Dear Beth,

Just because you go to a conference and you have a camera doesn’t mean you need to always put yourself in the shots because in the end your shots will be ruined because you either talk while someone is taking your photo or you blink or you look like you are going to eat someone.  (seriously, why so eager?)

Love,
Beth

Now that that is out of the way, I wanted to share with you some of my friends that I met at Blogher.  Blogging is a beautiful thing, you create these relationships on-line where you share your life honestly (hopefully), you read about others and their struggles with life, you relate, you share, you create a friendship.

And for me?  People helped me and loved me during the darkest days of my life.  I met so many who have affected me more than they could ever know.  My only wish is that I could have met more of you.  Anytime someone approached me and said “Beth!  I read your blog!”  I would be like “Really?  Because now I want to lick your face and hug you and talk about us forever and ever!  LET’S TAKE A PHOTO, WITH ME IN IT, OF COURSE!”

Fortunately, that hardly happened so there wasn’t much face licking.  But dangit, when it did happen, I loved it so much.

It happened here with Rita.  I licked her face.  We weren’t good photo mates because when I took a good photo, she was talking and vice versa, so I’ll just show both to you.  She’s wonderful and beautiful.

And then I met Zakary.  She was the first person I met.  I know what you are thinking and you’re right, she does look just like Kyra Sedgewick and when we were checking in right next to each other, I did not look at her and internally freakout that “KRYA SEDGEWICK WAS CHECKING IN RIGHT NEXT TO ME!!  WHERE IS KEVIN BACON?!”  Nope, not me.  *cough*

But instead, it was Zak and that made me so happy because I really LOVE her.

And then I met Amalah and then I passed out and I remember nothing past that moment.

Why?  Why Beth?  Why must you be in EVERY.SINGLE.PHOTO?  And apparently I was very thirsty.

Oh look, here’s a shot without me, what do you know?  This is Erin and Alice.  I ADORE Erin and Alice.  Erin, Sarah and Stephanie and I walked one mile to Anthropologie and a mile back.  It was a highlight of  the weekend.

And then I met the Justices from MamaLaw.  Justice Fergie and I have been blogging together since we were blogging babies and then she was pregnant when I was pregnant with James and Jake and she had a little boy and we are so connected I could cry thinking about it.  And when we met?  There were tears and it was so unbelievably beautiful and memorable, I will carry that moment with me in my pocket forever.

And Justice Jonesie is on the right and is the most beautiful jerk EVER.  (she’s not a jerk, she’s awesome, but she’s so beautiful that she’s a jerk.  Got it?)  They are putting a conference together this fall which I think is incredible and I’m so proud of them.

That’s all I have for now, but there are more…so many more!  (hopefully not so many of me and my VERY SHINY FACE.)  KBYE.

One more note:  I loved Blogher and I think you should go in 2010, despite the swag issues.

________________

Once again, I want to give HUGE, MASSIVE PROPS to Snapfish for sponsoring part of my trip to Blogher.  I have some really, really cool giveaways coming up from Snapfish.  Be on the lookout!

At Blogher, there is a ton of swag.  I completely underestimated the amount that would be offered to attendees, but there was about one hundred times more than I imagined.

Swag was given in multiple venues, some at parties, some brought to your room, in the Expo room where the sponsors had booths set up and then again once you registered.

I saw greed.  So much greed that it made me sick to my stomach.  I understand that getting free stuff is awesome because it is, I mean, the first party I attended I walked out with a free pair of Crocs and a Kodak HD pocket video camera, in pink, no less.  Among many, many other goodies.

But I walked out happily and grateful with these items, I didn’t yell at party planners, scream, stomp my feet or push anyone to obtain these items.

The first party was the BlogLuxe party where they announced the winners of the Social Luxe awards.  It was an awesome party.  Free food, drinks, manicures, pedicures, great music, it was a fun, vibrant, hip party.

I worked with one of the organizers because she hired me to photograph the event for two hours, I saw first hand how hard each of the organizers worked to make the event the success that it was.  I know for a fact they worked for months planning this event with Swiffer.

But a small dark cloud hung over the atmosphere because some attendees, attendees who were attending this party for free, were stealing extra swag bags.  Women were in the lobby yelling at the young girls who were working the booth because there was no more swag available.  Honestly, it was horrifying, it was embarrassing.

Unfortunately, this behavior continued through much of the conference.

We are not entitled to free stuff, companies have faith in US as writers to accept their products and be smart with what is GIFTED TO US.

It is my opinion, that the only swag that should have been guaranteed is the swag that was offered by Blogher when you registered and I only I feel this way because registration cost an attendee $300.  Unfortunately, one of my friends arrived a few hours late because her son wasn’t feeling well and she walked away without her bag of swag from Blogher.  Probably because someone grabbed one too many or someone who didn’t register took one.

We bloggers are a representation of each other, many of us work hard to gain integrity and trust when working with corporations, we want to maintain professionalism when dealing with large companies such as Tide, Swiffer, PepsiCo, etc.

And when it comes to the smaller companies, I think it’s important that bloggers can make them feel certain that their smaller PR/marketing budget will be put to good use when working with the strong presence of women bloggers.

I understand that when we register for this conference we are under the assumption that swag will be given to us and that is why many of individuals opt to attend.  But maybe instead of running through the conference trying to GRAB AS MUCH AS WE CAN CARRY, we just accept was is available and just be grateful.

And I’m not pointing fingers at anyone in particular, I’m just wishing some people behaved differently.  It scares that if mothers are behaving this way, what are we teaching our children?

I’m frustrated that so much greed existed.  I’m sad for the party planners because some attendees walked into the parties and walked out thirty seconds later with their swag bags in hand.

It’s not about the swag and I’m frustrated that right now, the Blogher buzz is about the swag. (I realize that by me writing this post, I am just adding to this problem, I’m torn on publishing, I honestly am.)

I know that the majority of the attendees were kind, honest, patient people who really just wanted to meet their online community and take what they could from the sessions.

I met so many amazing people, both bloggers and individuals from PR firms and I swear to you, that TRUMPS any swag I may have received.