To cut a long story is: I’m not going. I don’t think.
{Anyone who has no idea what a BlogHer conference is can follow the link I left yesterday. Or not. Up to you. Or your could look at the lovely money box below before departing.}
This sticks in my craw a bit because I am rather a goal-orientated person and when last year’s conference was over I swore to myself I’d go in ‘09 and left dozens of comments on the blogs of friends and idols saying, “Great you had a great time! See you next year! We’ll party!” (or something like that). It was at this time I became very interested in the above money box. It is Adam’s, he’s had it for years, but all that’s ever gone in there was piffling 5 cent coins, or bits of lint, or jigsaw puzzle pieces the kids thought would be funny to try seeing if they fit.
I took this baby, called it mine, and ever since, every day (well, most), have put in a gold coin.
This baby now weighs close to six kilos. I have no idea how much money is in there. It’s probably a lot, but nowhere near where it has to be. In order to get to this conference I need a return ticket to Chicago, a conference pass, plus accomodation. Plus money for incidentals (read: DUTY FREE WHISKY). Throw in the fact that our dollar is worth only about 66 cents US, that is where reality starts to sink in. Even when we had that lovely period last year when it was worth about 90 cents US it wasn’t much of a consolation. The whole thing is bloody expensive. Period.
So I vent my frustration on Twitter and people suggest that why don’t I try to get a sponsor? I have no problems at all with sponsorship generally - heck, I’ve even helped out one of my favourite all time bloggers who’s trying to get there. I just I have a problem soliciting it for myself.
Call it shyness, call it fear, call it a lack of self-confidence: I don’t know. Throw in a good dose of I-don’t-even-know-where-to-try-or-begin-with-corporate-sponsorship because, um, blogging in Australia? Not a huge deal yet, really. The newspapers are only just starting to talk about Twitter and it’s in a GUESS WHICH CELEBRITY TWEETS!? and the rest of us are like, fucking duh we’ve been following Stephen Fry for months.
I’m coming to the end of my little story. It’s not a pretty one, alas. Nor an important one, I suppose, in the grand scheme of life. It means, I think, having to suck up any disappointment for another year and at the end of July I’ll be writing in comments sections again, “Great you had a great time! See you next year! We’ll party!”
Thats if the money box gets any fuller. Or if it doesn’t disappear entirely.
You see, Adam’s taken it back off me. He smells opportunity. Apparently it’s his “New Computer Fund.”
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
I think every time you let the fear and shyness grip you in relation to seeking out sponsorships you CAN get, you make the business of women in blogging more difficult for the rest of us. Men don’t have this fear! Why should we let it grip us?
Contact a smallish company you love. Tell them you’re offering ad space in exchange for a partial blogger sponsorship. Tell them how much you want, and what you’ll give in exchange. Rinse and repeat until you’ve got enough yesses to go.
Easy.
I think you’ll be missed there if you didn’t go.
Jean-Luc Picard’s last blog post..Enterprise Infiltration By Section 31 (Part One)
Amber, you make a good point. Perhaps it’s also a case – if I’m honest – of wondering if I really want to go that badly. Because it is one massive expedition to go over there. I need to be 100% sure.
How about hosting a conference here in Oz and see how it goes -with foibles, errors, likes/dislikes – then you’ll have something to take with you to BlogHer, a yard stick for comparison and differences to discuss?
Jayne’s last blog post..Tuesday Tickles Trivial March 3 History
I know what you mean about self promoting, it is so hard to do even when you know you are worth it. Maybe you could try and get sponsorship, even if it is for next year and not this one.
I love Jayne’s suggestion. Let’s all get together here. A conference would be great, but any sort of get-together to meet would be wonderful. Maybe a meal in at Fed Square and make the most of the wi-fi connection there. If it was timed correctly, we could follow on the live feed and pretend we were there!
Perhaps after a few drinks we can all work together on a strategy to get you to BlogHer as our representitive next year?
del’s last blog post..Random Time Wasting Adventures of a 7 Year Old Boy
Yes, an Aussie-style BlogHer sounds like a wonderful idea.
Who’ll be in that?
Say aye!
Let’s talk: who would you maybe like to see speak? Or at the very least have the chance to meet?
AYE!
Hmmm who’d I like to meet?
The list is too long!
