BlogHer 2012 Bound Pt. 1 - The Basics

You may have noticed the little button over there on the right telling you I was going to BlogHer `12. Well, really it says I'll be geeking out at BlogHer `12... which is true. But what is BlogHer you ask? Simple put BH is 4500+ women and a few men gathering at the Hilton hotel in NYC on August 2 - 4 to talk about blogging, meet brands, learn some things, and party. And by party, I mean PARTY! That's the nutshell that is BH. But, I won't leave you with just that little bit of information, I have a whole series planned to fill you in on all the goodness... and anxiety, that is BlogHer `12. There are going to be 5 parts to this series: The Basics, The Business, The Parties, The Fashion, and The Extras.
So, let's talk about the basics. When I first planned to go to BlogHer, I was prepared for two days of events ending at 5 each evening. I was going to take a bunch of sessions, enjoy breakfast & lunch, visit the Expo, and meet fellow bloggers. I planned on taking the train in and out of NYC every morning and getting home at 7 both nights. Then I joined this Facebook group about BH. Well, let me tell you... I got overwhelmed very quickly! All this chatter about parties, official and private, meetings, sponsors, running around from place to place... it was all pretty insane. Then the addiction started. The craving to get invited to every party, every meeting, every event. It consumed me. But more on the parties in another post. Even the act of picking sessions became a task. Some required signing up before BH, others were open to all. And the topics! So varied and all so interesting! But there was only so much time in the day! Plus there was an Expo to attend, filled with sponsors waiting to hand out swag and make relationships with bloggers like me! It was all so much!

Finally, I sat down, studied everything, and made my plan of attack. I have goals for my blogs... I want to become a professional. I want relationships with brands so I can get things to giveaway to my readers! I want to make an attempt at getting an income! I want to be NOTICED! With those goals in mind and a detailed list of the purpose of all my blogs.. the schedule was born. What ended up being a small 2 day affair turned into 3 jam packed days, where come Sunday I think I'm not going to be able to stand! I feel I have a good mix of sessions, parties (both official & non-official), and lots of Expo time. And did I mention I get to do all of this with my good friend Laura, Editor-in-Chief of Enjoying the Magic and Owner of Tales From the Geek Vest? I'm just as excited to spend time with her as I am for the event! We even get to room together on Friday night, thanks to my mom insisting I not kill myself trying to commute back and forth to NYC!

My BlogHer schedule starts on Thursday August 2nd with a 7:45am train. From there I will be attend a non-BlogHer workshop all about photography held by Adorama. The topics I'll be learning about are: Developing your Unique Vision, 10 Ways to Make Your Photos Blogworthy, and The Power of Visual Storytelling. I'm really excited for these! From there I head to a Toy Party and then it's on an 8:35pm train home. Doesn't sound too bad, right?

Well, then comes Friday morning and the non-stop events that will have me on my feet for hours. I'll be catching the train at 6:07AM and the event starts off with a Newbie Breakfast. From there it's Speed Dating, 30mins in the Expo, a session on Brand-Blogger Connections, then lunch with Laura where we plan to talk a lot about Enjoying the Magic. The afternoon starts with a Blog Design Audit, lots more Expo time, and finally a break. Well, so far it's a break... events are still popping up daily, so who knows what will end up happening! The evening closes out with a private Hasbro event and the most talked about party... Sparklecorn! Sparklecorn is supposed to be a glittery, loud dance party with tons of  people in crazy outfits. Frankly, I'm a bit scared. But I joined in the fun and got some crazy accessories to wear!

Saturday kicks off with breakfast at 8am, followed by a session on Affilate Marketing. Then my favorite... Blogger Rights! Over an hour talking about copyrights and protecting yourself, I'm so excited! From there it's lunch, with guest speaker Katie Couric! Throw in some more Expo time, a session on Grammar, and a Disney movie event! And that's not even the end of my day! Sadly, after the movie I have to say goodbye to Laura, then it's off to two more parties, and hopefully a journey home on the 11:22pm train. I'm getting exhausted just typing this all out! And there is a ton of stuff I'm not doing! On Thursday, BH has two full day events... Healthminder and Pathfinder. And on Sunday there is a family day planned! As for non-BlogHer events... I only managed to snag invites for 3 events. There is probably a good 50 more I didn't get invited to or was waitlisted! Can you imagine my schedule if I did get invited to a lot more things? I don't think I would survive!

But enough of me rambling on about my plans for BlogHer, check out these awesome blog posts written by some of my fellow attendees:

The Basics
BlogHer `12 - Survival, Style and Street Food
Tips for BlogHer12 from Simply Frugal Mom (Guest Post)
Not Just Another BlogHer12 Post
BlogHer12: Seize the Moment
Top 5 Tips for Blogher
BlogHer `12: NYC
Blogher `12, Social Anxiety, and Being Pregnant
Blogher `12 Planning! Part 1 - The Romance & The Doom
Conference, Schmomference
Tips for BlogHer `12 New Attendees

The Tech
10 Tips to Help Safeguard Mobile Devices #Blogher 12
Must Have Apps for #Blogher

The Hotel
BlogHer Bootcamp: Top Ten Tips for Roommates

The Packing
BlogHer Bootcamp: Top Ten BlogHer Conference Packing Tips
Made in USA Packing List: Ten Travel Essentials
Heading to #BlogHer? What to Pack!
Traveling Essentials: Geek Style

The Emotions & People
Adaptation
Blogher Anxiety
The Top 10 Faces of BlogHer
8th Annual BlogHer Conference Will Host Katie Couric and Martha Stewart as Keynote Speakers

Now there are hundreds of more posts on the internet about going to BlogHer, so if you want to learn more hit up Google or follow the #BlogHer12 hashtag on Twitter. And I'll share more links in the rest of my posts in the BlogHer `12 series!

Got a post you want to share that I didn't link up? Post it in the comments!

Happy BlogHer  `12!