What an experience...BlogHer '11 is a wrap! Shelly and I had an amazing time in San Diego with 3,500 social media-savvy bloggers. I tried to take it all in, but there was just too much going on for one person to conquer it all. I found most attendees fall into one of 3 attendee types; the Learner, the Networker and the Swag collector.
- The Learner: BlogHer is packed with 2 days of informational, motivational and inspirational sessions. The Learner is there to soak in as much knowledge as possible from the experts by packing in sessions from 8am to 5pm with some one-on-one time at the 'Geek Bar' squeezed in. BlogHer brings in pros to cover everything from 'Perfecting the Product Review' to 'Boomer Blogging'.
- The Networker: Networking is everywhere at BlogHer, even in the bathroom line. I was warned to have more than enough cards on hand, and I'm glad I did. I would say the business people to blogger ratio was 40/60, which actually made for some great discussions. Bloggers want to connect to other bloggers and find companies they might partner with. Businesses and professionals are there for the same thing. It was great to meet the people I've only talked to on Twitter and to be exposed to so many new bloggers.
- The Swag Collector: Oh the swag! Companies from all walks of consumer goods descended on BlogHer '11 to get their goods into bloggers' hands. It was interesting to see how different brands integrated social media and blogger relations into campaigns. Some target specific bloggers with more private events....others were going for overall brand awareness with interactive booths and suites. Surprisingly, I heard from many bloggers that the 'Tweet to Win' contests were easy to win because few people participated.
I tried my best to be a little of each of these types by learning a lot, meeting great people and taking home a few goodies. The only question left is; will I see you at BlogHer '12 in NYC?