There’s yourself, Karen, Mz Kelley of the killer heels, and a shed-load of gals from my blogroll lol.
Oooooooo I could drag my Feral Queen daughter along to get her into blogging!
Jayne’s last blog post..Tuesday Tickles Trivial March 3 History
I am sorry you aren’t going Karen, I myself would love to go also but alas the lack of funds and having a newborn at the time kinda puts a stop to it.
I agree with you though, finding sponsorship would be hard as blogging is not such a big deal over here yet.
Depending how things are going personally, I would love to have an Aussie style BlogHer conference.
nellbe’s last blog post..17 weeks pregnant
Whoops, I won’t have a newborn I will be 8 months pregnant. I thought the conference was in September for some reason.
It being in July and if we have one that conicides with the USA one then there is a greater chance of me being there.
nellbe’s last blog post..17 weeks pregnant
I’d love to go to Blogher too. Not going to happen.
I think an Aussie Blogher sounds like a fabulous idea! I’m in.
tiff’s last blog post..Messy!
A think a blogging conference here would be great. Issues to examine:
Would it be for women only? I think that would be better if it was.
Suggested speaker: Darren Rouse from Problogger
Heather Armstrong from Dooce – is pregnant so would not likely come? However due to her high profile there would be great potential for sponsorship who would pay to bring her out and/or arranging a lunch (other than the conference) where non bloggers could hear her speak (and would charge for people to come).
Dr Alex Bruns – from Queensland Uni of Tech he has written books on blogging.
Karen Cheng – someone might sponsor her or she may agree to speak for free.
Mia Freeman – a blogger and media personality
Minister for Women – Tanya Plibersek or the equivalent State Minister.
Also I would like to hear from a mummy blogger who is managing to make money from their blog.
A PR person on how they use blogs to promote products.
I think there are heaps of potential speakers or people that could chair panels, as there are so many types of blogs.
Due to economic downturn I think sponsorship could be an issue. However I think it could be doable. Also asking Govt for a grant from the Dept of Women would be something to consider. People can always say no.
This has been an issue that has been banging around in my brain for a couple of weeks.
If people are interested I would be happy to go on some organising committee to examine the potential of having a conference her in Aust. How many people do you think would be interested in attending?
Sorry about the rave.
Don’t be sorry – great ideas there.
It’s hard to know what kind of position to strike *IF* something were able to be put together. For the 1st time it might need to be more relaxed? Or not? Would people rather just have drinks and mingle or would they want to listen to speakers?
I think there would be a lot of interest. Whether that interest can be converted into attendees is another question.
I am happy to brainstorm. I suppose it does depend on attendees…. You could have a bit of both. A keynote speaker, and then maybe break up into smaller groups depending on blogging genre.
Then drinks and mingling perhaps?
If it is drinks and mingling it is a bloggers meetup (which is not a negative thing), much easier to organise. But it is not a conference. I suspect it would be easier to hold on a weekend.
Since you seem to have received ample advice on how to get to BlogHer, or make an Aussie version, I’ll cut to the important aspect. Get your gold coins out of that can before Adam takes it back!
Janet’s last blog post..Bits and Pieces for a Rainy Thursday
It would appear that if you lived in the US you could go to blogging conferences all the time. Here is another female one. This one appears to have a much more feminist perspective, which I love, but may not be for everyone.
http://www.centerfornewwords.org/wam/presenters_sessions.php
Totally up for an Aussie Blogher kind of thing…
I think the fact that blogging in Aus is just in the beginnings of becoming ‘big business’ that now would be the time to jump on this chance and start this up….
And yes I totally agree.. grab that money box now… at the very least you deserve to spend that money on retail therapy to make you feel better for not going!!!
At the moment there’s a kind of standoff as far as that tin is concerned.
I’d love to hear more ideas on potential women speakers you’d like to hear!
I’m really excited about the idea of an Aussie BlogHer style conference.
Marita’s last blog post..Busy Weekdays
I have no idea on names but I can tell you the kind of things I’d like to hear about…
- how to balance working/blogging from home and children/family
- social media, how to balance it all and make it work for me
- how to market me… I find that hard since especially for my ‘Mum Blog’
Um I am sure I can think of more if that helps any
Thanks Kate.
Don’t stop though guys!
Jumping on this post a little late but I think the idea of an Aussie Blogher is great! I’m in
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