Are you ready for BlogHer girlfriend? Don’t forget to Pack …

BlogHer is the BIG blogger conference primarily for women bloggers. This will be my fifth BlogHer and each one gets BIGGER and more CrAzY! BlogHer11 is Aug. 5-6 in San Diego and I’m leaving this week to meet up with a bunch of great bloggers and great friends at this large social media and blogging conference.

This Summer I’ve had the opportunity to work with The UPS Store (and Collective Bias) on the #Print4BlogHer program. It was an eight week preparation process for BlogHer from identifying your brand and goals for Blogher to what to print, ship and pack. (You can read all about the #Print4BlogHer program and apply it to getting ready for any conference!)

I’m still finalizing some of my materials so I’m taking The UPS Store up on their ability to order printing from here and pick it up there! Plus, I’m looking forward to the #Print4BlogHer party on Thursday. I’m one of the Hosts and can’t wait to see the bloggers who have been active in the #Print4BlogHer program!

If you’re going to BlogHer – look me up. I’ll be wearing our signature ‘Friendship Flower‘ (orange gerbera daisy!) and here’s a check list of what to pack for San Diego. For more info, check out the #Print4BlogHer program!

What to pack for BlogHer11

• Business Cards and Printed Materials – Make sure your business cards, press releases, media kits and/or one-pagers (info sheets) are packed and ready to go to San Diego! (You didn’t go to all this hard work to leave them at home!) I generally put them in a sealed plastic bag so if any hairspray or shampoo leaks, they’re protected.
• Schedule – We all have lots to do while we’re there and we don’t want to miss out on anything that fits with our goals, right?! (For example, if our goal is to meet certain brands, we don’t want to wander aimlessly through the exhibit area.) Study your conference and party schedule on your way there and make sure you have a strategy for going after your goal connections.
• Band-Aids – For the past several conferences I’ve attended, I’ve worn shoes that looked good but, after several hours of walking and standing, didn’t feel so good. Bring them just in case. And carry them with you. Someone may need them too!
• Comfortable Shoes – Right?! You should take comfortable shoes and not just ‘new shoes that look good but who knows how they fit?’ shoes!  And, don’t plan on wearing the same shoes every day, all day. It helps to bring several pairs to make sure you don’t get blisters.
• Layers – Sometimes conference rooms are cold, sometimes they’re anything but cold. It helps to wear layers. I tend to carry a light-weight sweater with me in my bag which makes me good whatever the temp.
• Mints / Gum – You might not have time to run back to your room to brush your teeth or freshen up. Mints and gum are always nice things to have and to share. (I’ve seen bloggers attach mints or gum to their business cards – they make a ‘fresh’ impression!)
• Pen, Paper or iPad/Tablet – You’re there to learn too, right? Make sure you’re set for taking notes in the sessions. I’ve found that taking notes helps me pay attention to the speaker and provide a reminder for later. And, on my iPad, I can easily share my notes with others.
• Have a roommate? – Make sure and take (presentable) pajamas. I once stopped at a local store because I forgot mine. Also, I just went through this at TypeACon – I had a roommate who SNORED! (Big time! – But I still love ya Kim! Take ear-plugs just in case! Both help to make the roommate situation pleasant! (P.S. My girlfriends and I who often shared a room at conferences often brought each other small presents/gift bags as a way of showing our appreciation. Just a thought!)
• Camera/Video – BlogHer is a great opportunity for photos and video for your blog. Don’t forget these as well as chargers for them. Bring something to write down who everyone is in your photos if you want to reference them later. (So easy to forget when you’re meeting so many new friends!)
• Phone/ Charger – Laptop/Cord-Battery – Power Strip – How awful would it be to land and realize your phone would be out of juice soon and no charger! There is always someone who will share, but best to have our own to have access to all the time. And, speaking of, it’s great to have a power strip or outlet ‘multiplier’ to share the power with other bloggers. You will be the most popular blogger ever! (:
• Beauty ‘Accessories’ & Necessary Supplies – Make-up, nail polish/file, curlers/curling iron (most hotels have hair dryers, thank goodness!). Also, deodorant, toothpaste/brush, hair brush/comb, hairspray, shampoo/conditioner, lotion, etc.
• Room for Swag – Yes, you will get some ‘freebie’ products to bring home. This is where shipping back with The UPS Store is especially handy! They’ll make sure your swag gets home safely (& reduces you having to pay extra baggage charges, etc.)

All that, plus your party clothes, outfits for the day, accessories/jewelry, undies, extra outfits, etc. There’s a lot to pack for BlogHer. Better get started! (Most importantly, Don’t Forget your Business Cards and Materials!)

See you in San Diego bloggers at the #Print4BlogHer party! And check out the #Print4BlogHer program for all the scoop on getting prepared for a conference!

P.S. For writing blog posts and managing the #Print4BlogHer program, I was compensated. Thanks to The UPS Store for this opportunity to be involved and attend BlogHer. I hope the blogger conference prep was helpful!

Tags: blogger conference, BlogHer, checklist, girlfriend advice, packing for a conference, Print4BlogHer, UPS Store

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 at 9:14 am and is filed under Be a Better FRIEND, Business and Career, Girlfriend Advice and Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.