I had a wonderful time at Blogher.  Meeting other bloggers and PR reps, attending events, and being able to talk to others about something I am passionate about was a heady experience.  Before I left I asked for advice from previous Blogher attendees, I received some good tips but there’s more I wish I had known.  For anyone thinking about attending Blogher in Chicago next year, here’s some things to keep in mind before you go.

Brett from This Mama Loves Her Bargains, Carla from Porter Novelli and me at the Quilted Northern Booth.

1. Wear Comfortable Shoes.
If you attend events hosted by other companies you’ll spend a lot of time walking. Although some of the events are near the hotel, others aren’t. Finding your feet covered in bloody, oozing blisters is not only painful but kind of gross.

“Adonis” and me (with uncomfortable shoes)  at the Rickland Orchards booth.
2. Take Plenty of Business Cards, a Pen, and a Business Card Folder to Store Contacts.
You’ll swap a lot of business cards with PR reps, drop a lot into fishbowls for a chance to win prizes,  and exchange cards with other bloggers. Several of my friends brought a small supply and ran out before the conference was over.  Also, when you exchange cards with a PR rep, write down the product they represent on their card.  After you meet 300+ PR reps the products run together.

Some of the New Christmas Offerings shown at the Hallmark Suite.
3. Make A Schedule Before You Attend.
Plan what events you want to attend, what sessions you want to attend, etc.  Write down the times, dates, places and addresses in a small notepad or on your phone to carry with you.  Print your tickets for events before you leave home and keep them with your schedule.  (I learned this the hard way when my name, along with several other peoples’, had been left off an event list.  I couldn’t find my confirmation email and couldn’t attend. )

With the Milk Man at the “Got Milk?” Booth.  He was from Georgia too!

4. Arrive Early for Sessions You Want to Attend.
With 5000 attendees, the seats fill up fast. Almost everyone I spoke to at the conference had not been able to attend a session because the rooms were full when they arrived.

Enjoying frozen yogurt and goodies at the  Sweet Suite. The Fro-Yo workers asked us, “Are all of you bloggers???”
5. Plan Plenty of Time to Find Where the Meetings Will Be Held.
I attended a Texas Instruments nSpire breakfast and thought it would be easy to find. After giving the name of the event, along with the room number,  to three hotel employees, all of whom sent me to different places, I found one person who told me where the event was being held. It was a wake up call to be sure I knew where I was supposed to go!

The newest offerings from Power Rangers, sure to delight the Nine Year Old.
6. Ask for Coupons instead of Product.
By Saturday I was turning down products I knew I wouldn’t be able to carry home with me, along with anything perishable. Instead, I began to ask the food companies if they had coupons for a free product I could use when I arrived home. Many of the food companies were more than happy to supply coupons to try their products.

At the National Geographic Tea held at Sara Beth’s Central Park.
7. Take an Extra Suitcase.
I packed my clothes inside a small suitcase. Then, I packed this suitcase inside a larger one. I used this suitcase to carry home part of my swag. It was much cheaper than the shipping prices.

Macaroons served at the Dermologica Event. Food, Facials, and Manicures-what more could we want?
8. Don’t be afraid to Talk to PR Reps and Other Bloggers.
Blogher is overwhelming. There’s so much going on, so many people lots of crowds. Many of the bloggers seem to know each other and form small groups. It can be intimidating.  I made a goal of trying to talk to a certain amount of new people a day. I might not have said more than “Hi” sometimes, but I also met some interesting people.

Some of the cute Christmas ideas we learned how to make at the Hallmark Suite.
9. Stay at the Hotel Where the Conference is Being Held, if possible.
Several of us stayed with a friend at her home during Blogher to cut down on expenses. The problem? We had several heavy  bags of swag to carry around before the end of the day. We weren’t allowed to access the car in the parking garage to deposit our things. We couldn’t change clothes before the evening activities like most of the conference attendees.  By the end of each day we were hot, sticky, tired and sore.

10.  Try To Take a Break and Do Something Fun with Your Friends.
The conference can be stressful and you’ll probably need a break. We visited China Town and Little Italy. Plus, since it was my first visit to New York, my friends thought it would be nice for me to have my pictures made with certain NYC icons, like construction workers, police, and a businessman. (Imagine his surprise!) Those moments were one of the highlights of my trip.

These poor surprised Police were very nice about having their picture made with me.

I loved attending Blogher and would definitely attend again. Next time, I’ll be prepared.