I remember when I was younger, I’d always hear family and friends of family talk about going to or just returning from some conference from somewhere in the world. To me, it always seemed like some stuffy, “old people” event that saw nothing but ill-fitting coat suits, dusty brief cases and long drawn out sessions laced with boredom and yawning.

In fact, I was so turned off by them that I never attended unless I was assigned to one for news coverage.

Well fears aside, this year, I signed up for my first ever conference and Blogalicious 9 DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

For the past 3 years I’ve been blogging full-time and with this now being my bread and butter, I was anxious to find new ways to grow, expand and monetize. I signed up, not knowing what to expect but excited for the road ahead.

Instead of ill-fitting coat suits, Blogalicious 9 was chock full of runway ready outfits. Instead of dusty brief cases, I saw nothing but mouth watering stilettos, purses that were arm candy and an excited crew of bloggers, vloggers, influencers, public relations and marketing bosses looking to vibe and connect.

This is where I needed to be. It felt good being there and for each person I exchanged cards with, spoke to, each session I attended, helped me to realize that;

[bctt tweet=”Attending a conference at least once, can change your life ” username=”iamianthia”]

With many of our jobs needing nothing more than a good Wi-Fi connection, a laptop and some snacks to get us by, it’s easy to get comfortable in our cubicles or home offices and never venture out into the real world.

But during the course of the 4-day conference, I learned that events like these are crucial to growing your brand.

10 Reasons to Sign Up for the Next Conference 

1. Face value is everything – Getting from behind the computer screen and literally shaking hands, passing out hugs and exchanging stories does wonders for your brand. Sometimes people want to connect a face to the name…or Instagram handle. Follow mine here! 

2. The networking is LIT! – I met soooooo many amazing people at the conference! Some who I’d already been following and others I never knew existed. We got the ball rolling on collaborations, planning events and shared contacts. I literally exchanged cards with the publicist at Walt Disney World! 

3. Humanise your brand – Nothing brings more life to your work, what you do, what your brand stands for than you. The more events you attend, the more you get out of the office, the more people see you, the more they will buy into you, your brand and whatever it is you’re selling.

4. Grow your following – Yes! The IG, Twitter and Facebook handles come out of the woodworks! People want to connect and keep up with you and what better way to do so? If you’re struggling to grow your brand, attending an industry event is a great way to direct more followers to your platforms.

5. Access to incredible speakers – Usually you’d have to pay big bucks, individually, for the advice the speakers dish out at conferences and summits. But with all of them in one place, you’re exposed to a wealth of knowledge and insight you probably wont ever get again. Grab a pen and a pad and take notes!

6. Travel opportunity – Perhaps my favorite part! Yes, the travel part! While the conference itself sets you up for some fun and exploration, getting to and from adds another layer of awesome to the journey! Also, it helps you to get away from your usual views and scenes for a while and visit a place you’ve never seen before or reconnect with an old love.

7. Get your learn on – The gems are endless at conferences that are rich with diversity, backgrounds, industries and people! You can literally learn something from everyone and also teach a few of your own tricks.

8. Get inspired – We all reach a plateau in our careers sometimes, it happens. But for me Blogalicious 9 was that injection of new blood I needed to start afresh. Seeing so may people in your field bring new things to the table, pushes you to do the same.

WATCH THE BLOGALICIOUS 9 VLOG HERE! 

9. Content creation – Photos, videos, blog topics, newsletter themes; so many ideas are born at these events. I must’ve written down at leas 5 blog ideas, shot video for 3 vlogs and have photos to post on my social platforms for days! Conferences like these are great content generation tools!

10. Birds of a feather – Because of Blogalicious I met so many people who are doing the exact same things I want to or am doing now. Like Victoria, we’d been following each other on Twitter for a while but we finally met when she presented at a session I attended. We realised we literally have the same personality and have so much in common! She’s hella funny!

Do you attend industry conferences? Do you like them or nah? Let’s chat in the comments below! 

READ MY LAST BLOG? CLICK HERE TO READ THE IMPORTANCE OF BECOMING A MORE RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER