Help! My First Blogging Conference and I’m So Nervous!

AWBU is just a few short weeks away.

You’ve got your ticket. Maybe you’re a planner and you’ve even started packing. Maybe you know one or two other people going to the conference. Maybe not. Maybe you’ve been blogging for a long time, but you are just now beginning to network. Or maybe you’re brand new to blogging and networking.

Wherever you find yourself in the big wide world of blogging, let me just put your mind at ease by telling you that you have chosen a great conference to attend. In my opinion, Arkansas Women Bloggers is the kindest, most gracious group of women bloggers on the planet. If you walk up to one of them and say, “Help! I’m new!” you can be fairly certain that you are going to be taken care of. This is not the high school lunchroom folks. Arkansas Women Bloggers is a happy place and whether you’re looking for tech advice or just someone to sit by at dinner, you are in the right place.

If this is your first conference and you are looking for a little advice before you go, here are a few tips for your first AWBU.

Make some goals.

[Tweet “What are your goals for #AWBU2014? We want to know. See you soon.” @alisonchino]

Are you hoping to meet more bloggers that live near you? Do you want to improve your Pinterest boards? Are you looking to gain new inspiration in your writing?

Writing down what you want to get out of your conference experience will help you make the most of your weekend.

Of course, you might end up having completely different takeaways from AWBU than you planned, but it’s helpful to have a few goals in your head. It will also help you decide which sessions to attend.

If there are four or five specific people you really want to meet, tell them ahead of time on Twitter or Facebook. Then you’ll be more likely to make it happen.

What to pack.

[Tweet “Oh my goodness. Are you already packed? That’s impressive. #AWBU2014 #ARWB” @alisonchino]

Clothes: Everything goes as far as clothes at AWBU. There are lots of blogging conferences where what to wear is a really big deal (Alt Summit comes to mind) but Arkansas Women Bloggers come from all walks of life and every possible blog genre is represented. For certain, there will be some gals who are looking their best, and if getting dressed up is fun to you, then go right ahead. But if clothes are not your thing and you feel more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, no one is going to look down their nose at you.

Business Cards: I find it helpful to have a stack of business cards at a conference. If you don’t have any yet, you can order them for fairly reasonable at MOO and they will arrive quickly. Don’t forget to include your social media handles and current email address.

Other things: Also, I always bring a notebook and a pen for scribbling down ideas. Some people use their IPads or phones for this. Bring an extra battery and charger because your phone will wear down faster with all that tweeting and IG-ing. If you throw in a power strip, other gals will thank you for not using up all the outlets.

Be open. Be kind. Be generous.

Remember what I said about Arkansas Women Bloggers being kind and gracious. Well, you have the power to add to or to take away from that truth. Because you ARE an Arkansas Woman Blogger. You are part of what makes this community wonderful, even if you have not yet met anyone.

So come with an open heart. This might sound cheesy, but if you are super nervous and you walk in a room where you don’t know anyone, look for the person who is standing or sitting by themselves. Go introduce yourself. If no one is by themselves, just walk up to a group even if they are mid-conversation and join in.

And when you meet people, really listen to them. Ask questions. Pull out your phone and follow them on Twitter. Use your social media for generosity.

“@deltamoxie is looking PRESH today! #AWBU”

 or

 “I love @bethanystephens’ energy! #AWBU”

 is so much more fun than

 “I’m drinking all the wine at #AWBU 2014! #SorryBoutCha”

 or

 “I’m having more fun than anyone else here! #NaNaNa #AWBU”

I’m totally kidding but you get the general idea.

We all have the opportunity to add to the richness of this community. Of course you want to network and we each have goals for where we’re going with our blogs and our businesses, but I want to leave the conference feeling like I have blessed and encouraged others as much as being blessed and encouraged myself.

Now I’ve got to go get packing! 

See you there!

Shameless Plug: If reading this post made you excited about connecting with other bloggers, I would love for you to come to my session Breathe Deep: Practices for Your Heart, Soul and Mind on Saturday at AWBU, where we will do just that. I will pair you with another blogger and give you both a chance to listen, to dream and to help each other! Also, there will be chocolate.