A big part of my success as a blogger comes from networking with other like minded people. The old saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” really is true. I attend a ton of industry related events not so much for the knowledge these events offer. I attend so I can meet and network with the top people in the industry. If you’re really serious about making money online, then you need to get out there and network. Here are the events I’ll be at in the next few months. I hope to meet you at a few of them.
July 29: Vancouver Bloggers Meetup
I’ve attended a few of these in the past and the mixture of people was enough to make it wroth my while. The Vancouver Blogger Meetup takes place at the The Black Water Cafe on 280 Carrall Sttreet, Vancouver. Start time is 7PM and cost is $1.50. What the $1.50 covers, I’m not really sure. RVSP for the event here.
August 10-12: Affiliate Summit East
The eastern leg of the Affiliate Summit takes place in Boston at the Boston Seaport Hotel. The Affiliate Summit is the biggest affiliate marketing show in the world, attracting over 4,000 attendees. Not only can you meet a bunch of affiliate networks but you’ll be able to network with some of the biggest affiliate marketers in the world.
Cost of the Affiliate Summit range from $199 for a exhibit hall pass to $1,449 for a full conference pass. If you can get a group of five or more together, you can save some money. I plan to stay in Boston for a few extra days to check out the sites and kill some lobsters.
September 11-13: IZEAFest
IZEAFest takes place in sunny Orlando Florida at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. The event caters to bloggers and includes a first rate list of speakers. Myself and Shoemoney are both speaking at IZEAFest.
The best part about IZEAFest is the price. It’s only $65 for the entire three days. Give them $85 and they’ll toss in tickets for a blogger takeover day at Universal Orlando. In terms of bang for the buck, it doesn’t get much better than IZEAFest.
September 20-21: Blog World Expo
If you’re a blogger and can only attend one big event each year, then Blog World Expo is your best bet. Taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Blog World Expo is the ultimate place to learn about blogging and network with other bloggers.
Tomorrow is the last day for early bird pricing. An exhibit only pass cost $75 ($150 if you want to attend the opening night party) and a full access pass cost $300.
I will be speaking on two panels at Blog World Expo. One with Zac Johnson and one with Rick Calvert, the founder of Blog World Expo.
How To Attend The Major Shows for Free
Not everyone can pay $300 to attend a Blog World Expo or $1,449 to attend an Affiliate Summit. Once you add in the cost of travel and hotel, the cost of attending a major trade show could top many thousands of dollars. However, there is a way to get into most major trade shows for free.
Apply for a Media Pass.
If your blog is big enough, you may qualify for a media pass which will grant you full access to the show at zero cost. That could add up to a significant saving. Both Affiliate Summit and Blog World Expo offer free passes to media that meet their requirements. What are those requirements? Generally, your blog topic needs to be along the same theme as the trade show and your blog needs to have “significant” readership.
How many readers does it take to have significant readership? That’s up to the sole discretion of show management. Your best bet is to just apply for the media pass. The worst thing that can happen is they say no. You can still get a normal pass if they say no. However, they might say yes.