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As a quiet person, going out of my way to socialize is not something that I usually do. As a new blogger who wants to make something out of herself, I made the decision to sign up for a travel conference. Last year, shortly after starting my blog, I bought a ticket to Women in Travel Summit (WITS).
Women in Travel Summit is a travel conference put on by Wanderful. The conference brings together amazing and inspiring women from all over the world to a single location. They all have one thing in common: travel. I met other bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, freelance writers, travel agents, and more. We were able to meet with brands looking to partner with influencers, and with people who could potentially become mentors. I also made some new friends who I cannot wait to see again next year (or maybe sooner)!
I am happy that I decided to attend WITS. It gave me knowledge, confidence, and connections in the travel world that I would not have had otherwise. I am so ready to put forth my new skills and become a better blogger.
I could have written about WITS and everything it is about, but because you can find that information online, I thought I would share my first-time travel conference experience. As an introvert, things like conferences can be exhausting. Honestly, they can be exhausting for extroverts, too. As something of an expert in the art of taking time for myself, I decided to share some of my tips for those of you who may be wary about attending your first travel conference.
Connect online before you leave
Most of the travel conferences that I have investigated have a Facebook group for attendees. Joining and participating in these groups will help you out in preparing for the conference. I felt much more at ease knowing that others were having some of the same worries that I was. I also made lunch/exploring plans for my first day and made a friend right off the bat!
If you want to go past Facebook, I also connected with people on Instagram and found a meetup to attend during the conference. It turned out to be a great time with even more inspirational ladies who work full time AND blog. It is not easy; I can assure you of that.
Taking the time before the conference to connect with people online will give you some reassurance that you will meet plenty of nice people at the conference. The atmosphere is very uplifting, and as other travel bloggers may have realized, we tend to do a great job of lifting each other up.
Go on Tours
One of the great things about WITS is that they have tours available for attendees to sign up for prior to, during, and after the conference. These tours are an excellent way to break the ice and get to know some of the other people attending the conference.
The first tour I went on was the Maine Brew Bus tour. If you drink alcohol, this is a great tour for you. I was able to meet people that I hung out with all weekend, and we had a great time trying craft beers, rhubarb wine, and gin cocktails. Nothing breaks the ice like booze.
By the time I went on the Harbor Lights and Sights Cruise, I already knew several of the women on board. We all bonded over the weekend! Though I may be quiet, I will relentlessly listen to you if you talk about anything travel related.
Know When to take a Break
Your days will be full of learning, networking, and just making new friends. It is exhausting! Introverts and extroverts alike will get exhausted at a conference. Just know that it is okay to need a break. Skip a session, go out for a walk, maybe find a quiet café or bookstore. I visited two independent bookstores on my first day before I met anyone. That is my way of greeting a new city: Finding what makes me comfortable and happy.
If you are an introvert like me, consider this. A conference is full of sessions where you will learn more and listen to amazing people speak. Introverts are great listeners. Each session is almost like a mini recharge. I didn’t feel as tired as I expected to, and I fully attribute that to the sessions. Learning is one of my favorite past times, and it allowed me to feel more at ease at the conference.
Don’t Feel like you Must Accept Every Social Engagement
I went to happy hours and the opening party. There were meetups, lunches, dinners, mini bar crawls, the works. I went to some things and said no to others. Guess what? The people I said no to still spoke to me the next day. People fully understand that this can be an exhausting experience, especially if it is your first time.
For me, I really cherish sleep. I hate being tired constantly, so getting to bed at a decent time when I need to be up early is a priority for me. Other attendees that I met did the same thing. It made me feel better to know that others were out having a good time early and hitting the bed early too. Don’t feel like you are being anti-social. Just think of it as recharging so that you can be your best self the next day!
Talk to People by Listening
I think that I make friends by butting into their conversations. Seriously. I will wander around and just listen to what people are saying. If I hear something particularly interesting, I will go listen a bit closer. Nine times out of ten, the people talking will include you in the conversation.
Maybe don’t do this in all situations in life, but if mingling and networking are happening, I say go for it. The best way to find people with similar interests is to listen (just don’t be too stalkerish). Those people who like to talk will be more than happy to engage with someone who listens intently.
