Blogher ’12 – I came, I saw, I survived my own anxieties to write about what it was like, and overall it was pretty darn great.
I’ve never been to a blogging conference before this one. Blogher is “The Big Mommy” of blogging conferences (4,000+ people, BIG). I am not a person who does “big” well – I went to a small college (800 people total, including the professors), my kids go to a small school (85 families or so), and I don’t do big crowds – so I went into it fully aware that there would be some issues for me having to find my way in such a large group. All in all, the crowd was handled really well – the food was good (once you were able to get to it!) and aside from getting lost on the elevators at the Hilton in the afternoons when I was spacing out – the crowd thing wasn’t too bad.
What I Came For
My agenda in coming here was pretty basic – I just wanted to check things out, and connect with some of the friends I’ve made online. I didn’t come with any concrete goals re. my blog, I didn’t come with a networking strategy, or to arrange meet-ups with editors, possible sponsors, or to troll for writing gigs. I just wanted to check it out. Although there were panels running throughout the day, the main events I wanted to attend were the President Obama’s live address, the Voices of the Year Readings, Open Mic (where you put your name into a hat and if it gets called, you get up on stage to read a post – I didn’t get called, but this event was fantastic), and some of the sessions that interested me.
Mostly, I was looking forward to meeting up with the women I’ve met online. I didn’t expect them to be anything like what they are like online – I did not expect to actually like them, so it was a big, big gift for me that the women I met actually felt like old friends, immediately. We hit it off, immediately. I felt like I’d known them since high school (and at times, we did revert back to high school!)
They were Erin from Book for My Daughter, and her sister Kate from Millenial Monster (soul sisters!), Christine from The Aums Mama (beautiful inside and out), Deborah from Mannahattamamma (she is wonderful!), Michelle Longo (unbelievably funny), and Mary-Lauren from My Three Little Birds (love her!).
Kate, Erin and me.
I also met up with Christie aka @TheOutlawMama (who I really related to) and Leslie from The Bearded Iris (who I wish I spent more time with).
These were really lovely peeps and I really enjoyed getting to hang out with them. It was hard to say good bye.
Me with Christine (aka The Aums Mama) – loved her!
The Sessions
The most important thing I took away from the sessions came from the Mom, Stop Blogging About Me panel: to keep in mind as we blog about our children that one day in the not-so-distant future, a Lacrosse coach, a possible employer, scholarship committee or college admissions person will be reading about our children online, so it’s really important to keep this at the forefront of your mind as you blog about them.
One mom on the panel told of how her tween was thrown off of a soccer team because she had said some mean things about the coach on her blog. Another told of how she had to switch preschools because of things she had written – and then deleted – on her blog. Important stuff, so glad I heard this.
In general, though, I was disappointed with the lack of structure and helpful content in some of the sessions – and I heard this again and again from other attendees. The panel speakers seemed too casual, unaware that they had rambled off-track and lost their audience. Their conversation would often drift off-topic, attendees would whisper that they needed a moderator, or better structure, or basic public speaking skills. So – although they were okay, I wasn’t terribly impressed with the panels. Many of them needed better preparation.
The Awkward Question: Why Are There Men at Blogher?
I’m not trying to be gender-biased or discriminatory, and I am not anti-men…but this is a question that nobody wants to ask and that merits asking: Why are there men at Blogher?
It’s a topic that came up with attendees time and again. I kept hearing, Why is a man taking a coveted spot of a featured speaker at the Voices of the Year if it’s BlogHer? It was a running topic of conversation at the conference, and an important one.
Also, at more than one of the sessions some of the better known dad bloggers would kind of take over the session, and it irked some of us. Why not create a men’s conference, BlogHim? Some said it’s probably because there might not be so many of them, and we moms are their market. Also, one of the men got big applause when he walked on stage to read at Voices – was this because he is a celeblogger? Or because he is male? Although I really like this particular blogger, and what he read was great, I didn’t get it. I understand why we had men sharing their expertise with us on panels (such as CJ Bruce in the Vlogging Boot Camp session, who was excellent) – but I’m not so enamored with the idea of a man reading at Blogher’s Voices of the Year, when it is a women’s conference, and we women are really just finding our own collective voice.
Why represent women…with a man’s voice? Isn’t that kind of wrong?
