Blog World & New Media Expo: Does it Live Up to the Hype?

Blog World & New Media Expo (BWELA) is supposed to be this wonderful experience where bloggers can come together, network, sit in on some panels and learn new ideas. As someone who immerses herself in social media and blogging, I have heard so much about Blog World over the years. I especially heard about how extravagant 2010 Blog World Vegas was, so imagine my surprise when a friend of mine from Social Media Club San Diego offered me her extra Expo Pass. Sponsored parties? Tech giveaways? A chance to network with both startups and bigger companies? Of course I accepted!

Unfortunately the Expo Pass is the lowest pass you can get for BWELA. You are allowed onto the Expo floor and see some keynote speakers as well as join in on the Podcamp (for podcasters). You are also given access to the parties and networking events. I figured this was fine as a first year attendee – plus I was banking on my friends who have been to BlogWorld, to make it extra fun. I also knew the new LA location would mean for less glitz and glam, but I at least had high hopes of getting to speak with more developers and get to demo more things. Sadly, what I heard from everyone else was that the Expo this year was a quarter of the size it was in previous years.

I was later told that perhaps the layout of the LA Convention Center differs greatly from Las Vegas Convention Center, and this is why it appeared so small – but my friend Frances and I were done with our rounds in a matter of a few hours. This isn’t to say we didn’t have a good time, but the whole BWELA hype lead us to believe that there would be so much more.

Despite our disappointment for grandeur, Frances and I were able to meet with some awesome people and talk opportunities. We had a great time with Viddy (like Instagram but w/video – how jealous I was not to have an iPhone to get some Snoop Dogg effects on my mobile videos), HipSwap (like a cooler Craigslist w/better visuals and totally mobile), Beta Records (got free turntable slip covers from them), Yahoo! (got a free style book, bag, and of course was given the opportunity to write here!), Blogger (got to check out their new features and use their photo booth!), Southwest Airlines (woot to photos! and a cool lounge area with snacks), along with a few other companies that enhanced your blog (should you own a blog).

I only attended one party and that was at J Lounge. I got to try some of the Safe Cigs (who were one of the sponsors for the party) and enjoy a few appetizers. I did get to say hello to a few friends who were also attending BWELA, but other than that Frances and I really couldn’t connect with anyone. We felt a bit out of place.

You see this is what I noticed about BWELA: Most people asked us what the name of our blogs were. The thing is, for most people Frances’ and my age (mid to late 20s) and within our industries, is that we are writing for multiple blogs in addition to writing our own. Our goals aren’t really to monetize the blogs that we own, but we are in search of job opportunities that allow us to blog. We are hustlers who look for writing opportunities, particularly in our subjects of interest. For me personally, I am a journalist and marketer who happens to blog. I hustle and make money where I can, so long as it involves writing. So when people ask me what my blog is? What my traffic is like? I can’t really say much other than “I write for a lot of blogs.” I don’t handle the numbers for the blogs I write for, someone else does. This is not to say I don’t know how analytics work – I use them on my personal blogs. But I am saying that professionally, I am content provider – and I consult others on how to provide content.

So what I’ve learned from BlogWorld is this: It’s a great place to pitch and network, and being younger and (for lack of better words) hipper definitely set my friend and I apart from the rest of the pack – but really we couldn’t take away too much with just an Expo Pass and one party. I think it would help us more to attend other events that catered more to the industries we are involved with – but it was great to experience BWELA and network with some cool new media. I did get to walk away with several business cards from companies I might be able to connect with. Maybe if I get to attend next year, I’ll be able to learn more from a panel or speaker – that is of course assuming I can afford a better pass!


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