Bloggy Boot Camp Philadelphia 2010 came to a close yesterday and, by all accounts, it was another raging success. The event brought together approximately 125 women interested in learning from one another and meeting their on-line friends in person.
Even Twitter was overflowing with love during the conference…
Have you joined us at Bloggy Boot Camp yet? If not, what’s stopping you? The SITS Girls’ conference series is a great way to take your first steps towards getting out from behind the computer and networking in real life.
We’ll readily admit that attending a conference can be nerve-wracking, but fear not! We’ve put together a list of tips to ensure that you get the most of out of the day and absolutely shine at any conference you attend….
1) Fake It Till You Make It
Walking into a crowded room filled with faces you do not know is enough to send anyone into a cold sweat. However, at Bloggy Boot Camp, you do not need to worry about where you will be sitting or how to start up a conversation. Seating is assigned during most of the day. In fact, with our help, you are sure to meet everyone in the room before the event ends!
2) Look Fabulous
Mama Kat's shoes at Bloggy Boot Camp
Nothing makes you feel more confident than knowing that you look good. Take advantage of attending a conference and go shopping, get a pedicure, get your hair done. (Maybe do all three!) Do whatever makes you feel good about yourself and you’ll start the day off making the best impression possible.
3) Be Curious
Have you been wondering how to start working with brands, but are not sure where to start? Take advantage of your time at Bloggy Boot Camp to interact with brand representatives directly and get your questions answered. Take Philadelphia, for example, which was sponsored by Virtua Woman, Open Sky, Collective Bias, DiaperBuds, and MASTERMINDgame. Interacting with representatives from these companies either on-line or in person is a great way to learn, grow your blog, and support businesses who understand the importance of supporting women.
4) Listen
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? However, here in the land of perpetual conversation, we sometimes forget how important listening can be. The speakers at Bloggy Boot Camp, like Jill from Scary Mommy and Cecily from Uppercase Woman, know their stuff. Listen to what they have to say because the tips and insights they can pass along to you in an hour may save you months of learning by trial and error.
4) Strike a Pose
It’s your big day. Enjoy it. Get your picture taken. Let your inner cat walk diva shine.
Now, are you feeling ready to take the leap and buy a ticket? You won’t regret it!
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Interested in becoming an official SITS Girl and being featured on our website? We’d love to showcase your blog! Read how to get involved here.
5) And, as always, when you see this button:
Nice post! This is why I love attending conferences. Connecting with people is key and being open to talking to someone you do not know is how you make those connections.
Fantastic post!! Can’t wait to take advantage of all the tips when I get to come to a Bloggy Boot Camp!!
I am praying that next year I will be lucky enough to be at of them.
Have a great Sunday my Sits.
My computer is still playing up. Checking to see if it did post my comment.
Happy Sunday everyone.
London is Sunny!
Your comment posted just fine. Not to worry!
I’m so excited about Austin and this post is just sending me over the top.
I attended Bloggy Boot camp yesterday in Philly. Even though I attended Bloggy Boot camp in Baltimore just a few months ago, I came away from yesterday’s conference full of great ideas, inspiration, and better understanding of how I can use social media more effectively. Sending a HUGE thank you to Tiffany (she’s so pretty!), Jill, MamaKat, NapWarden, and all the speakers and organizers who made yesterday such a wonderful learning experience!
Such an amazing response, Lynn. I am thrilled to read that you came away from BBC so inspired.
Our girls did a fabulous job in Philly! They never let us down.
I haven’t been to a conference (yet!), but I’m hoping that there will be one in Florida next year. These are some great tips to help prepare.
Sorry, Lynn. As far as Bloggy Boot Camp is concerned, we will not be in Florida next year. So sorry! Hopefully you will be able to join us at one of our other stops!
Thanks for the pics! Looks like a great networking and learning event.
I’m heading to the Austin conference and these are great tips! Driving up that morning so I’m not sure how coherent or pulled together I’ll be though.
I’ll me in Austin too! Can’t wait to meet you!
I really needed these tips! As I am planning on attending my first conference soon!
Thanks!
I’m going to Austin Bloggy Boot Camp next month, I can’t wait!
It was totally worth it! Even though I was fortunate enough to be able to walk to it, I would’ve driven miles for all the info I am still digesting!
Thanks to each and every one of you! Especially that really pretty girl… what was her name?
Hmmm…I’m not sure.
Could her name possibly be Tiffany?
Haha!
I attended in SF last month. I wish I could fly around the country and attend them all. I might go again next year when it comes to San Diego.
