It's that time of year again! Bloggers everywhere are making plans to attend their favorite blog conferences. Last year I finally decided to join in the fun, and I have to tell you, it really was fun!
I decided to attend the SNAP Conference in Salt Lake City, since it's only a short flight away, and I tend to wilt on long plane trips. Getting to the hotel from the airport was a breeze -- there is a light rail stop about a block from the conference. It's pretty much guaranteed that you will meet new blogger friends on the train ride!
The first evening I arrived, they were still setting up. Tauni put out the word that they needed volunteers to help fill swag bags in the ballroom, so I joined the fun. I made some great friends that evening, and we all went out to dinner afterward.
If you attend SNAP Conference, expect it to be really, really, really pretty. There will lots of eye candy. Oh, and there will probably be candy. Lots of candy.
I was blown away by the generosity of the blog sponsors.
I was a little overwhelmed, at first. There was so much prettiness, and everything was kind of sparkly, and the swag was uh-maze-ing, and there were blog superstars everywhere, and they were really nice and down-to-earth. The speakers were all great, and so generous about sharing their knowledge.
There was not a lot of downtime -- even the evenings were eventful! The first evening, there was a garden party, with live music....
... and the best mint juleps ever made. There was even a huge farm table, where we could weave ourselves a crown of flowers. Really. A few months later, I had to smile when my soon to be four year old granddaughter told me she wanted a flower crown for her birthday! I can totally relate. Who doesn't need a flower crown?
The next night there was another party -- this time a beach themed party with these adorable little treat boxes. There was a DJ and karaoke, and it was fun to see (and hear) some of the great talent in our group!
There were lots of vendors to visit between listening to great speakers, sitting at roundtables, and classes, and partying.
Many of the vendors offered make and takes and samples, in addition to what had already been contributed to our swag bags. You will definitely want to bring an extra suitcase if you attend a makers' blog conference -- you will need it!
There are a few things I would do differently, if I could do the conference over (oh, wait -- I can)! I would stay in the tower, instead of in the courtyard. The rooms are much nicer, and you're right in the center of all the fun if you stay in the tower. I did not have a roommate, because I don't always sleep well in strange beds, and I didn't want to keep anyone awake, but I would consider having a roommate if they were a heavy sleeper. I might also stay an extra day to explore Salt Lake's beautiful downtown. It's a lovely area, and has a rich history.
I was so nervous about attending the blog conference -- I had read about media kits, and felt overwhelmed about putting one together. Then I found out that media kits are soooooo two years ago, and that now it's best to direct parties to your media page, so I was off the hook on that one. Who knew?
I did bring blog business cards (you will want to bring lots). Everyone exchanges cards, plus you can pin them to a bulletin board, and enter them in drawings, and give them to sponsors.
To see how I customized my business cards, click here.
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to House Revivals in the sidebar, so you won't miss the fun projects we have scheduled. Find us on Facebook, too, so you can catch all the "in between" stuff; and see what I'm working on daily on Instagram. Please consider linking today's post to your favorite social media sites to help get the word out about House Revivals.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I decided to attend the SNAP Conference in Salt Lake City, since it's only a short flight away, and I tend to wilt on long plane trips. Getting to the hotel from the airport was a breeze -- there is a light rail stop about a block from the conference. It's pretty much guaranteed that you will meet new blogger friends on the train ride!
The first evening I arrived, they were still setting up. Tauni put out the word that they needed volunteers to help fill swag bags in the ballroom, so I joined the fun. I made some great friends that evening, and we all went out to dinner afterward.
If you attend SNAP Conference, expect it to be really, really, really pretty. There will lots of eye candy. Oh, and there will probably be candy. Lots of candy.
I was blown away by the generosity of the blog sponsors.
I was a little overwhelmed, at first. There was so much prettiness, and everything was kind of sparkly, and the swag was uh-maze-ing, and there were blog superstars everywhere, and they were really nice and down-to-earth. The speakers were all great, and so generous about sharing their knowledge.
There was not a lot of downtime -- even the evenings were eventful! The first evening, there was a garden party, with live music....
... and the best mint juleps ever made. There was even a huge farm table, where we could weave ourselves a crown of flowers. Really. A few months later, I had to smile when my soon to be four year old granddaughter told me she wanted a flower crown for her birthday! I can totally relate. Who doesn't need a flower crown?
The next night there was another party -- this time a beach themed party with these adorable little treat boxes. There was a DJ and karaoke, and it was fun to see (and hear) some of the great talent in our group!
There were lots of vendors to visit between listening to great speakers, sitting at roundtables, and classes, and partying.
There are a few things I would do differently, if I could do the conference over (oh, wait -- I can)! I would stay in the tower, instead of in the courtyard. The rooms are much nicer, and you're right in the center of all the fun if you stay in the tower. I did not have a roommate, because I don't always sleep well in strange beds, and I didn't want to keep anyone awake, but I would consider having a roommate if they were a heavy sleeper. I might also stay an extra day to explore Salt Lake's beautiful downtown. It's a lovely area, and has a rich history.
I was so nervous about attending the blog conference -- I had read about media kits, and felt overwhelmed about putting one together. Then I found out that media kits are soooooo two years ago, and that now it's best to direct parties to your media page, so I was off the hook on that one. Who knew?
I did bring blog business cards (you will want to bring lots). Everyone exchanges cards, plus you can pin them to a bulletin board, and enter them in drawings, and give them to sponsors.
To see how I customized my business cards, click here.
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to House Revivals in the sidebar, so you won't miss the fun projects we have scheduled. Find us on Facebook, too, so you can catch all the "in between" stuff; and see what I'm working on daily on Instagram. Please consider linking today's post to your favorite social media sites to help get the word out about House Revivals.
Thanks so much for stopping by!