SNAP Conference and Queen Bee Market 2013 at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, Utah was packed full of information, fun, fantastic sponsors and crafty bloggers. Here are some of my tips to make it great…
That’s a LOT of hot air, Amy!
Tip #10: Stay at the hotel with other bloggers, even if you don’t know them. I knew two of our six roomies, so at least I was pretty sure I’d wake up the next morning ;) Staying at/near the conference location gives you more opportunity to meet and mingle with others, talk about and share what you know, cuts down on travel time (although it also cuts down on sleep time), and saves gas. See, it’s earth-friendly to stay at the hotel!
Seeing old friends and meeting new ones!
Tip #9: Make it a point to meet new people! I had met Pink Cake Plate (the cutie with the glasses) briefly at a previous blog event then met her photo bombing roomie and Treasured by Holly as I walked to other open-doored rooms with a box of Station 13 Texas Donuts. If you want to make friends fast, share donuts.
Springhill Suites let us decorate our doors using safe and approved 3M sticky stuff.
Tip #8: Come up with a reason to talk to people. Our idea was to make our door decorating contest interactive. When we met new people, we asked them to come sign our door and leave their business card so we, and other attendees, could get to know them. At least it was an excuse to talk to someone. We LOVED the interaction and visitors to our room/door!
Brooke and her hubby did an amazing job teaching us how to reupholster a chair.
Tip #7: Ask questions you think others would want to know when the instructor(s) are talking about that subject (instead of asking questions that will probably be addressed later in the presentation/lesson, which can throw off the class)… especially if you ask the kind of questions like mine. What can I say? I have a knack for questions. If you have a specific-to-you question, write it down and ask the instructor(s) at the end of class or email them soon after. Brooke and her hubby from All Things Thrifty did a wonderful job explaining their reupholstery process!
I didn’t look close enough at this package of not Bleu cheese :D
Tip #6: Know when and what foods will be provided and plan for drinks and snacks so you have enough fuel to carry you through all the fun you’ll be having. Our hotel, Springhill Suites in Lehi, provided a complementary Continental Breakfast every morning. However, the packed hotel made for a packed breakfast area so we walked across the parking area to the deli at Thanksgiving Point for steel-cut oatmeal with fresh fruit and breakfast bagels in a spacious and vacant seating area. They also had coffee, tea, and other beverages (pebble ice!) for those needing their caffeine kick ;) I also brought fresh-cut veggies, cheese, and fruit for mid-day snacks and kept them in the hotel room’s mini-fridge. If you don’t have a mini-fridge in your hotel, I recommend buying a plug-in cooler like truckers use (it plugs into the car cigarette lighter and a wall outlet). I bought ours at Walmart years ago for about $50.
Watch out if Brassy Apple is hungry, she just might munch on your Trinkets and Butterflies earrings.
Tip #5: If there is a place for shopping (like the Queen Bee Market, with loads of handmade vendors), budget to buy yourself or loved ones a little somethin’ somethin’. I lucked out with those green Trinkets and Butterflies earrings that Megan wanted to eat then ran out of money when I wanted some potently delicious Rosemary & Mint soap from Karol’s Handmade Soap, a Brush Your Teeth sign from Evie Ivy, and a cute fox purse (for my daughter, shh). I DID get their cards and will be hitting up their websites, but I’ll get stuck with paying shipping because I didn’t budget for more.
We got to try out new-to-us product, like this Flora Craft smooth finish (these are styrofoam that look like wood – great for kids bedrooms, especially the walls above their beds).
Tip #4: Take advantage of the wealth of knowledge at your blogging conference. Sponsors, vendors, and speakers are there to share their love of their product/knowledge. Ryobi was there with tools we could try out safely and ask experts how to use them (I found out our drill has a clutch… what?!?)
While we’re listening and learning at Snap Conference, we are also spreading it via social media.
Tip #3: Keep track of all the hashtags, Twitter handles, and website names so you can pimp out things you learn. We had a #snapsnippets hashtag on Instagram that kept us plugged into each other as we were spread out across the conference grounds at Thanksgiving Point.
This guy, Bruce Johnson of Minwax, KNOWS all about staining, protecting, and refurbishing wood.
Tip #2: Sit in a spot that’s best for your learning. For Bruce Johnson’s Minwax presentation, Kaylynn and I chose front-and-center so we could not only hear what he was talking about but see and touch the demo products. And if I were sitting further away, I wouldn’t have gotten this great pic of him with my iPhone! In other classes in this theater room that used microphones and Power Point presentations, I sat up higher and in the middle so I could get clearer pictures of the screen.
Becki of Whippy Cake gave me great styling tips for my ‘do, but she’s got even more info regarding fashion, image, and make-up through her site and with one-on-one styling.
Blogging conferences offer opportunities to get to know people on a personal level, too. One night I happened upon a couple attendees that are frustrated with their health. Sharing my experience with them gave them hope that they’ll feel better and get the relief they have been needing for a long, long time. #healthproblemssuck
Treasured by Holly, yours truly, and Trinkets and Butterflies at the very last minute of SNAP Conference
Tip #1: Be open, meet people, introduce yourself to those you’re sitting near, talk to strangers, offer your assistance, be real and honest, and expect the unexpected. Okay, those are all lumped together but they’re part of the same theory. Big conferences can be intimidating and cause anxiety, especially if you’re not used to them. Even though I am pretty outgoing, I still have moments where I wonder if I sound like a dork, if my breath stinks, or what I’m saying doesn’t make sense. But more than likely others feel the same way and won’t notice those things and will appreciate your friendliness.
If I had a gajillion dollars, I’d attend every blog conference that’s put on. Because I have the opposite of a gajillion dollars, I try to make the best of the events I attend, hoping to gain knowledge to improve and experience that will last. Meeting new friends is like having a gajillion dollars!
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