Looks like a great time! Glad everyone had fun!
It sounds like an amazing experience. It would be so much fun to meet some bloggers “in real life!” I bet Scary Mommy did great – she was anxious about speaking – but I bet it was good!
http://www.pampersandpinot.com
Jill never disappoints. She is as funny and lovely in real life as she is on her blog.
Happy Sunday gals! I bet those ladies who attended had such a terrific time! How fun!
Have a good one everybody – peace.
Michelle
I’ve gone to two Bloggy Boot Camps and I have spoken at one of those. I can’t get enough BBC’s….I’m excited for St. George in November….
I am also a conference fan and as soon as my little one gets a bit bigger, I’ll be meeting ya all there in person!
Keep on the great work!
I am attending the Austin conference.
I was pretty darn calm about it… until reading this.
I gotta look good? Say what? I just hope I do not walk in with one of my children’s snotty nose mark on my shoulder.
Small goals I tell ya.
Baby steps. That is what it is all about. Baby steps.
I’ll be lucky if I am rested enough to remember to pack shoes that match.
Having kids is not for the weak, I tell you!
Great advice! I’m so glad I attended Bloggy Boot Camp SF and have enjoyed keeping up with many of the incredible women I met there!
Happy Sunday, ladies!
I’ve never been able to attend any event…yet. But this is good info to keep tucked back in the far recessess of what I like to call my mind. I love being able to see and read the accounts of the great blogging conferences! Thanks for sharing with us!
Very helpful and good advice! Also, having great looking business cards to hand out is important – as I learned too late – but will not forget for the next time.
Heidi
I’m so excited that next year there will be a conference in Chicago! I can’t wait to go and be part of everything. When will tickets be on sale?
Tickets for Chicago should hopefully go on sale within the next few weeks, Allison. Stay tuned! We’ll be announcing through all of our social media channels when they do.
It is a beautiful Sunday in Texas – hope you’re having a beautiful day in your neighborhood!
I think I am more of a casual blogger. Not going to any conferences any time soon.
I am definitely planning on getting to one of these conferences some time soon. Looks wonderful!
Wow, it sounds like it was so much fun! I’m hoping to hit a conference next year.
thanks for the tips! i’m attending my first conference this month and i’ll be sure to follow your advice!
I would love to attend a conference one day. Maybe I can convince my husband to make a vacation out of it.
Congrats on the wonderful success!! Sounds super fabulous. I loved all the tweets. I need to get to one of these someday.
I love meeting peeps in person. Happy Sunday! (again)
What a successful conference! Congratulations to all
Philly Bloggy Bootcamp was so awesome!
Can’t wait until another one comes this way!
who were the lucky women who got to sit next to mama kat?!
Very few were so lucky Liz…I was thinking about you the entire time.
That looked AND sounded like so much fun! I’m bummin’ that I missed it! Can’t wait to get to a conference…hopefully, SOON!!
Great info for those attending I’m sure. Someday you may be in Kansas City…I will be there!!!;)
Happy Sunday. Looking forward to joining in your Blog Challenge this week. Just posted about it on my blog!!!
Wow sounded like loads of fun.
Wish I could of been there. Hope all you SITS girls had a great weekend
Laura x
http://www.sidestreetstyle.com
Forget Oprah and The View, we just want to hang out with our friends, laugh, learn, smile, cry, dance, sing, squee and be ourselves. Bloggy Bootcamp is the girlfriend’s couch we all want to sit on.
I’m going to BBC in Austin next month and I’m just so stinkin’ excited to meet everyone, however, I know when that day comes, I’m going to be SUPER nervous!
What if we don’t want to bring our computers, but we instead opt to grasp our smart phones? Will we be the ONLY one without a computer. I need advice!!
Sounds like you put on a fantastic event. Pooh on the NY Times article (if I remember correctly) that dissed Bloggy Bootcamp. It was so condescending.
Already signed up for Austin and trying not to lose my nerve!
One day I’ll make to a conference…oh yes I will.
So much knowledge and information. I’m looking forward to attending bootcamp. I love SITS! This organization is making a difference in my blogging experience. Thank you leaders for your dedication and hard work.
While I won’t be able to attend a Bloggy Boot Camp (too far away!) I will be attending my first social media conference in October when Blissdom comes to Canada. So thanks for the tips!
great tips! Glad all you Gals had such a wonderful time in Philadelphia!
Oh, how I wish I were well and could attend a conference. :*( I bet you all learn so much from each other, and have a blast all at the same time! What fun! I can’t wait to hear more.
