During my 2+ years of blogging I have read numerous posts from other bloggers reviewing the latest blogging conference they attended. Everyone always seemed to come back from these experiences so inspired and filled with new tips and tricks in the blogging scene. This has been something I’ve wanted to do, but either due to the time, location and/or cost, my closest experience to these conferences had been reading them via Google Reader.
When I found out about the first Blog Better Boston conference I was thrilled to finally have an option that fit into my schedule and budget! For my first blogging conference I was definitely impressed at how organized everything was and had a great time meeting other bloggers! From talking to other people, it seemed most bloggers who attended wrote about food, fashion, healthy living and/or travel.
I attended several sessions, my favorite being a Food Photography Workshop, led by Kristin Teig (<–you should look at her blog; her photos are AMAZING!). Kristin spoke a lot about lighting tips and ideas for food photography (get creative! don’t be afraid to ask to sit near a window if you’re out to eat!) and provided plenty of resources for camera equipment, photography tips and low-cost “props” that I hope to look into soon! What impressed me most of all, was that at the beginning of the session Kristin told us that she had looked through everyone’s blog before the workshop to get an idea of where everyone’s skill-level was to direct the session.
In between sessions, there was a DIY station where everyone was able to decorate the canvas bags we were provided upon entrance. I thought this was such a creative idea and had fun looking at the various ideas people came up with!
Oh yeah, and of course I won’t leave you hanging about the food. Upon entering, breakfast was ready! There were plenty of options, provided by Chobani and Dunkin’ Donuts. We then stopped for a lunch break and were able to try the new sandwiches and wraps from Au Bon Pain.
In between sessions, Pretzel Crisps (with TONS of “dipping” options were available to nibble on)…
…and in the afternoon, cupcakes and coffee were served!
Although the conference was over a week ago, I still have to go through the notes I took to really look at all the tips I learned and websites I want to check out!
Oh, and the next best part? The swag. I came home and was giddy with excitement to look through all the new items I wanted to try! From seltzer water (I actually ended up loving this Orange Vanilla flavor- tastes like creamsicle!) to a handbag and more, this was definitely fun to look through!
And what was even more exciting, several days later I was looking through everything and opened a small box to discover a $50 gift card to InPink! I was not expecting that and had fun looking through their jewelry until I finally decided on 2 funky new rings, an accessory I haven’t picked-out for myself since high school!
~Have you ever been to a blogging conference?
