One of my biggest regrets of 2007 was not being able to attend Blog World Expo.
The reports that came out of BWE from thousands of bloggers were quite amazing. Rich networking, great teaching, showcases of services and tools for bloggers and much much more.
This year Blog World Expo is on again (20-21 September) in Las Vegas.
I’m hoping to attend this year (I’m 50/50 at this point as we’re waiting to see how our new baby settles before I travel again) as the list of people that I know who are attending is quite amazing. They’ve started compiling a list of speakers here. If I’m going I’ll be involved in at least one panel and probably another session.
I emailed the Rick Calvert CEO of BWE earlier in the week and asked him if they’d be willing to put up a couple of free passes to attend – he generously agreed.
The passes are worth $400 each – there are two of them to go to two separate winners.
So here’s how we’re going to give them away – it’s time for a commenting competition.
Before entering – you need to know that these passes do NOT include travel or accommodation they simply give you free access to the conference once you’re there. Please don’t enter if you’re not willing to cover your other expenses or be there as I’d love for someone to win them that are actually certain to use them!
- In comments below I’d like to invite you to leave a comment telling us why you’d like to attend Blog World Expo in 250 words or less.
- Rick and his team will select two comments that they think are deserving of winning. They’ll judge the winners based on your comments.
- This will run for one week from the time this post goes live. I’ll then close off comments and get Rick to select the winners.
Looking forward to reading your entries and the possibility of meeting you in Vegas later in the year!
update – entries for this competition are now closed and we’ll announce a winner shortly.
I come from an affiliate marketing background and am a full time professional SEO. As such I have developed lots of ‘out of the box’ methods to promote websites as well as structuring marketing campaigns and general online promotion.
My knowledge of blogging is very limited, and I feel the Blog World Expo would give me opportunity to learn how to apply my current skill set in new ways to blogging.
Darren, I am interested in attending Blog World Expo because of several reasons. I have been blogging for almost over a year now and I have grown tremendously. I have been attending other conventions but on the marketing and affiliate marketing side. Attending a Blog Expo would be of great benefits because I would be able to interact with my readers (if I find any). But better yet interact with blog webmaster of blogs I currently read. Blogging has a totally different atmosphere than other conventions, there is more of an intimate conversation and readers/bloggers are not there to market or talk about money. While other conventions seem to try to market their site a Blog Expo is there for mingling among other bloggers without worrying how much one makes from their blog. Also there may not be an ego boosting show as some marketers may put out but just a place to talk on how to better accommodate someone’s blog or just talk about general topics.
Another great reason I would like to go and usually is my goal at any convention is to network. Networking among bloggers can bring great benefits to my blog and even my marketing paths. Since a blog is more of a community than a website, a blogger maybe able to connect me with someone that has a health blog or even a health professional, as I do work out. Networking to me is of most importance because of the ability to get to know more people outside of that 1 person.
My two best reasons for attending are:
1. Different atmosphere
2. No need to ‘ego’ boost
3. Networking
I am definitely a neophyte blogger. My blog at http://www.therestofthedirt.com is only six weeks old. I am encouraged by the results, and believe I have found a niche I am uniquely qualified to fill. I am trying to learn on the run, and provide quality content as I am learning. I desperately need to better understand the dynamics of successful blogging, and where better to learn than an event dedicated to the craft?
I would take full advantage of every minute of the conference, and return home a more knowledgeable blogger, ready to improve my blog, and better serve my readers.
I became a freelance writer at the advanced age of 53. I started blogging at 57. I don’t think blogging has to be a young person’s game. In fact, like the Dennis Hopper changing career commercial suggests, I hope to embark a new, exciting phase of my life, entertaining and informing people who really do want to hear what I have to say.
Vegas and bloggers.
What more could a crazy single mom blogger ask for?
I believe I’ve finally discovered my life’s calling. I think any other passionate blogger or storyteller can understand why. Blogging is changing the way we think, the way we live and the way we exchange and communicate information.
I live in the Midwest, have only actually met other bloggers in the flesh a handful of times… if I could go to BlogWorld, I’d be in heaven.
I’d love to go. Thanks for the chance!
I am new to blogging. I spent many years managing small and large data networks. I took up blogging recently because I really have the desire to meet other people like me and see if I can help them with their blogging. No, I’m not a college student.
Being over 50 and with my technical experience, I want to help others connect to the internet and make friends. From my perspective, many aging baby boomers feel left out concerning the internet. I would love the opportunity to really help people blog and learn how to use the internet and current technology. Think about the potential experiences that could be shared with many people.
Giving back is what I want to do. I would certainly appreciated the opportunity to attend this conference and network with as many bloggers as possible.
Thanks for the opportunity.
I am going to make this short and sweet:
I would like to go to Blog World Expo
Why?
To learn how to become a professional blogger
thank you
B ecause
L inda
O nly
G oes
W hen
O ffered
R ouse’s
L ucky
D raw
I could do haiku,
But I will spare you.
Linda just loses for spelling ProBlogger’s name wrong :-(
Dear Rick, BlogWorldizens & Darren,
I’m on the edge. I’m a feather away from quitting my day job to be a professional new media entrepreneur. So far, I’ve turned 6 diverse blogs into streams of income backed by a mostly-passive on-line business. I can hardly stand it until the day finally arrives that I can jump off of that edge and into the wide river of 100% entrepreneurship based on the power of new media.
I know that full-time effort will lead me toward that six-figure income goal—I can see it! Attending the world’s largest blogging and most influential conference would be beyond exciting. The timing of the 2008 conference would be the catalyst that moves me forward to my dream of going pro. I want to be more!
