Blog Conference Must Haves!

It’s blog conference season! Did you even know there was such a thing?! 😉 As I type this, my Disney Mentor Moms counterpart and other fabulous women are enjoying Mom 2.0 in California. A couple of weeks ago was the amazing SNAP conference for creative bloggers, which I had the pleasure of attending last year. If you follow on Twitter or Instagram, then you probably saw that a few weeks ago I was at Bloggy Boot Camp Phoenix put on by the SITS girls! It’s actually my second Bloggy Boot Camp in just 6 months! I couldn’t pass up a conference in my own backyard, especially such a great one at that. For the price and the amount of learning I’ve done at both conferences, I can say that it’s THE conference to go to if you’re wanting info on the “nuts & bolts” of blogging – SEO, social media, working with brands, monetization, building a business, and more! Then, in just a few short days, I’ll be headed to Disney Social Media Moms (with my family) for days of learning and fun! So, I thought I’d share a few of my blog conference must-haves. 1. Business casual clothes. Cute tops, sweaters, skirts, nice jeans, and cute business casual dresses are the most common pieces I’ve seen at conferences. I had some cute new spring outfits for #BBCPhx, thanks to DownEast Basics who sponsored some of our clothes! I got the three pieces shown in the image above! And, they’re great! All these lovely ladies are sporting pieces from DownEast and it’s a pretty good representation of the types of clothes you’ll see people in at conferences! I plan to take some of the pieces to #DisneySMMoms as well! I think the skirt will be especially great in the warm, muggy Florida weather! 2. Cute, yet comfortable shoes! Most conferences have some level of walking (some like BlogHer have lots!), so you definitely want comfortable shoes. Limping around in pain is no fun. While some are super comfortable in heels or wedges, I usually am not. So generally, you’ll see me sporting a cute pair of flats of some kind. Since it was almost 90 already in Phoenix, those are a pair of beaded sandals.

3. Tote bag (big enough for carrying your miscellaneous technological devices! 😉 ). My current favorite conference tote (and simple, basic black of course) is the Martha Stew­art Home Office with Avery Lap­top Tote. I love that I can carry my laptop with me, yet still have room for other must-haves! If you’re not going to be carrying your dslr or a laptop (or picking up things from an expo hall, then the Kaboo bag is a great way to go too. I have the red one shown in the image above for a fun pop of color. It’s a great option if I’m traveling with less stuff!

4. Gum, mints, and/or candy. No one wants bad breath at a conference. So, gum &/or  mints are handy! Plus, it can help perk you up in the post-lunch energy dip time! I’m a gum chewer and I’m definitely making sure that it’s packed with me for Disney Social Media Moms as they don’t sell gum on the Disney Resort properties!

5. Smartphone. My very first blogging conference was the prelude to SNAP and I didn’t yet have a smartphone. That didn’t happen again. I couldn’t engage on social media the way I wanted to during the conference. A few months later (and before BlogHer), I got my first iphone and haven’t looked back! I like to make sure my phone is well-protected too. I’ve had an Otterbox case on my phone from day 1 and have never had a break (though there have been many drops)!

6. Portable charger. If you’re attending a blog conference, chances are good that you’ll be using various social media outlets during that conference. Whether it’s your smartphone, tablet, or both, all that “social media-ing” drains battery fast! So, having something like New Trent’s iCarrier in your bag is really helpful!

7. Business cards! Even at more intimate conferences, you engage with SO many people! It’s hard to keep track without trading business cards. So, even if they are just something simple whipped up & printed at home, some type of business card is a definite must!

What are some of your must haves for conferences?