If Blogher is all-inclusive, men and women bloggers – why call it BlogHer? Why pitch it as the collective voice of women?
I went to an all-girls’ school, and when something is pitched as “all-girls” or “a women’s conference” – I think it should in fact be all-girls, or a women’s conference.
Note: I know I’m probably going to get some shit for discussing this, but I’m just saying what I heard going at the conference…
When President Obama addressed the 4,000 of us, he was speaking to women bloggers. And we are important…because we are all of us together, the voice of women.
One blogger said that we have to include men, you cannot exclude someone on the basis of gender. Why would I want to take a spot at Voices of the Year – ostensibly, women’s voices – if I were male? I don’t get why they chose a man to speak at the Voices of the Year. I’m not trying to be pissy or gender-biased…I’m from San Francisco. What I’m saying is I signed up for a women’s conference, not a coed one, and it was a topic that came up so many times with attendees throughout the conference that it does merit asking: What are men doing here?
I still would have attended this conference if it were BlogUs, I’m just wondering why it is billed as BlogHer. I’m not trying to insult anyone, and I have already gotten some pretty intense replies from people who are deeply offended by this post.
The Swag of Choice: The Triphoria Vibrator
Erin and Kate are the kind of people I would want to go trick-or-treating with at Halloween. They took me all over the many floors full of suites of Blogher sponsors – the halls and elevators were filled with women carrying bags given out by sponsors to carry all their swag. It was like adult trick-or-treating – you’d go to the CVS booth, and stand there and talk to them and they’d give you a lip balm. But if you stood there longer, and expressed interest, you would get a whole bag of CVS products:
What’s in it? Toothbrush, sunscreen, moisturizer, shampoo, first aid kit and more.
Around the booths, you could make an appointment to get false eyelashes put on, grab some yogurt bars, gluten-free food for your kids, Stella and Dot jewelry (all you had to do was tweet a photo of yourself wearing one of their pieces and fill out a survey and you got a piece of jewelry etc.), and try all kinds of products. At Samsung, you could participate in six “activities” (i.e., turn on and off the appliance, watch the demo and so on) to be entered in a drawing to win a whole new media system (I didn’t). There was even a suite where you could listen to a spiel about rosacia and then get a massage:
Rosacia Suite (see the dermotologist sitting on the couch?)
So – this type of stuff (being marketed to) is not my scene. And there was a lot of it. I only went because Kate and Erin were so much fun to hang out with, and I was curious. Update: I’ve just heard that there was a sober place called the Serenity Suite where people could hang out, sans marketing. I wish I had known about it.
Every time you went to a booth they would scan your bar code off of your badge – collecting contact information about you, I’m assuming, so they could target market to you in the future. I’m not so into that, either. But I did get swag so I will stop kvetching about it now.
The biggest swag draw at Blogher ’12 was the definitely the vibrator booth.
Apparently in years past none of the other vendors wanted to be placed near the sexy vibrator booth but it turned out to be so popular and to attract such a never-ending crowd that this year, vendors requested to be near it. I didn’t go in search of one, but of course, Erin and Kate picked one up for me. (Prudish confession: I’ve never used one – I’m scared to, frankly. But there you have it.) I’m probably going to do a giveaway of it on my blog. (-:
The Money Thing
Part of Blogher’s mission is the economic empowerment of women. The founders mentioned several times that in this past year alone, Blogher has paid out a total of $17 million to women bloggers. Although I’m under no illusions that I will make big money on my blog, I do get paid for running ads, and occasionally for writing posts or inserting links. So one of the things I’m curious to know is, “How much money are people really making from their blogs?” – because I haven’t met anyone who is making diddly-squat on their blog.
This topic wasn’t really discussed in any of the panels I went to (I should have gone to the monetizing your blog one, where it was discussed, but I didn’t!). One panelist who is a veteran blogger did say that she doesn’t make much money from her blog but sees it as her home-base, a doorway to other paid writing opportunities, and this this is pretty typical of most bloggers. So the $17 million that Blogher paid out last year is a huge sum, and I’m just wondering – to whom did it get paid?
A snarky comment made by one of the bloggers that I overheard: “Most of it probably went to The Pioneer Woman.”
