1). The Geek Love
There is a different feeling at BlueGlass conferences and it is hard to describe. “Geek Love” seems to do it best for me. I play around on Twitter and can be as goofy as the next person, but the reality is that I am very observant person (mental health counseling education may have contributed). I have attended other conferences and it irritated me greatly that I took the time and money to attend to only be treated like dirt under someone’s shoe. In this economy conference attendees should be treated darn well.
When it comes to BlueGlass I will tell you that they treat everyone well, everyone equal and you don’t have the stuck up behavior I have seen elsewhere. Additionally, there are the people that attend – geeks like you. You will be able to attend sessions and hang out with people that actually know what you are talking about and they will appreciate the geekness that is you! There is nothing better than that. So, the #1 reason to go is to hang out with the industry’s best, actually get to have conversations with them, hang out with other geeks and be treated with kindness and respect.
2). Usable and Intelligent Information
BlueGlass chooses speakers that offer you true usable information that you can take back to the office and use. You can’t beat that! If you look at the speaker list and agenda you will see experts that:
- Tens of thousands of people follow for advice on how to do well online.
- Have succeeded in creating online greatness.
- Are founders, presidents and CEO’s of some of the best known companies in the world.
- Are famous bloggers and genius bloggers you may not have heard of.
- Are people that you need to hear speak to truly appreciate, like Brian Chappell! I love listening to him.
When you attend, because I know you will after reading this, be ready to type fast! Get a hand massage ahead of time because you will need to take/type notes in a massive way. Real. Usable. Information. (ßSee BlueGlass? Observant I am!)
3). Expand Your Twitter Following
With live tweets that are informative and helpful you can expand your Twitter following. When I attended the conference in May we were all tweeting about what was being said, important statements and we were even asking each other for help, like, “What was the last sentence on that slide?” We developed friendships through Twitter and gained followers from those that were not attending, but wanted to keep up.
Just a funny aside, Joshua Titsworth tweeted that I was shorter than he expected. I will never forget that; it was funny and weird. He is someone I consider a close friend now. We discussed the tweet, hung out, met each other’s spouses and became friends. Expanding your Twitter visibility is a huge bonus of attending BlueGlass Florida 2010.
4). Friendships and Business Contacts That Last
Because you are hanging with a smaller amount of attendees that are more focused on what you do there is an automatic feeling of friendship and/or acceptance. These people understand what you do, the challenges you face and they can become great friends and business contacts. I refer work to people and have work referred to me. That alone makes it worth it.
5). Dude, it is Affordable and a Tax Deduction!
The tickets at full price are great deal, but right now there are many discount codes available to save 15%. There is also a Blue Glass contest to win free tickets and SEOmoz Pro Members can win a ticket.
The hotel room is also very affordable and all of your costs are a tax deduction. So, for under $1,000 you get a conference, hotel room, a plane ticket, Geek Love, usable information, friendship, business contacts and possibly more visibility on Twitter. You cannot go wrong and you must attend. However, there are only so many tickets so if you want to go now is the time to register! Don’t forget to look for the discount codes.
3 Quick Tips for Blue Glass Florida
If you want to meet someone that you follow on Twitter do your research. Don’t just look at the Twitter avatar because people use old pictures and they often look different. Google or Facebook them and get a feel for what they really look like so you are not surprised. AT SMX East 2008 Lisa Barone walked up to Jim Hedger and I and I had no clue who she was because in her pictures she looked older (this was before DailyBooth). In front of me she looked like a teenager in jeans and tennis shoes…still mad about that one. So, do you research and perhaps create a “meet list”.
Consider getting a t-shirt made of your Twitter handle or your company name or both. I have company shirts, Twitter shirts and more. T-shirts are an easy and affordable way for people to recognize you and remember your name! In my opinion the company shirt has replaced the need for business cards in many cases.
Take the time to meet the BlueGlass team members. Just walk up and say “hi”. They are great people and people you want to know if you hope to do well in this industry.
