The BlogWorld and New Media Expo is a wonderful celebration of networking and learning, a place where bloggers can talk about their favorite topic and know others will get it. Not all who are feeling the love can attend conferences, however. For many the airfare, lodgings fees, entry and other expenses are out of reach. That doesn’t mean those who can’t attend won’t be able to live vicariously via those who made it. Below are a few ways one can enjoy BlogWorld in spirit.
1. Twitter – When Blogworld is on, folks are a-tweeting. Keep an eye on the hashtag #BWE09 and your Tweet Deck will ping so many times your roommates will ask you to turn down the sound. Receive quotes from sessions, vendor info, links to TwitPics and general updates from the conference floor and the latest parties. Twitter is the next best thing to being there.
2. Blogs – Set your Google Alerts and bookmark Google Blog Search, because there will be so many bloggers blogging about the BlogWorld experience you won’t be able to keep up. I especially love reading the takeaways and after-session analysis. Many of the bloggers also took pictures of their experiences and share that as well.
3. Podcasts – Many podcasters conduct interviews at BlogWorld. Some online radio networks have booths, while others walk the floor asking for commentary. This is one of the best ways to feel the excitement of BlogWorld and touch on what is going on.
4. Flickr – Lots of Flickr steams will be updated during and after BlogWorld. I enjoy looking at Flickr streams from BlogWorld especially for the candid shots. Seeing bloggers away from their laptops and interacting in person is a real treat. It also shows the power of using social media to leverage face to face coversations.
5. YouTube – There were so many people carrying Flip video cameras at BlogWorld last year, someone I spoke with thought they were being given away as swag. No one was so generous, but every time I turned around someone else was being interviewed on video. Just about all of these videos are still available via YouTube – and are still a wealth of information today.
Recent Comments