The back of The Pioneer Woman’s $17 million head. (-:
What Was Good
- Blogher co-founders Elisa Camahort Page (who for some reason I always call “Elisa Camembert”), Jory Des Jardins, and Lisa Stone are amazing and so inspirational. And they are also fantastic public speakers.
- The BIG sense of community.
- You could just pop into a session and pop out of it and go to another one without having to sign up.
- People said the writing sessions were excellent.
- President Obama addressing us. Big, big moment. (Do you feel important now?)
- I was very impressed with the caliber of writing, especially at Voices of the Year and Open Mic. I didn’t expect it to be so kick-ass, but it was.
- Hearing the sound of all those women cheering – for themselves, their goals, each other.
- Meeting Scary Mommy in person!
Me with Scary Mommy.
What Wasn’t So Good
- Having the conference in Manhattan was both good and bad – someone said it’s hard for participants because they feel torn – like they should be out exploring the city, but were inside at the conference.
- Crowd control got a little dangerous in spots – before the Martha Stewart lunch, for example, the line for lunch was miles long, people were getting snarky, the room was packed with 4,000 people – and the escalator kept delivering more and more people off of it into the jam-packed crowd and there was no one to direct the crowd. It got a little hairy in there.
- We couldn’t hear what Martha said from the back of the room because the speakers weren’t loud enough, so someone actually stood up and shouted (at Martha) WE CAN’T HEAR YOU! – and this was well, awkward.
- Some of the panels tended to ramble – losing their audience. When people would get the mic they would just sort of ramble on about themselves. This happened a lot.
- Room service at the Sheraton was pricey – $26 for coffee and OJ in the early morning, $72 for dinner. They did have food at the events but still, food at the hotel was super pricey.
- At Speed Dating, it felt a little strange when more marketing types popped up and I had to listen to their spiel, when all I really wanted to do was meet other bloggers. One of them billed herself as “the lube lady,” and when she peeked in my swag bag and saw my Triphoria, she said, “What you need is some lube with that,” and dropped some product into my bag. It was just..strange.
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#Blogher12: What It Was Like http://t.co/OL1FQvLy
so glad to hear about it all! i am not a big conference type of girl, but running into great women i’ve grown to love would def. be a draw…maybe next year!
Oh I would love to meet you Tara. (-: Let us know if you ever do plan to go!
PS: Tara, you should start a poetry/writing conference! (-:
Great run-down, Ado. I wish I had been there for more than bits and pieces during the three days. It took me until Saturday to find the YeahWrite people!
I’m so glad to read a balanced post about BlogHer. I’m still processing, and I don’t feel like any criticism I give is fair. I hopped in and out of everything all the time.
The one thing I will say about the men there is that BlogHer is a huge networking opportunity, and frankly, for product exposure – it’s the best. Also, my buddy Lisa (from The Parent du Jour) has gone to Dad conferences to recruit Dads. I do see the issue with presenters/speakers, however. Perhaps a session devoted to the Woman/Man balance is a better idea for using male bloggers as speakers.
(So impressed that you posted this already!) And I still need more coffee.
Thanks for the info on the reasons why men are there…!
It was such a surprise when I finall got to meet you (minus your red cape!) – I was saying, “Has anyone seen this KDWALD mystery person? Where IS she?” and there you were right in front of me! (-:
This is a great, great, honest recap, Ado. Much appreciated (from one of us who wasn’t there!).
And I didn’t even really get into talking about the parties! (-; *I didn’t go to many though.*
One question…Are you going to go the the #Blogher conference next year?
At the moment I’m thinking not – but maybe. Will you be going? It’s in Chicago in July, apparently.
As a newbie I don’t feel ready to attend a conference yet. My main question is what will i get out of it? How will it help me? Thanks for this honest run down of your conference experience.
I waited til I was blogging for a year and a few months before going – but it was a good time in my bloggy career for me to go so I do recommend it. I say just keep it basic – just go for the sake of going, and sponge up all you can.
I was at #HomeHer12-nice rundown of the good, bad & other…Blogher ’12: What It Was Like http://t.co/EgzKpr71 via @sharethis
Thanks Momma for the RT! (-:
Great recap! I almost felt like I was there after all of the Facebook and twitter stalking I did. Making my case now for Chicago!
Go, go!
