I’m a Wildside Blogger! Read what that means and how being a Wildside Blogger STILL means all these opinions are totally mine, even if I DO get some amazing benefits like season passes to SeaWorld and Aquatica.
I have declared this my Year of Conferences. I am totally a nerd at heart when it comes to things that interest me. (Which generally does NOT include math-related anything.) But I could learn, listen, or talk all things blog, social media, and writing all the day long. Which is why I have gone to Re:Write, If:Local, HBU’s Writing Conference, and AdventureCon, and WILL be going to Declare, Podcast Movement, and Blog Elevated later this year. Yes, I am insane.
Every conference is unique (hence going to so MANY), but AdventureCon stands out in my mind as one of the oddest and best SMALL conferences that I’ve attended. AdventureCon is a blogging conference put on by Sea World, which is unique in and of itself. It is part conference and part family fun, adding up to be ALL awesome. Because everyone loves a good list, here are my four reasons for loving AdventureCon.
Four Reasons AdventureCon Is the Best Little Blog Conference in Texas
1. It’s not just for bloggers.
AdventureCon is a FAMILY blogging conference. This means that bloggers are encouraged to bring their whole family. While we bloggers are getting our nerd on, families are over at SeaWorld, getting behind the scenes tours and exploring the park. The second day of the conference unites the families to do this together, which means it has a unique flavor as compared to other conferences. This year we weren’t able to enjoy the family part (due to Rob’s work combined with how many kids we have and their ages at the moment), but hopefully next year! This is rare and truly unique among conferences!
2. It’s SMALL.
I haven’t been to a huge blogging conference and there is a reason for that: It’s not my thing. I’m a small-crowd kind of girl. At just about 70 attendees, AdventureCon is the smallest conference I have been to and that made it really special. On Saturday, we spend from 9-4 essentially in one room, learning together. With round tables for the sessions and our lunch, I got to meet and talk to other bloggers in a natural way and it made each session feel really personal. One of my favorite moments was the Experts Among Us period where attendees could take the mic for a moment and share a favorite tip, trick, or tool for blogging.
3. It had GREAT speakers.
(And I’m not just saying that because I led a session— that doesn’t count! But I totally LOVED getting the opportunity to lead a writing workshop!) I’m still poring over my notes from the weekend. I learned about SEO, YouTube, monetizing, online crises, working with brands, and FlipBoard. To name just a few things. Because the group was smaller, this also meant that the speakers interacted more personally with the room and were able to answer questions along the way.
4. It had ADVENTURE.
After checking into my hotel, the very first thing I did was hop over to the park to ride the Great White by myself. Only a ten-minute wait and I was in the front row of my new favorite roller coaster, screaming and laughing (and drooling a little). What other conference offers that chance? We learned hard and then we PLAYED hard. I definitely helped put the adventure in AdventureCon.
Are you a conference junkie? Do YOU have a favorite conference? (Watch out– I might attend…)