By Jessy Troy
Bloggers unite! The year 2014 is going to be a huge one for conferences where we can all get together, learn about current trends, improve marketing results, boost content and make plenty of valuable friends along the way.
Some of the events going on are truly exciting, as they are some of the biggest series around. If you are planning on attending any conferences within the next twelve months, here are some you should really consider.
1. SOBCon Chicago 2014
SOBCon comes back stronger in 2014! Please read the official updates here. Even though the event in Portland was canceled, we will all be looking forward to Chicago SOBCon this year!
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2. Content Marketing World
Content Marketing Institute is one of the most popular marketing sites on the web. Their annual conference is huge, and a huge boost for any career to be seen speaking there. The speaker proposal deadline has passed, but it’s still a great place to network!
Where and When: Cleveland, Ohio. The Conference is September 8-11th, 2014.
3. BlogHer
For the women bloggers out there, you can attend a conference aimed directly at you and the special considerations to females in the blogosphere. Founded in 2005 by Elisa Camahort Page, Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone, BlogHer is a great site for educating, spreading awareness and assisting women online in their content and marketing.
Their annual event is always very informative and a lot of fun. Sign up early, because these tickets sell very fast. Also check out Pathfinder, the pre-conference set of workshops only open to a few hundred attendees on a first come, first serve basis. Tickets are on sale now.
Where and When: Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 8:00 AM – Saturday, July 26, 2014 at 11:00 PM (PDT) in
San Jose, CA
4. Now What?
Still rather new on the conference circuit, Now What is still managing to attract a lot of attention from industry leaders and members of the public alike. Focused on web content, management and marketing, it is a great opportunity to keep up with the latest trends in the market. All while having plenty of chances to network with others and meet with representatives from dozens of well known brands in the expo hall. They are currently accepting submissions for speakers and workshops.
Where and When: Sioux Falls, South Dakota – Washington Pavilion in
April 23-24, 2014. The official venue hasn’t been announced yet.
5. Lifestyle Bloggers Conference
For the fourth year in a row, Lifestyle Bloggers Conference is coming to Los Angeles. Aimed at female and Latina bloggers in particular, it is a great chance to learn about how social media is changing the face of blogs through greater community interaction.
There will be three keynotes, two sponsored lunches, a tour behind the scenes of LA Mart, and various panels and workshops. Unlike many other conferences, this one tries to cover all topics relevant to bloggers, from copyright law to SEO. If you want a well rounded conference targeted at women, you will love this event.
Where and When: March 27-29. 2014 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (PDT), Los Angeles, CA. Be sure to book a hotel closer to the venue which is Cooper Design Place this time. One of the sites that has a convenient search and a huge database is LosAngelesHotels.
6. Design Bloggers Conference
A great place to meet other designers, Design Bloggers Conference has the distinction of being just as much about inspiring creativity as it does learning about an industry. This time they will have two keynotes at the two day event: Jeffrey Alan Marks and Candice Olson. There will also be a fantastic expo there you won’t want to miss, held by the dozens of sponsors who will be showing off the latest in interior design products and ideas.
Where and When: This year the conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, 3300 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2-4.
Why Should I Attend A Blogger Conference?
This is a common question, and an understandable one. When your work is primarily done online, and social media becomes the backbone of that work, it is easy to forget how important one on one interaction can be. Sure, you can learn a lot of what is offered online during webinars or posted presentations. But you lose the human element.
Meeting up face to face with other bloggers is a great way to forge lasting working relationships. Not to mention it is a fun and exciting way to spark innovation, collaborate on project ideas, and just get away from the computer for a couple of days.
It also lets you interact more directly with experts and industry leaders in a way that leaves a lasting impression. You know you are more likely to remember someone you speak with over drinks than someone you tweet back and forth to.
Conclusion
When you work online it can be easy to forget to leave the web behind and really speak to others. These conferences are a great reminder that will have some serious benefits along the way.
Jessy Troy is the self-made marketer blogging at Viral Mom, the established blog for WAHMs. You can follow Jessy on Twitter as @jessytroy.