Blogher ’12: What It Was Like http://t.co/8cZRGSP8 via @adothemomalog
Thanks, Ado, for such an honest description of BlogHer – not that I expected anything different from you. I’m glad it sounds like it leaned more towards positive than negative for you.
Overall it was a really positive experience. Not sure still if I would return though. . . jury is still out on that front.
Awesome post Ado! I was really unsure what the conference was really all about and was hoping someone would be posting a review like this with lots of info. I love your honest and open take on the whole thing – the good and the bad. I would have loved to hear Obama and meet some of the awesome bloggers I’ve gotten to know online, it sounds like that was really fun. I’m glad you got to go experience it all, thank you for such a great post!
Thanks Anna!! (-:
I’m still trying to process my feelings about the whole thing, and I wasn’t even there. Sounds like BlogHer works just fine for extroverted bloggers, less well for introverted writers? I’m glad you were able to catch up with some of the yeah write crew.
Hi Erica – it was surprisingly open to both camps. What I mean is, I would be more the “extroverted introvert” and I was really surprised at how welcoming it felt to me – considering how it could have been, and with that many people – that was pretty amazing. Still though you’re right I would prefer the smaller conferences. It was great to meet all the Yeah Writers in person – they are all so great.
You just made me miss you more!! I love this, very well said!! RT @AdoTheMomalog: #Blogher12: What It Was Like http://t.co/pJ4mJIjw
I want you and Erin to give serious thought to moving next door too me in MD. (-:
I’m mightily impressed (and love you for it) that you did not talk about the parties.
Because last year’s BlogHer recaps were all about the parties – which made me think, so you paid $200 or $300 to go to a bunch of parties with some girlfriends?
Also, there were a lot of posts about swag. Actually there were a lot of tweets about swag and parties this year and I was wondering – so, no one went to the sessions or panels?
So it’s good to read this. I didn’t expect anything less from you of course. Glad you met some nice folks!
I think, based on this and what I know of you, you’ll love the smaller conferences better, like Blissdom or Bloggy Boot Camp.
I did overhear a few women saying how for some groups, it seemed like Blogher was just a girls’ weekend away and they came to party. They said it seems like some are actually on the conference “circuit” and come to party – so who knows. I only went to I think 2 parties and then only briefly, just because I don’t really do big crowds. I was invited to one – the bansheeparty.com – that was open to all and off-site in an Irish pub, only I couldn’t go because I came down with a terrible sore throat and just went to bed (old fogey much??) but I’m sure that one would’ve been up my street.
Now – if YOU had gone – holy shit we would’ve had us some FUN. You really must keep me posted because if you ever do go to one of these things across the world from where you are I will definitely try and go too. I think you would’ve liked – not loved – but really liked it.
What a great recap! I’ve attended Blogher in the past, but didn’t attend this year, so I read your post with a lot of curiosity. MEN speaking at Blogher panels? I agree with your viewpoint. BlogHer should be for women, about women. (Except of course if the President wants to address us!)
I experienced the same thing you described in the panel sessions. There are plenty of women who would be honored to be asked to serve as moderators – and they should all receive training. There are a few great books on the subject!
Thanks Lynn, glad to know there are others who think the presenters could hone their public speaking skills too. . . and yeah, Blogher should be for women, about women.
I haven’t been to BlogHer (or any blogging conference, actually) so I don’t know what to expect from a conference like this. I have always been surprised when people mention men attending BlogHer – I didn’t know that they were eligible to present at Voice of the Year. It bothers me, too.
It’s an interesting topic, one that’s a little tetchy and awkward, because I’m not anti-men, nor are the women who are present at Blogher. I do really question the committee who chooses the Voices of the Year, in choosing a guy.
It’s a good discussion to have, but for me, the place of men at BlogHer is a non-issue. There actually were not very many male bloggers in attendance (many of the men there were marketers, representatives of a sponsoring company or other members of the non-blogging community there for peripheral reasons), and those that I personally knew there are all dedicated, impassioned bloggers with a relevant point of view and the right to be a part of the gathering that represents the space on the internet that we all happily share. And for a male panelist dominating a conversation in an irritating way? Women can (and did) do that as well – it’s not really a question of gender.
