Blogging Conference in Cedar Point

Wow that just doesn’t sound right in the same sentence! Working as a blogger, I attend conferences around the USA each year to meet with brands, learn about the latest laws and FTC guidelines as well as be able to put faces with the hundreds of other bloggers that I work with online…..

This year, one of the conferences was at Cedar Pointin Sandusky, Ohio. You should have heard my girls screaming when I informed them that the conference was in Sandusky but that it was actually within the amusement park Cedar Point! BloggyCon13 had its highs and lows for me, but my kids would say it was all highs for them!

As I started to write my recap of the weekend I had to stop and decide if the problems faced while at the conference were conference or location based. We had problems with the location from the start with having to stand in line for 90 minutes just to check in to the hotel. That was just totally unacceptable to me.

So what I decided to do was address the issues with the location directly with the management of that facility and write another article about traveling there with family. This article will be just about my experience at the conference.

This was the second BloggyCon for me. Last year was in Cincinnati, Ohio (which is considered local to me). I walked away from last year with a list of things to start/change/implement a mile long. It took me weeks to connect with everyone that I met there and sort through all the fantastic plugins (automating programs for bloggers)…not to mention the wonderful friendships that grew out of that conference.

This year things were different. The conference itself was a mini (half day sessions) and since most of the bloggers had their families there the entire mindset was more like a family reunion versus a working weekend. Not that this was a bad thing….just different. The bloggers that came alone, didn’t ride coasters or had older children were left on their own a great deal of the weekend. I found myself in this category. I had sponsored two people to the conference, one was another blogger and one was a new VA (Virtual Assistant) looking to build a business working for bloggers. We found ourselves with more time on our hands than I had ever expected. We did meet other bloggers in the same position and this helped the time pass but I would have appreciated some type of function for those of us in this position. If we return next year, I will take on scheduling a couple of things for non coaster bloggers such as a tour of some of the great museums the area has to offer.

The sessions were informative. Topics were on the usual needs of bloggers – Pinterest, Twitter, Community, Sponsorships, Brand Affiliates and Staying Legal.

For me, I found the opening session with Debba Haupert of GirlFriendology my favorite session from the weekend. Her presentation reminded us to focus on things that were beautiful in our lives and to remain honest to ourselves.

Another favorite was the FTC and legal session that was actually led by a pinch hitter and kudos to her! She covered topics from disclosures to fair trade in her presentation. While this information was on a basic level, she fielded all the questions pitched at her in a professional and often humorous way.

The one session that stood out to me the most was the Photography session. Angie Keiser of Keiser Photography managed to offer insight and tips to us despite the technical issues of not being able to connect her equipment to the hotel. Angie also led an early morning sunrise walk through the park at Cedar Point to teach the “golden hour” principal of lighting in photography.

Overall, I enjoyed myself; I learned something and my teen girls rode themselves silly on coasters for a day and a half… so I would have to say this was a win for all of us. I am looking forward to next year but personally I hope they move it back to a business location setting.

Thanks again to #BloggyCon13 sponsors:

• @CedarPoint
• @Honda and #HondaLove
• @GoSkyo and #BlogSkyo
• @UdderlySmooth
• @ZonePerfect
• @Expressionery
• @LauraKellyArt
• @RitDye