The Conference Effect
I am here in Charlotte at the Family Travel for Real Life Conference where I am speaking about various topics including adventure travel, voluntourism and immersive travel. I will post the presentation here during the next day or two.
Whenever I come to a meeting of fellow miles/points/family travel fanatics, I am reminded just how great it is. My wife is tired of hearing about these topics, but at a conference like this if full of interesting people just like myself. (Ok, they are actually a lot more interesting than me!)
Networking & More
Conferences like these are a fantastic way to network. Not only is it fun to talk about a wide array of topics with likeminded people, but it is also a great way to learn. Everyone has their own little way of doing things and I guarantee you will hear great nuggets of information.
Sometimes what you hear completes a puzzle you have been trying to solve. Other times you will find out about techniques and strategies that will blow your mind. This crowd loves to talk, so be prepared to share, but also make sure you listen.
Which Conference?
I’m not here to endorse one conference or another, but I suggest choosing one where you can meet your favorite bloggers. Speaking of that, why aren’t you here in Charlotte to meet me?
The presentations at most conferences are generally very good. Usually you will learn one or two new things, although a lot of what is presented is already on blogs. That is why I love smaller conferences like FT4RL where speakers talk about different and unique topics.
Conclusion
I always forget how much I love these shindigs until I am at one. Today I am hearing speakers talk about an array of amazing topics. I’ll debrief later, but I have already heard and learned a lot of new things and the day has just begun. Have a great weekend!
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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Hey Shawn and Everyone. I’m still pretty knew to this wonderful hobby and yet to attend my first conference. I was wondering if any of you knew of a comprehensive list of all the conferences online somewhere, with good descriptions of each one. Also, is there any conference or three in particular you would recommend for first-time attendees? Thanks.
[…] a few times over the past couple of days, I was lucky enough to attend and speak at the second Family Travel for Real Life 2 conference this past weekend. I thought it might be a good idea to post my thoughts on the […]
[…] a fantastic day at Family Travel for Real Life, a great dinner and a group podcasting session (more on that later), it was time to head to my […]
other than the social aspect, everything can be learn through reading BA everyday
@Choi – Depends what you call the social aspect. But I’d say if you think *everything* can be learned through reading BA everyday, you are missing out. Not everything is posted on blogs.
I for one am sorry I missed FT4RL – was all set to go until this snow wrangled plans on me.
hey, you have at least one subscriber here to meet you
Nice meeting you. I’m so glad you were able to come!
So happy to have met you! yours is one of my top 3 favorite blogs so thank you! This conference is getting my feet wet and makes me really look forward to future conferences 🙂
If I had known you were taking my picture, I’d have leaned forward so you could get my blog logo in, for some free advertising… 😀