Nor is it a question of gender when the VOTY speakers are picked. I was a speaker in 2010, and a judge this year. There was a male speaker on our stage the year I spoke, and he was amazing. So was Neil, this year. I was not a judge for his category specifically, but there were submissions from male bloggers in the category that I judged. We had hundreds of submissions to read, and we took our job very seriously. I can assure you that each post – and author – was judged with the same standards and expectations. In the end, the people on that stage were there because their posts were the best, and the most representative of their category. Each and every person on that stage deserved to be there. Please don’t diminish their accomplishments by suggesting that somebody got there because they rose to the top of a popularity contest. How many women on that stage were you introduced to for the very first time Friday night?
Blogging is not new anymore. We are so lucky that in North America, social media does not have to be a place where women remain marginalized, unheard, fighting for equality. BlogHer is still *ours* – and I guarantee you that every man in attendance was well aware of that.
and, gah – ps: great recap. really should have included that above.
Lol at that one particular item of swag you got there. Good googledymoogledy. No, never tried one either. There are some roads best left untraveled.
I’m glad you went and had an overall good time. Your review was excellent. And your cheekbones look divine in every picture. I haz an envy. Can I borrow you as a stand in for my vacation photos? If you can’t come down and join us at the beach, let’s just photoshop your head on to replace mine. I’m having a bad face week.
That’s a very interesting point you touched upon, about the dangers of blogging about our kids online. That is something I thought about and it’s one of the reasons I decided to make the cats the focus of my blog, if I decide to go ahead with it. Even then I do run the risk of personal real world consequences. Animal lovers can be very judgemental and strident. The worst fighting I’ve ever seen was between the raw diet proponents and the kibble people. That sounds funny: “kibble people.” Attack of the Fifty Foot Kibble People. Great, that’s going to stick in my head now for days.
Good night, Ado. Off to bed with me. I’m getting goofy. V sends her love to Ella
You are so funny Ms. ChipMom – “some roads are best left untravelled” – heh. And as for your cat woman blog, a few ideas for names: catwomanblog.com, attackofthekibblepeople.com, judgycatlover.com. (-:
What a great ‘report’! I would be inclined to agree with preferring it to be all women were I to attend. But I’m sure there are very valid reasons for inclusion. I made $25 off my blog! It was cumulative over 4 months though
lol And I did get offered to be paid for including my VOTY post in the book. But yeah…who is making a ton o’ money off their blog? Inquiring minds want to know!
I am so glad you had a good time!
Well at least we’ve opened the topic of discussion on the who’s making what front! (-: In general I’m thinking the mom bloggers are really underpaid – i.e. you will get offered $25 to mention a product etc. or sent product in exchange for marketing it – all in all my opinion is women bloggers are settling for less than they are worth.
Thank you so much for the recap, especially for those of us who couldn’t go (and probably never will get to go).
By the way, you’re gorgeous (inside and out)!
Thanks Cat you are so sweet. It was a good time – glad I went – would I go back though? Not sure. I think if I were to do a blogging conference again I’d choose a small one.
Blogher ’12: What It Was Like http://t.co/loT5Ie4h via @sharethis
,@adothemomalog gives rundown of #Blogher12: What It Was Like http://t.co/Ufcc6YGr via @kdwald
Thanks, Empress. (-:
great recap, and i love the vision of the adult trick-or-treating and that at some points it was *really* adult trick-or-treating!
Maybe it’s a new trend for Halloween…? (-:
Thanks for the amazing recap! You made me feel like I was there!
Well it would’ve been great if you WERE there!
Thanks, Ado, for the honest recap. I have been desperate to learn more about it! Maybe I’ll attend next year… we’ll see…
If you do, please let us know! (-: It is really so much fun to meet online friends IRL!
Thanks for this run down. Really, really great food for thought! (And somebody really yelled at Martha Stewart? Tsk Tsk!))
I know! Yes, somebody did! And it was *awkward* but man, we were all kind of relieved when it happened because it really needed to! And actually, Martha of course handled it really well.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I was not there and while I think I want to go to BlogHer 2013, I wonder if there are other conferences I should prioritize ahead of this one?
I think this is a good choice for a first conference – you can get an idea if it’s for you or not. There are a lot of choices for panel topics, and “it’s all here.” The size factor is certainly something to consider but if you meet up with your little group it can feel more intimate than it is. (-: I haven’t been to any of the other conferences but I hear Bloggy Boot Camp is good and there are some other smaller ones too.
