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Friday, April 6, 2012

DPCON12 - Losing my Blog Conference Cherry

I know it's late in coming but I've been thinking about writing about DPCON12 for days.  Then I keep reading everybody else's posts on the conference and getting distracted.  They're so good, damn them!

But bugger it, I'll give it a good, hot go!

This was my first blogger's conference and I felt a little freaked out, just quietly.  From the Pre-Conference Drinks at the Melbourne Wine Bar to the Dinner at the Sebel, I was spinning out all the way through.  I had borrowed an iPad from work and between that, my iPhone and paper and pen, I attempted to take on the facade of a real blogger.  After a short time, though, I just sat and listened (and now know from Valerie Khoo in the writer's workshop that I've used far too many 'I's in this paragraph already).

And I learnt stuff!

I learnt that

  • if you work out who you're writing for, you'll have more of a chance at pitching something worth paying for.
  • if you just want to blog about your family and silly stuff, you can - it's your blog.
  • if you want to get a larger following, write what other people want to read but keep your integrity or readers will turn off.
  • if you write a sponsored post make it clear in the post that it is - and tell the truth (I like to go by my Mum's old adage "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all").
  • you can use your blog to do some good in the world - find a passion and blog the hell out of it! Read Edenland for inspiration (if you didn't know it already, she's the awesome blogger World Vision sent to Niger to report back about the devastation that's happening there you won't hear about on the six o'clock news). Also read Problogger Darren Rowse - he has a wonderful story and all you need to know about social media for social good.
  • Digital Parents' bloggers are a hugely diverse and strong and fascinating bunch of ladies (oops and men, there were a couple - which reminds me, what a happy man Reservoir Dad was! Dancing amongst dozens of women, what my husband wouldn't have given to be him Friday night!).
  • Brenda Gaddi (who is Digital Parents) is one amazing woman. Along with her posse it was an incredible event she put together and it ran like clockwork (well from my view anyway).  I've organised a few conferences in my previous life in the corporate world and I know how difficult it is to pull this off successfully - and she did it.  Gotta love that chick!

And to the ladies of the Boozy Lounge - I salute you for fighting the good fight and attempting to finish every bottle of wine we could find at the Sebel (thankyou also to the very patient Sebel 'ushers' who ushered us from one lounge to another as we were too noisy). Thankyou to my DPCON12 buddy Martine from The Modern Parent for looking after me after I had an episode of feeling a little lost and having to go to the loo to slap myself and tell myself to harden up.

I made a friend with the wonderful Lee from Mummy Issues Part 2 , the last to leave with me and a big admiring Hello to Lani from Missy Boo who missed her plane home in the morning because of the Boozy Lounge. 

I took a few photos but I better get permission from those involved before publishing some of them (watch this space ladies! and I mean you freerangeShae and ParentalParody!).

The rest of the weekend was spent with my bestie shopping in the markets and in Chapel St.  We also spent Saturday night bar hopping in St Kilda which, though fun, made me feel that little bit older than I did last time I had bar-hopped.  I felt like I was somebody's mother looking for their daughter in a nightclub (which I most probably will be doing in about 4 years - OMG!).  And even though their dog ate a huge hole in my Friday night white dress, I thank her for a lovely weekend of being looked after and having lots of laughs. That dress was shitting me anyway with it's stupid shoulder straps falling off all the time.

My bag was so stacked with freebies from the conference I had my shoe sticking out the top. The air steward couldn't close the luggage compartment above us and had to enlist the help of Don Burke who was sitting across the aisle and asked if I wanted him to jump on my luggage! No really, what a Burke!

There's so much more I could say about the weekend but as it's taken a week for me to write this, I better just dribble it out in other posts over the coming weeks.  Before I know it will be time for Blogopolis 2012 - and I'm going!!!!  And as it's in Sydney I don't have to go on that big scary metal bird for it, yay too even!

p.s. whoever belongs to these suspect items left in the Boozy Lounge please let me know if you would like me to return them as my husband would like to keep them to replace their missing soccer award, The Clarence Award (named after the gay bar in Parramatta Road).

6 comments:

  1. Melbourne. I love it! I used to be so very Sydney is the best and Melbourne sucks, but then I actually went there and found out I love it. Chapel street, St.Kilda sounds like the entire trip was great!

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  2. I love your blogs and I am hoping that being informed on what is good blogging won't change that uniqueness of your posts.

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  3. Absolute pleasure to hold up the bar with you! Repeat at Blogopolis???

    Great summary of the key learnings too.

    xx

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  4. Freak outs are the norm at these events!
    Glad you loved your first!! :)

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  5. They can be so overwhelming sometimes can't they? I think I'm still recovering from the minimal sleep and hoovering my way through all the food and beverages on offer!

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  6. Awww, thanks for the kind words, Becci.xx

    And, I'm glad you had an awesome aka boozy time at the conference. hehe.

    PS. Those lost items may be from the Photobooth people. Perhaps contact Melissa of KleenexMums?

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