For an aspiring writer or a travel blogger looking to hone his or her skills, a travel conference or tradeshow can be a vital tool. For travel bloggers, the TBEX conference is one way to meet others in the industry and learn from those who had found success. This year’s TBEX, held in Vancouver, was a mixed bag for many. Some people complained about logistical issues and a lack of depth in the conference sessions, while others raved about the execution and picked up new ideas from the presentations. Among those that stood out were sessions on SEO, how to add more research and depth to your blog posts and how to improve your writing, including how to avoid common travel writing cliches and lazy language.
For some the most important lesson of all the things to learn from TBEX was about the importance of networking. The conference sessions are important, but what many attendees (of any conference) find is that the true value of the admission can be found in the hallways, at social events, and over coffee. This is where people could ask questions of people they admired, find people who were also writing in their niche, and trade ideas about what works and what doesn’t. Panels presentations may offer tips and ideas, but talking to others in the same world can help you figure out how to make those ideas work for you.
If you missed out on TBEX this year, consider making plans for the 2012 event in Keystone, Colorado. Tickets are on sale now, and event organizers promise that the resorts will be offering significant discounts on lodging for attendees. It’s also easier to find cheap flights to Denver than it is to Vancouver, so this should make for a more affordable event overall than it’s 2010 counterpart. And if you’re serious about travel blogging, the investment can be well worth the cost.
Perhaps they should set up a pod cast for the people who are living in another country and can\’t make it. I’m just new to the blogging scene and looking for ways to improve my photoblog.