Hmm. To your question about a man being selected as a VOTY:
I’ve always thought women to be by their nature inclusive. Indeed I celebrate our inclusivity.
So, no, I did not take issue with the committee choosing a man as a VOTY. And I write this as someone whose submisson to VOTY was not accepted.
When I heard that Neil would be reading his work while I would not be reading mine, I didn’t think, “A man took a spot that might have been mine.” Instead I thought: a good writer took that spot. And after a few days of disappointment I was over it.
For me the calibre of writing at this year’s VOTY spoke for itself.
Thanks for commenting Sarah – I personally loved Neil’s piece and his blog – everything about him, in fact. I wish I were more like you and could get over the exclusive/inclusive thing – but I’m just not there yet. I feel strongly that it should have been all women on the Voices of the Year representing us (I too submitted but wasn’t chosen and from the quality of the writing I’m fine with it). I just think if it is a coed blogger’s conference then it should be billed as such.
I was fortunate enough to not only be a VOTY speaker a few conferences back but was asked to be on the selection committee for the 2010 VOTY. And I chose and advocated for a male that year to read his piece for the Op/ed category. Jason Mayo. I also chose and advocated for Susan WhyMommy to read that year. And when they did, I felt like I had chose well. And I did. Because out of all the submissions I plowed through, read, re-read and judged with the criteria given me, Jason Mayo’s post was, alongside Susan’s, THE BEST IN THE BUNCH. Hands down.
While BlogHer may in fact be a womens blog conference (and we’ve had the Do Men Belong In BlogHer conversation EVERY damn year since 2008, actually) the VOTY is not gender based. It is, in fact, VOICES of the Year. Not FEMALE voices of the year. The men aren’t chosen because they are celebloggers (and I was one of the ones who applauded Neil this year, because he is my very good online friend and was very nervous) they are chosen because they had the best submissions.
Great recap. I could comment on so much, but I need coffee first.
I’m amazed you function so well so quickly after BlogHer. I’m still remembering how to type, I’m so tired. Wink.
Thanks for clarifying Tanis. (-:
I am breaking commenting rule and just chiming in on a photo caption. Sorry. I did read the whole thing though
That is not the Serenity Suite. The Serenity Suite is hosted by bloggers for no profitable gain. It is a place that sober people can find out about local meetings or get support. It was a place to relax and not have to get a sales pitch doing it. And this year, it was a place to remember our friend Susan Niebur, @whymommy, who died this past February. Just had to clear that up.
Thanks.
Thanks Marty for clearing that up I will go change it (and why, oh why, did I not know about this Serenity Suite place? I would have set up camp there. Shit.)
Great recap, Ado. I wish I had been there!
Also glad to read Marty’s comment on the Serenity Suite. I had heard about the Serenity Suite and its dedication this year to Susan, and I was a little disconcerted to see the photo here. I had never seen the Suite portrayed as anything but a tranquil place where sober women and others could take a break from the BlogHer bustle.
Thanks for the info Leslie – got it corrected. PS: Oh how I wish I had heard of the “real” Serenity Suite before attending – how is it people find out about it? If it was on the schedule I totally missed it somehow.
Nice job on the recap, Ado. Would have loved to have met you. About the men…I think they are an important voice FOR women. There is so much work yet to be done regarding gender equality. We need to do it together, not separately, and still identify as BlogHer (not ‘all’ or ‘him’). Just my initial thoughts on it. The money thing…sounds like there were plenty of companies wanting bloggers to try their products…sounds like a marketing dream. Next year, if you go, create a vibrator/lube set called the “momalog survival kit”…and toss it in everyone’s bags. I don’t know, seems one needs to do something extreme to make significant cash. But it can be done. Especially with your talent and honest voice.
I’m probably too much of a prude to come with that kind of sexy swag – you do it! (-:
I agree with your comments about inclusiveness, however I do think that women’s voices have not had as much time as men’s, it is not as equal or as powerful yet – perhaps when we get a female president things will advance more – so it’s hard for me to get my head entirely around inclusiveness at this point in our history, you know?