Please bring me to BlogWorld ‘08. I promise to make the most of it, for myself, and for the others in my immediate network. The basic premise and strength of BlogWorld — and of new media as a whole — is sharing through the compounding power of networking and the exchange of information, so I will be sure to carry that vision forward and share what I gain.
Thank you for offering to help blogger be more connected to your resources!
Warmly,
Deb
http://www.3smartgirlz.com
I don’t have a sad story about my health or finances to persuade you that I “deserve” a pass. But, I would love to win one – would bribery help? Can I send you homemade cookies from scratch? I’ve been blogging for a year, focusing on green and non-toxic solutions for the home, focused on babies and kids. I’d love to go to learn and to network. I know it will take my blogging to the next level. I’ll blog and tweet about it. I’ll also drag my husband, who absolutely refused to attend BlogHer’08 (he commented that he would rather sit on the curb outside the entire time) to Vegas without our kids! Plus, my birthday is just 2 weeks after the conference. Is that a good enough reason?
I would like to attend the Blog World Expo, because I could use this information to grow my web site. For years, I would write my articles in Dreamweaver and upload them to my web site. I would use Blogger to point to links on my web site.
Lately, I have decided to go ahead and take the plunge to write my articles in a blog. This should occur sometime in August or September. Having this opportunity to go to the Blog World Expo would truly help my business, because I plan to add 4 more blogs within the next year.
If I had the money, I would definitely go, since I live in Las Vegas.
Take Care!
As a new blogger, the opportunity to attend the Blog World Expo would help me gain a foundation of knowledge which I could take back and implement on my blog.
This is a great chance to build this foundation by attending the sessions which will be moderated by experts in the blogosphere as well as the opportunity to network with the attendees.
Throughout my career I have run successful projects, products, campaigns and companies but my recent entry into the blogosphere has represented an exciting and interesting challenge where every day I learn more. Every day I continue to be a student of blogging. Being able to attend the Expo would allow me to exponentially increase this knowledge during the 2 days of the expo as well as the long-term benefits of maintaining those relationships which are developed. The biggest mistake which could be made is that someone attends the Expo, with the networking opportunity that it presents, and then does not capitalize on this following the conclusion of the conference. I plan on taking full advantage of the learning and networking opportunities which this conference allows for.
In addition to the above, I would also use to the Expo as my first chance to live-blog an event posting updated information and media throughout the day.
Thank you for the consideration and possible chance to attend the Expo!
-Justin Levy
Rick:
As a consultant to small businesses and a part-time blogger, attending BlogWorld would be a dynamic boost to my knowledge base and my understanding of how to use the newest in powerful social networks.
Networking at BlogWorld would be phenomenal, and I would maximize the chance to meet worldwide leading thinkers, dreamers and get-things-done pros.
If I have extra time, I’ve been wanting to go to the Cirque du Soleil sex show. Have you all seen it? It’s supposed to be all that. Maybe the geek wonderland of the Expo will be sexy enough, but there is no such thing as too much success or too much fun.
Maybe posting twice is cheating but I really do want to go and hope my enthusiasm will show through.
If selected I will approach the conference as a serious student and as a valuable but friendly networker and entry level experienced professional. I have been blogging for years and not until a couple of years ago did I discover that blogging was a valuable business tool and consequential industry. I have now dived into the waters of search engine marketing and blogging with gusto. I have a year and a half of professional experience and in order to gain further experience I have been offering free help in promoting a local musicians and artist performance groups such as Austin’s Hipnautica in order to take them to the next level of success.
If the person you want is a professional businessperson with the ambition, skills and a novice track record of success, who can also offer experienced professionals some interesting and potentially intriguing conversation for new possibilities — than choose me. For though I have the ambition and dedication of any other online professional, I integrate my business side with my unique personality that stands out among the rest. I want to go to the conference so that I may take my own career to the next level. I am the up and coming next Violet Blue of the future… but with less sex :)
The Pussycat Dolls sing a song that says, “When I grow up, I want to be famous.” So maybe that’s superficial, shallow, self-involved and all that jazz, but it’s certainly the reality of our times. People want to be famous.
But when most folks think about fame, they think Hollywood, NBA, NFL and the like.
Sure, that’s changing. Certainly these days we hear about people attaining fame via YouTube or something equally as cutting edge, techno-hip, and geeky (I think we can agree YouTube StarWars boy was at least one of those things). Not that it needs mentioning, but ProBlogger is undoubtedly one such example of said online fame.
So maybe the tide is a-turning in favor of internet-celebrity as a label that is both respected and sought-after. The tide has certainly turned for me. Move over Angelina Jolie and take your AOL account with you. I’m jettisoning my thoughts, ideology, and other important brain matter-fueled musings into the blogosphere.
I am none too proud to admit that I’d like a piece of the internet-fame pie. But wait, it’s not [just] because I’m superficial, shallow, self-involved and all that jazz. No, I really have something important to share.
Maybe even something important enough to inspire change in people, ideas, and actions for the better.
The blogging universe is a big canvas on which to paint ideas that spark more ideas that, themselves, spark action, connection, unlimited possibilities. I am armed with a brush and palette and need direction from the blog-masters at Blog World Expo (the organizers, speakers, and attendees) to complete something amazing… Something with meaning… Something–should the cosmos of the future happen to align in my favor–maybe even [in]famous.
It took me 250+ words to say what Horace Mann said in far fewer: “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for Humanity.”
With much respect to Mr. Mann, that is the least of my aims.
—
As a postscript, I fly for free on a major airline carrier so will have no trouble with travel, et al.