I hope you all have a fantastic week ahead.
Blessings,
Teresa <
Oh I am so hoping to get to Atlanta next year! I would love to meet you guys and attend one of these more personal and awesome conferences!
Finally starting to get over this damn cold!
Jealous!
I am so looking forward to attending a SITS conference.
I will need to bookmark this post to implement all its advise for the time when you girls plan to camp in AUSTRALIA!!!
Have a great Monday!
I had the most AMAZING time this weekend in Philly with all my SITStahs! I am definitely going to go to the Boston Boot Camp in 2011!
Wish I could have gone.
I would have love to come this year, but I hear tell that Bloggy Boot Camp is coming to Atlanta next year! yeah!
I am going to be attending Type-A mom conference in Asheville, NC in 10 days! It is only a 4 hour drive so no plane fare!
But I cannot wait til next year!
Bernice
Wish I could go, I still have so much to learn!
Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! =]
So, no on diamond shoes? j/k. Great “practical” tips as always. None of that flashy purse junk.
Carrie
I had the most amazing time at Bloggy Boot Camp in SF, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for San Diego!
Man, it’s been too long! I’m sucking lately, and baby is TOTALLY consuming my life (in a good way) I go back to work in a week and a half!
I went to BlogHer and it was fun, I want to try to swing the Austin bloggy bootcamp but we’ll see!
Oh. My. Goodness!! It has been far too long since I’ve seen your lovely face in the blogosphere. How have you been, my friend? Is that baby of yours treating you well?
Still hoping that you can join us in Austin. If you think it is a possibility, send an e-mail to sitsgirls@gmail.com. The conference is sold out, but you could likely get a ticket off of the waiting list at some point!
Have a great week!
That looks like so much fun!
One of these days I will make it to Boot Camp! It sounds like a great time.
SO wish I could go to those things.
So jealous.
Good morning everyone! I hope everyone’s having a great day!
If your hosting a giveaway please drop by today & add it to my post!
http://imamarkgirl.blogspot.com/2010/09/there-are-few-blog-hops-out-there-that.html
I had a wonderful time and met so many amazing new (to me) people! For being so painfully shy, I was worried that I would end up being a big dork. The other SITSahs there made me feel right at home!
I had such a great time this weekend that I’m now deciding which conference I’ll be attending in 2011!
Tiffany did such an amazing job and is one of the nicest people. Oh, and she is SOOOO pretty!
Oh you are so sweet. And so right.
{bwahahahahaha.}
It looks like BBC Philly was a wonderful event. I can’t wait for BBC Austin. I will be there.
Wonderful to read that you will be joining us in Austin. Can’t wait to meet you!
so much fun! i remember meeting xtremeparenthood, comagirl, scarymommy, and MANY MORE!!
Hit the nail on the head. Posting my recaps today! That is right I have TWO! A short and a long version. My bosses probably want to shoot me right about now.
Looking forward to St. George!
This was the perfect conference for me! I learned so much in such a short period of time, and now I have PLENTY to keep me busy!
Fabulous advice! I bet Philly BBC was amazing!
I had my calendar up before I left the parking garage—–looking for the next conference!!
Philly did rock!
Thanks, ladies.
Your post has got me even more excited for Austin! Only four and a half weeks to go…
I had fun and learned so much! THANK YOU!
Now I have lots to do… Thank you again!
Bloggy Boot Camp had such wonderful energy! Thanks ladies for putting such a well run day together and securing such awesome speakers.
Happy Hump day!
Hey! This is so great… I”m so jealous! Looks like y’all had so much fun! I actually used to work with Jill from Scary Mommy and I had NO idea she was such a blog celeb until I started blogging!
wish I could participate at bloggy bootcamp one day. I just started blogging and it’s really addicting..
I think I am having comment trouble??? I swear I posted one on this post.
Great advice! I wish I could go to a blog conf soon!
I am excited AND really nervous about BBC coming up in Austin. You know…there are SO many really GREAT writers among us…with blogs that simply rock. I still feel inadequate to be in their presence! But I’m eager to get there, have a day for me, and soak it all in.
Can’t wait to meet you!!!
You’ll be glad you came, promise.
I’ve always wondered what happened and what you learned at a blog conference. I’m intrigued now and will put this on my to-do list for 2011.
I am so excited for Austin BBC I can hardly stand it! WOO HOO!
Someday, I’ll go to a blogging conference…
Reading & catching up on “things to do” so I’ll (hopefully) be ready for BBC in Vegas! So looking forward to my first conference and meeting all you fabulous bloggers.