[...] here on the blogosphere, I had just returned from Blogher ’12 and had written this post, Blogher ’12: What It Was Like, and I hit Publish. You know that white-faced feeling you get after you press the Send button after [...]
Great recap! I had a different but slightly similar experience (on my blog right now) but I will agree that the sessions seemed to not have a lot of meat to them. Some of the ones I went to talked on topic for about 10 minutes and then turned into, kind of, a personal blog post. I just feel that there were as many authorities in the audience as on stage, and that a roundtable session with all voices carrying equal weight would have been worthwhile.
Or, having authorities from outside the blogosphere talk about specific topics – whether technical or creative or philosophical…I don’t know. I would have loved a session on fact checking and blogging “journalism” ethics from professionals and expert voices outside the blogosphere; more hands on basic writing courses; sessions where participants workshopped business plans or used laptops live to learn blog design. I know a conference like this would be more expensive, but right now, it feels like a social even that tries to justify itself with a few sessions. I LOVE the social part – and that’s what I heard many people critiquing when they were talking about the big crowds – no way to meet everyone.
As for the men issue…I have no problem with men being there, but I think there is still a place for a By Women-For Women-Promoting Women-Celebrating Women conference. If it gets to far away from that, the whole tone will change – which isn’t good or bad, just is – and maybe another women’s blogging conference will take its place.
Thanks Josette for your comments, I agree with you about the panels – and about their being lots of expertise in the audience part of the room that maybe could’ve been better taken advantage of. Off to read your blog post on it…
Thanks so much for sharing your perspective. I think we would relate to many things in the same way (small all girl high school, smallish college, etc) and I’ve never been to BlogHer….yet. Maybe next year! Twitter led me here and I’m glad I came and read.
So glad you dropped by! (-: Thanks for commenting.
I’m impressed with your honesty and incisiveness, and I agree with a lot of your points. It was my first BlogHer, and I was mostly there to see New York and meet people I only knew online – I had no idea what to expect from the sessions. I did kind of feel torn about being fully present at the conference and wanting to see New York stuff. I loved meeting everyone and the warmth and energy was amazing. I had a blast dancing at Sparklecorn, but I wished some of the parties were a little less loud and dark and night-clubby, although I think if people like that then paying 200 dollars to dance with your girlfriends for a weekend is perfectly okay. As far as men being there, I’m not terribly involved with BlogHer but I thought they’d always been pretty clear that women dominated but men were welcome. Also, I only went to two sessions besides the keynotes, and everyone who spoke was wonderful – articulate and insightful. I think BlogHer accepts suggestions for future panels, so everyone with ideas should definitely pursue that. I’m glad I went, but GOD I’m glad to be home.
Thanks for commenting Allison – I’m glad I went and ditto, God I’m glad to be home again. (-:
Thanks for the recap! You let us know what was going on without us turning green with envy.(: If you plan on going to a Bloggy Boot Camp, let us know. There has to be one in the D.C. or Balto. area, right? Ellen
That would be great – vice versa, let me know if you hear of one/plan to go, I’d love to meet up with you guys.
It bothers me that people are making such a big deal about men at blogher. It is a blogging conference. Men blog too. It is now trickling to other conferences that are heavier on the female attendance side where men are getting nervous about attending. I can not believe such a big deal has been made about something so minor. It may have started as BlogHER but things change, branding is already done. People need to get over it.
Well yeah, “people need to get over it” is a great response – the thing is though, I am a blogger who is newish to blogging and totally new to Blogher ’12 as were many other bloggers, so they are having a conversation that you may have tired of a few years back but that still merits (in my opinion) discussing. And really – it isn’t a minor issue at all.
Blogher ’12: What It Was Like – Momalog http://t.co/2731rLpZ <— seems like what I remember of blogher ’11
Blogher ’12: What It Was Like http://t.co/CgMRfeU6 via @sharethis… love the honesty here.
People come to these conferences with such different, varying expectations. Some come open minded, some come to party, some come to learn, some come to see friends, some come to get better at blogging.
I am different at this conference than I was in the San Diego one. And I know I’ll be different again at the Chicago one.
We change, our experience changes. we’ll like people, we won’t like others. Online life is no different than real life.
My only point is this: for everyone that felt disappointed, you also have to ask yourself your part in it. What did you expect? There are different types of blogging conferences, too.
