10 Tips For Attending A Blogger Event

With BloggersFestival tomorrow & BLFW around the corner, I thought I would share my tips for attending a blogger event.

1. Leave yourself plenty of travel lime. You never know what is going to happen on your journey & if you have given yourself extra time you won’t worry if you get held up & will have plenty of time to find the venue.

2. Keep yourself calm but planning ahead. Plan, plan, plan. Then plan some more!  Taking food? Pack it the night before! What are you going to take with you? Plan your outfit the night before so you don’t have a mad dash in the morning. If necessary, plan options for different weather so you can wake up, look out of the window & know what you’re wearing.

3. Don’t know what to wear? Wear comfortable clothes, particularly shoes! You want to look your best, but take into consideration how long you’ll be travelling, standing, walking, etc. The last thing you want is to be so distracted by that strapless bra digging into your ribs that you’re unable to enjoy yourself!

4. You know that planning you were doing? Make sure you have your (charged) camera battery & memory card too! I’ve known 2 bloggers who have left theirs in their computers when they left the house & had to race around to buy a replacement. Not cost effective or fun!

5. Consider investing in a portable battery charger for your phone. You’ll be tweeting a lot before & during the event, you don’t want to run out of battery 1/2 way through the day!

6. Create business cards for your blog. It looks professional & makes it easier for brands to put the details to the blogger as they have a visual reference. If you want to see a post on business cards, let me know in the comments below!

7. If you can buy your travel ticket ahead of time. You can often get a really good deal if you buy well in advance of your travel date.

8. Remember to pack drinks & snacks for the journey!

9. Do you know someone else who is going to the event? If they’re local, consider travelling together. It’ll be like a pre-event! This could 1/2 the travel costs for you both if one of you drives – bonus! If they aren’t local, are they coming into the same train station as you? Consider meeting them for a coffee & catch up at the station so you can walk in together.

10. Do you know the brands that are going to be at the event? If you do, a little research on the brands will give you an idea of what they are about & you can come up with some questions for them. The more you can engage with them with well thought through questions, the more likely they are going to notice your attention to detail & remember you. Hopefully this will lead to future opportunities.

A Note For Your First Event

Don’t know anyone? Don’t worry! Follow the event’s hashtag on Twitter (e.g. BloggersFestival or BLFW). There will be loads of people tweeting about the event. You can send your own Tweet, asking who else is going, or comment on someone else Tweet letting you know you’ll be there. This is how I met Beth from Cow Heart Girl & Chanele from Enterspree. I had a great time with these ladies & I’m so lucky to be able to count them as my friends!

It’s an awful feeling

Remember, those bloggers that look really confident – they’re nervous too!

A Note For Seasoned Bloggers

Remember how it felt the first time you attended an event? The nerves & uncertainty. It looked as though everyone knew each other & were so comfortable in the surroundings? You may have seen someone you admire there. Well now you’re one of those people (even if you don’t feel confident you probably look it!). Take a moment to look around you. Do you see someone who looks a little uncertain & like they might be on their own? Go & talk to them! They will really appreciate it & you will feel good about making someone feel more comfortable. You might also make yourself a new friend & follower!

A General Note

Please, please, please don’t say you’re nervous because you think it’s the thing to say. There will be people (bloggers & exhibitors) for whom this is their first event. They may not know anyone else & they may have had to overcome a lot of anxiety, stress & worry just to get to the location. You will make them more nervous so please, be respectful & considerate of others & don’t say that you are nervous unless you genuinely are.

What are your tips for attending a blogger event?

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