Lessons and Tips Learned at TBEX : Maneuvering Conferences

In keeping with my Monday theme of events recaps I thought I’d share this weekend’s experiences at the world’s largest gathering of travel bloggers, writers and new media content creators (TBEX). I started blogging less than 2 years ago and I’m continuously evolving and learning new tips and tricks. The goal is to entertain, share and connect with my readers and to that end I believe it’s my duty to be engaged in the blogging world. Last summer, just after completing 4 countries and 14 cities with the Little Monkey, when I first heard about TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) I knew I had to be part of the experience.

Ofcourse I bought my early bird ticket and then forgot all about it till the buzz really stepped up last month. I rarely do things alone yet I did not find a conference buddy and figured I’d wing the two day experience, meeting new folks and learning a trick or two. Sure I’ve attending many conferences over the years but this one was quite different, I learned a lot more than I have at previous ones (clearly the topic was close to my heart) and it also was an interesting mix of socialising and learning not only from the “experts” but also peers. It reminded me a lot of my Frosh week in college.

While I won’t bore you with details on what I learned (feel free to jump on to my Instagram or Twitter feed to see photos of the slides that resonated with me most) here are some of the key takeaways for me :

• Get on Twitter and connect with those attending the conference. Great way to introduce yourself prior to the in person meeting and help break the ice
• It helps to attend the pre parties and get to know fellow travellers (or attendees). Find a buddy to attend if you’re afraid of navigating solo. Babies make great dates (everyone flocks to them)
• Get out of your comfort zone if you’re a shy one and say “hi” to those seated next to you at the sessions/seminars. I met some lovely folks this way and even made some great PR connections!
• Take pictures of slides if you’re too lazy to jot down notes. Plus you can share via social networks so that others not in attendance may benefit from the knowledge
• Ladies this one is especially for you – don’t wait in long lineups at the bathroom, there’s always a separate individual bathroom (usually for families and is wheelchair accessible) that goes ignored. However if there is a family or someone in a wheelchair waiting to use the bathroom, please do let them go first! Most conferences I go to this bathroom has no line ups and no one’s using it. So I help myself for a quick visit!
• Get there early. Seats can be hard to find. I learned that at the very first session. 5 months preggers and standing for an hour didn’t help me out much but it was a great session and I was enthralled learning all about bloggers, brands and dollars. From then on I’d go to the next session, drop my bag and then head out for the bathroom visit or catch up with fellow attendees
• Walk out if a session isn’t right. I knew I had to do this in one session but truth be told, I didn’t. It’s hard to do but why waste your time in a session that doesn’t help you? It only happened to me once and I knew that the alternate one would be full and I’d be standing by the door
• Follow the hashtag and see what others are sharing from sessions you weren’t able to attend
• Be open, have fun and achieve the goals you set for yourself

One thing for sure, as I prep for our 10 day trip to Ireland I  have some great ideas on successful blogging and keeping my readers captivated through our journey! Ireland in about 3 weeks!