Remember Why You are There
Knowing your purpose at a travel conference is so important. You are probably looking to learn more about your travel profession, be it blogging, podcasting, vlogging or something else. Having a clear goal will keep you focused and help you not get too overwhelmed.
I personally went with a few goals. Those were to learn how to take my blog to the next level, really decide on a niche, and meet new people who can relate to my struggles and maybe even help me out in the future.
I attended Blogger 101 sessions which included: creating a memorable voice, building your blog brand and getting it noticed, and taking your blog to the next level. There were even more sessions about budgeting and business, blog monetization, scoping brand contracts, sustainability in travel, UX website design, pitching brands, and legal issues that a blogger may face and how to avoid them.
All of these sessions provided me with really actionable advice. Even the ones that I felt I already knew a lot about got me thinking about actions that I need to take to grow my blog into a business. For me, listening to others speak gives me an opportunity to take what I am hearing and grow that into something that benefits me. Really listen to the speakers and figure out how their presentation applies to you and your travel business.
Enjoy Yourself!
I think that networking and meeting people with similar interests is so important not only for your travel blogging business but for your own personal growth. Stepping out of your comfort zone is a major part of travel already, so going to a travel conference will be a breeze for any traveler! Always remember that you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know. A. A. Milne wrote that. Always take Winnie the Pooh life lessons to heart.
If you have been to a travel conference (or many), feel free to comment with even more advice! If you are thinking of going to a conference and are unsure, leave a comment or shoot me an email. I would be happy to help you in your decision-making process.
If you are a quiet traveler like myself, check out my posts about traveling quietly, and why you should travel. They may just apply to you.
I could have used this last year! We went to the Travel Massive World Market in London last fall – shortly after starting our blog. It was a fairly last minute thing (easy when it’s free – though you do need to register). And because we were preoccupied with getting things rolling with our blog and prepping for Europe and trying to cram ALL THING THINGS into our time in London (it is freaking massive, after all)… Well, let’s just say we had no idea what we were walking into. Luckily, we had connected with a few bloggers ahead of time via social media (excellent suggestion!), but we really just went in blind. We had no idea what talks were going on, what companies were there. It was a disaster and we kind of hated it. And as introverts (me being WAY worse than Jeremy), we didn’t even make a full day and left by 2pm the first day. It goes on for 3 days! In fairness, we were headed to Tallinn the next day, and I really needed to recharge. So basically my advice is do the opposite of us haha.
When we finally work up the nerve (and money) to attend a conference, I’m 100% going to refer back to this and keep reminding myself it’s for the good of the blog. And not go in blind like a total idiot!
Preparation is so key for us introverts! I maybe low key stalk some people so that I know what to say to them in conversation. Not weird at all…
At least you connected with some people prior to! I think that is what set the tone for the whole conference for me. Also, WITS being all women helped me a lot as well, seeing as I was solo. Though, that wouldn’t help a blog couple out.
You will be so ready for your next conference, though! Maybe I will also be there and we can seek out quiet refuge together when we need to recharge!
I’m going to another conference in a couple weeks and I’m already looking back at my own advice wondering how I managed it last time. Hopefully I can pull it off again without hiding in a cafe down the street. Only time will tell.
I swore I commented on this post, but I think I read it and commented on a share elsewhere? I am losing my mind! I loved this one. I get so overwhelmed at events like this: ALA was a big one for me as a librarian. So many people, so much socializing, so many events, and quite frankly, so much room to get lost. Now as a travel blogger, I would love to go to these events. I agree that the listening part is key too and adding that condemning those who choose just to listen and not talk should be avoided too. I know that sometimes I am shy, don’t want to talk, don’t have something meaningful to add, or truly just want to listen. That doesn’t mean anything is wrong or wrong with me. Growing up and even working, people would criticize this on occasion. Why do we always have to talk? I think Susan Cain’s Quiet semi-nailed it. There is nothing wrong with not talking 24/7. Have you read Quiet?
I will accept your comments anywhere! I definitely worry that people will think I am uninterested if I dont have immediate input or talk a lot. So I think it is super important to let people know that some people are just quiet, not disengaged. I have not read her book yet, but I love Susan Cain! I just got the book on Kindle and it is next on my list. I love her website, though, and have been following it for a while. I wish she would come talk at my workplace! Also, her Ted Talk made me cry. So relatable.
I’ll have to look up her Ted Talk!