Blogger Bash Review

Do you lose your mind when you see the newest product? Do you want to tell everyone about what is coming next? Do you like to meet people who also like to be in the know? I do. I love to know about products and services before everyone else. I recently had the pleasure of attending Blogger Bash as the Lead Ambassador, which meant that I worked for the conference. I can tell you I did so because of all it has to offer to the attendees. I have attended this conference for years because of how instrumental it has been to my business. Here in my Blogger Bash review I put together a list of the top 10 reasons Blogger Bash is the perfect conference for every blogger:

Here’s my Blogger Bash Review

Bonding with other bloggers:

Everyone is welcomed with open arms regardless of what their “voice” is on the Internet. Big timers, specific niches, foodie, travel, and mom (and some dad) bloggers alike were all thought of and presented opportunities. Also at the very end of the conference, we took a little cruise down the Hudson River and had a great time hanging out and dancing with some of our new friends.Speed pitching:
This was an event that was not open to everybody who purchased a general admission ticket. You had to apply in advance and be invited to come to one of the four sessions. If you were invited, you would sit down at a table while every five minutes a buzzer would go off and a new brand would sit down in front of you to discuss how you could work together. It was intense, but an extremely intimate and effective way to get to know each other and cut straight to the chase of how you thought a partnership could be beneficial to each other.

Food:

Oh my goodness, the food! Between the two different brunches, the lunch and dinner buffets, the nearly constant stream of snacks and goodies, and the treats at various vendors tables, you are practically guaranteed never to go hungry while there. Which helps if you are trying to make the most of every minute you’re there by networking and learning.

 

Sweet Suite:

Three floors of companies presenting their best toys and games for the upcoming holiday season. Getting to speak directly with brand representatives and learn about products before they hit the market was exhilarating. Everything was extremely organized and efficient, and you can tell that this was a conference for bloggers by bloggers.

Here are a couple of the brands that were there see my live unboxing video complete with three excited kids!

Babypalooza:

This event was perfect for niche bloggers who focus mainly on children and family topics. There was a little something for everyone at this event. One of my teammates from www.menclean.com was even able to find vendors that would fit within her reader base. As with everything else that has to do with blogging, every opportunity is what you make it.

New Product Expo:

On day two bloggers were presented with another fantastic gathering of products and brands during the New Product Expo. There were two floors of the ship dedicated exclusively to presenting sponsors to bloggers in an effort to make connections. For those who did not attend a speed pitching session, this was a chance to have access to brands that most only dream of getting face-to-face time with.

The Ride:

Conference organizers were nice enough to arrange for a bus tour/moving performance called “The Ride.” Seeing as most of the attending bloggers were not from New York City, this was an excellent way to incorporate sightseeing into the conference. It also was a potential story for most who attended.

Blogging Concentrated:

Dan Morris and Rachel Marie Martin presented a 5-hour intensive in-person course to help bloggers use practical, hands-on techniques, as well as strategic marketing plans to help bloggers steer their website towards a path to success.

Info sessions:

From the creators of “Kate and Mim-Mim” on Disney Junior, to Carebears sharing, to the kid cast of the new Peanuts TV show chatting with Ginger Zee (“Good Morning America” and “Dancing with the Stars”), to Snooki and JWoww from “Jersey Shore” fame, there was plenty to offer in terms of gaining new perspective to bring to your own site. Many times we unconsciously only see our websites the way we want to see them, info sessions like these help generate new ideas and breathe fresh life into how we approach creating content.

Products to try out:

Yes, there a lot of products to try out. When you get home, they mail you an entire box full of swag from Sweet Suite. The real swag though for a blogger comes in the form of business cards and flash drives. I cannot tell you how exciting it was to get home and be able to share the newest toys and educational products with my kids while I looked through my business cards as a kid at Christmas in July!

One of the best ways to get to know why you should attend Blogger Bash would be to reach out to the blogger who has attended. So many of the attendees were willing and able to assist each other that it was almost Utopian in nature. It wasn’t the cutthroat sort of atmosphere I expected to come into. There’s room for everybody and every blog at Blogger Bash!

Special thanks to my fashion advisor. Jude Connally from judeconnally.com. Her story is one I admire and respect. She makes clothes that fit and are easy to care for. She was gracious enough to dress me and the Blogger Bash Ambassador Team. I adore my new dress and jumpsuit. I can’t tell you how many people have stopped me to ask where I got my outfits. I was so excited when I came home and took them out of my suitcase they could have easily been worn. I can’t wait to wear her clothes to my upcoming events. I highly suggest checking out their website JudeConnally.com.