Commentary by blog and social media consultant Josh Hallett on the use of blogs for public relations, media, marketing, communication & branding and from time-to-time the unsolicited opinion.
This is a tough call, because it depends on what you do for a living. The three best *paid* events I went to last year were:
- New Communications Forum
- Gnomedex
- BlogHer
I make the distinction of paid events since there is a bit more of an investment in going to a paid event rather than a local un-conference-type event.
For the past few months I have told anybody I work with in PR that they need to go to New Communications Forum this year. The event is being held March 7-9 in Las Vegas at the Venetian.
All the sessions are great and feature some of the most well-known folks in the PR/social media movement (including some guy named Josh). Like any conference though, the best interaction is during the breaks and dinners...with such a great line-up of folks on hand it's hard not to get something out of it.
The only downside? Deciding between some really great sessions that end up being scheduled opposite of each other.
A few days before BlogHer I did a quick tag search for blogher on Flickr and ended up with around 1700 photos. As of 3:30 PM EST today there are now 3,900 photos. That's 2200 photos in the past four days or 550 photos per day or approx 23 photos per hour. If we figure 600 attendees then there are 3.67 photos per attendee.
In short, it was a great time. It's a well known fact that men are a very small minority at BlogHer. I'm not sure how many men actually attended, but I would venture to guess no more than 30 of 600+ attendees.
The focus of BlogHer is the user. The implications of social media tools are at the forefront, while technology takes a back seat. There is no competition in the room, no egos, just people wanting each other to learn. The only tension perhaps was the overuse of the term 'Mommy Blogger'. At the final session one participant did say something like, "I'm not a mom and I am not married, but I still blog." That statement received a huge response.
In a number of conversations recently I have been asked, "What are the best conferences to learn about blogs and social media?" Previously it has been hard to name more than a few great events. Why? Too often the 'blog' conferences get way to technical for the beginner. For example this year I have attended: New Communications Forum, Syndicate NY, Gnomedex and BlogHer
At this point, if asked again, "What is the best conferences to learn about blogs and social media?" I would say BlogHer.
Sure with BlogHer there is an overarching women's theme, but some of the sessions didn't really heavily involve women's issues. For example the sessions I attended all focused on the use of the format and how it's impacting society and business. These included:
The Next Martha Stewart - This was a discussion of how individuals can build their own brand with blogs and other social media. Of course the panel were all women, but the basic principles apply to anybody.
Business Blog Case Studies - This session reviewed a number of business blogs (some successful, some failures) and then opened up to be a group discussion of best practices from a business standpoint. Once again, it was not a women-specific topic.
Political Blogs - This session looked at how both national and local politics are being impacted by blogs and citizen's journalism. Same as before...not overly female specific, but just a good discussion of the topic.
When you become too involved in the development side of things you sometimes lose sight of those using the tools. This can range from the bloggers themselves to the consumers of the content. BlogHer brings things back to balance and opens your eyes to the limitations and potential of social media.
I had a blast and thank Toby and Marianne for convincing me to go.
Elisa Camahort at BlogHer:
Blogging is the gateway drug to technology.
Dave agrees.
Andrea Scher on one of the principles of her blog:
I try to provide people something of substance even if they're not interested in buying my jewelry.
