I recently returned from Cancun where I attended the TBEX Travel Blogger conference.  I found the event randomly on Twitter and I am grateful I had the opportunity to attend.  I got to learn so much before, during, and after the event. 

At Expedia TBEX Party

1st Lesson Learned: Prepare!  I'm thankful for the great article from Travel Massive about how to prepare for TBEX.  I was under the impression I was only going to go as an active listener but I gained so much more from preparing ahead.  I took the advice to make a media kit and used the Canva design website, which is an amazing tool to create a presentation. I admit it was a lot of work editing the right content but I loved having something to share when I met with brands. Also, I enlisted my friends who work in the PR/Communications field to take a look at it. There was a lot of feedback and editing, but I am happy with the final product.  Additionally, I printed a condensed version of the media kit which was a great tool when talking about my brand.  I also followed the advice of researching the brands before the event, which paid dividends during speed dating or spontaneous networking with brands.  

Lovely Gift from the Corning Museum of Glass, one of the brands I connected with at TBEX

2nd Lesson Learned:  Reassurance. While preparing for the conference, I became doubtful of my abilities. I noticed so many people who have  much more followers, those who travel for a living, and who have been doing this so much longer than I have.  One of the breakout sessions which resonated with me the most was "Don’t Quit Your Day Job: You Don’t Have to be a Nomad to be a Successful Travel Blogger" by David Brodie and Chris Christensen.  They talked about balancing your day job (which I love) with your blog by creating to-do lists, developing great content from home, and being a tourist in your own city. Not only did I find it useful, but it reassured me that I am on the right path.

We're with TBEX

3rd Lesson Learned:  Networking.  Although that is a default activity in my professional life, I am pretty new at developing relationships with brands and fellow bloggers. It is different feeling when you're trying to sell a service or product at your day job versus trying to sell yourself.  I made sure to ask questions during the panels to get the best out of the experience.  Not only did I focus on connecting with brands, but also with other bloggers who I can collaborate with in the future. One of the things that helped me during this conference was my language skills. Thanks mom and dad for raising me in Puerto Rico!  I got to talk to so many Latin American bloggers and trade ideas with them. I even got to do an interview in Spanish with Best Day and engage with the management of Xcaret which hosted an amazing show for the opening night party of TBEX. 

Interview with Good Morning Riviera Maya

4th Lesson Learned:  PR Engagement.  I had the opportunity to sit on the breakout session of Diana Laskaris of Food Travelist, "Cashing in on Culinary Tourism".  During the panel I asked how to build relationships with destinations and restaurants. She suggested to get on PR lists in order to develop relationships with restaurants and destinations and to engage with the chefs and restaurants via social media. This is something I have been doing for a while and it has opened many doors for me in the local DC culinary scene. 

5th Lesson Learned:  Be a sponge. There is not enough space to cover all the little details I learned at the conference from brands and fellow bloggers.  I admit that it is an overwhelming feeling to go to a conference to promote your brand (as in You) but at the same time it is essential to stay open to all the tools that are available to you.  Take in the little things you learn at breakout sessions such as building pitches and connecting with brands. 

Opening Party at Xcaret

The verdict:  I am glad I made the investment to go to TBEX.  Not only was the information provided invaluable but the prep work I did beforehand reiterated the fact that blogging is hard yet rewarding work. I already have some great collaborations lined up with the brands I connected with. You have to make the effort to make the connections and reach out to people, find a way to make your brand unique, and most importantly be consistent in sharing great content. Not only your content on the blog, but in social media as well.