunity to re-connect with the bloggers I already knew, meet some more I’d been hoping too and be inspired by speakers who may do things differently from me but have been successful on their blogging journey.
This year I’ll be attending the three I’ve listed below, with the aim of meeting more bloggers, learning and taking on new ideas for my blog and networking with a bunch of people who think it’s perfectly ok to tweet and talk at the same time.
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So, getting to the point of this post … last week quite a few readers asked me about blog conferences in Australia for 2012. Here’s what I know to date:
Digital Parents Conference
Where: Melbourne
When: March 30, 2012
Who’ll attend: Parents who blog on a whole range of niches from beginner to veteran bloggers. Here’s a list of who’s signed up so far.
Speakers: Apart from me (LOL), you’ll get to hear Jennifer James, the creator of www.mombloggersclub.com
Program: Topics range from social media for social good through to blog to book, working with brands, blog to business, a writing workshop, a blog boost workshop and the hugely popular my blog, my story session where bloggers tell their blog’s story.
Tickets: $179 for bloggers; $209 for PRs and brands (includes all sessions plus morning, afternoon tea, lunch and gala dinner)
*If you want to win a ticket to this event, Danimezza is giving hers away on her blog because she has a very good reason why she can no longer attend.
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Nuffnang Blogopolis
Where: Sydney (I had been personally hoping for Queensland 
)
When: June
Who’ll attend: A range of bloggers from across many niches, from food to fashion, parenting, lifestyle and everything in between. It’s not exclusive to the Nuffnang community.
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ProBlogger two-day event
Where: Ethiad Stadium, Melbourne
When: Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13
Who’ll attend: Darren Rouse told me yesterday that this event would have more focus on monetisation than last year’s event. He said he’d be releasing more details on his blog next week, so stay tuned. I’d imagine with this focus that it would be an event of interest to intermediate and advanced bloggers wanting to learn ways to make blogging work for them as a business or part-time income stream. I’m excited that it’s a two-day event as this will really enable attendees to get stuck into more stuff. Last year, the event attracted a wide range of attendees and probably more male bloggers than the other two conferences.
IF you’d like to venture further afield to a blogging conference, head over to The Blog Stylist. Bree has put together a list of lifestyle blogging conferences for 2012.
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In case you missed it, but I’m not sure HOW … this week five of the bloggers I met in March last year released the first episode of Sh*t Bloggers Say (follow us on Twitter here). Just like any industry, there is a lot of jargon around blogging. If you’re new to blogging, don’t be put off by it. Most of us don’t understand everything there is to know about blogging, but we’re having a damn good time learning.
So, will I be seeing you or meeting you at a blogging conference this year?
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