There are so many questions for attendees to ask themselves, and if you’ve been hopping around reading BlogHer recap posts, you’ll see what I mean. Some blame others for their dissatisfaction, some are happy as can be that they spent time with friends.
For me, seeing the ones I follow and being able to thank them in person is a HUGE part of going. I don’t go for the same reasons as others, and that separates me from the “big” crowd.
I go to thank the ones, face to face, that have helped me through so much the past four years of my life.
I hope you’ll be in Chicago, I’d like to say hi to you.
Thank you Alexandra for your thoughtful comments. The truth is I greatly enjoyed myself, start to finish at the conference – and the best part was meeting people face to face, for sure. I loved it. Learned a whole lot, and am still learning a whole lot after the fact with all the responses to this post, that’s for sure. PS: I would love to say Hi to you and if we are at the same conference next year I will make a point of finding you. (-;
I think of you as one of the “big” bloggers that I admire, so reading this post really made me feel better about my BlogHer experience, which was also my first. I had a lot of fun, met great people, and learned a lot… but there was something wonky about all the brands pushing stuff and the overwhelming discussion of “monetizing” blogs. I also wondered who is making any real money off their blog? (Maybe I should have attended that session just to kill my curiosity). I felt like there was competition over invites to private parties, and sponsorships, and brand face time… I was there to learn more about writing and being a geek, so the “branding” aspect really threw me for a loop. But overall it was a great experience! Maybe next year I’ll be brave enough to say “hi” to you.
Emily I wish you had said Hi to me! Would have loved to meet you. It sounds likes we had very similar experiences. I did love it but I think I would have really loved it if I had gone to some of the writing labs. So next year, we’ll hang out! (-:
Aww, shucks! I’m shy in the presence of people I admire, what can I say? But next year… I’m on the hook to introduce myself and go to a writing lab with you! (humbled)
You’re on, Emily! (-:
[...] about the experience that was BlogHer ’12. I’ve read some really fabulous ones, like this post by my friend Ado over at The Momalog. Or for a different take on it, this one by Rock & Drool. [...]
[...] exciting to did you plan your talk on a napkin at breakfast? (Ado at the Momalog has a great post here about the [...]
xo Deborah thanks for the mention! (-:
[...] money people are making off of their blogs. One of my favorite blogs, a “big” blog, The Momalog, wrote the same question recently in a post. I was relieved to know that a blogger more [...]
Thanks for the mention in your post! (-:
This is probably one of my favorite recaps so far. You covered so much so well. I agree with a lot of what you’ve written (I’m ambivalent about the men. I get twitchy when I feel like I’m excluding someone, so…) but I’m quite angry I didn’t get a vibrator. HOW DID I NOT GET A VIBRATOR?
Arnebya, your readings were SO FLIPPING HILARIOUS I will send you MY vibrator. Hang on – actually my husband has already opened the box in high anticipation, so I can’t send it to you. But…YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN ONE, you were so fantastic!! (-:
Try the vibrator! If you need a boost, listen to/read our Erotica panel from BlogHer. They’re not scary, quite the opposite, they’re wonderful and a great way to learn more about the way your body works. Also, doctors say they help relieve stressors, increase endorphines and boost your immune system.
Well alrighty then!
[...] http://themomalog.com/2012/08/05/blogher-12-what-it-was-like/ [...]
I wish we could have met in person, Ado! I’m always so impressed by your honest blogging and willingness to engage in difficult conversations. That takes some serious ovarian fortitude, sister.
Personally, I am not bothered by the male bloggers at BlogHer…except for that one who put a sticker right on my boob at CAYA. He was a douchebag.
Wish we got to spend more time together. Thanks for your comments.
Just to set the record straight: I am not against men being at Blogher. I am just curious as to why they are attending a women’s conference, and wondering if maybe we should call it something other than BlogHER. I like men and am even married to one, like, for the rest of my life – that’s how much I like men. (-:
PS: I want to get a t-shirt made, “I HAVE SERIOUS OVARIAN FORTITUDE, MAN.” (-:
[...] like me, she went to Blogher ’12, and wrote a post about her experience, HangovHer. Unlike my post about what happened at Blogher, which some people did not enjoy, ahem, many people actually enjoyed Allison’s.So please go [...]