Conferences are a great for connecting with bloggers and brands, getting inspiration, hearing about some amazing stories of hardships and triumphs, as well as learning about the latest techs and social media trends. When I heard that Blogher was being held in New York, I immediately purchased my early bird ticket.
I was excited that I wouldn’t need to hop on a plane. But, attending a conference locally is a lot different than traveling to another state. Here are 7 tips for attending Blogher locally.
1. Pack light. When I attended Blogher in 2012, I brought everything under the sun. A change of clothing, shoes, makeup bag, lap top, and the list goes on. This time around I left the suitcase at home. I brought along a compact and makeup brush. I didn’t even bother bringing extra clothing.
Luckily, there were a lot of sponsors giving out bags. It was a lot to carry, but all the great swag being given out this year made it totally worth it.
2. Leave the heels at home. I sported my wedges for registration because it was a pretty short day. But, I rocked flats for the rest of the conference to make getting around much easier and pain-free.
3. Don’t forget to bring a portable charger. There weren’t a ton of outlets available to juice up at Blogher. Without a hotel room to unwind and recharge, you’ll be out of luck if you don’t have one on hand. Thank goodness Merck and NRG were handing them out. Otherwise my phone and laptop would have died.
4. Divide and conquer. If you’re traveling locally, there is a possibility that you could get stuck in traffic. New York City is known as the city that never sleeps, but it’s also known for bumper to bumper traffic. If you get stuck in a jam and know someone attending the conference, you can always get information from the session.
Plus, there is so much going on that it’s impossible to attend all the workshops. You can always swap notes with someone attending a different workshop. It’s also a great way to make new friends.
5. Check your bags. If you do decide to bring extra stuff, take advantage of the hotel’s luggage room. The Hilton charges a few bucks to hold your items for the entire day. That way you don’t have to worry about lugging everything.
6. Take advantage of parking and other transportation deals. Most people that took public transportation and purchased unlimited passes. Since I decided to drive, I scoped out parking prices ahead of time. Keep in mind that driving an SUV costs a lot more to park. I drove my sedan instead. Rather that pay the hotel’s 55 dollars rate for the day, I ended up paying 22 bucks.
7. If traveling with kids, consider taking advantage of the conference daycare. Some conferences may offer services free of charge or a small rate for the day. My blogger friend Quiana of Harlem Love Birds brought along her son Grayson, who spent some time at the Blogher daycare center.
I hope you find these tips helpful. If you have any more tips for local conference attendees, please share.
If you’re having a conference and need to create digital passes or anything of the like for it – our friends at Digital ID can help you out!
I’m also giving away a Merck portable cell phone charger that is compatible with most smartphones. Just leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win.
Also, be sure to head over to Merck.com to find out more about their amazing work and mission. Please like Weather Anchor Mama on Facebook and subscribe to WeatherAnchorMama’s YouTube Channel.
I wish I could have come! Great tips!
You should have been there. A lot of great info to be learned.