Tammy with Rick Smith at BWE 2009
I’ve been reading lots of posts/re-caps about the Blissdom conference that was last week and I’ve noticed a few things.
Now I’ll admit I didn’t attend Blissdom ’10 (due to last minute childcare issues) but I have attend several blogger and social media conferences over the years. (even was the lead organizer on one )
Basically — no matter what you do , the type of sessions you create, the amount of tracks (experience level) you have … not everyone is going to be happy.
I know that you are thinking well DUH Tammy — that’s kind of obvious. The thing I’ve noticed that that many people expect that a conference is going to be custom-fit for the individual .
One thing we need to remember is that conferences don’t supply a “magic key” of information. They provide more tools and encouragement. They also provide attendees the ability to build relationships.
It’s great to give feedback to the conferences/event organizers as that helps them plan for next year. I highly recommend that and be completely honest in your feedback. Tell them what YOU would like to see not just what was WRONG
We also need to remember that we get what we give , take what info YOU get from a conference and apply it to what YOU are doing. There is not going to be someone that says ” Jane you need to do X , Y, and Z to make your blog the best ever” I’m sorry its just not going to happen.
If that is your expectation at a conference – then my friends you need to put your big girl panties on and join the real world. (i say that with all the love in the world)
One of the best thing I love about attending conferences is not necessarily the sessions, its the networking that happens there. It’s engaging with the community (yes I know some people despise that word ) and the conversations/ideas/thoughts that occur organically at these types of events. I can’t always remember the information given at a particular event but you can bet I’ll remember most of the conversations and people at those events.
After all , isn’t that what it is all about ??
