
Blissdom ’12 is precisely 38 days away (37.2…more accurately, but who’s counting?) There’s plenty to do before then if you’re planning to attend. And I sure hope you are. This will be my third Blissdom; fourth blogging conference overall. If you don’t know about Blissdom, you can read more here, or leave a comment below…I’d love to bore you with all the details you’d ever want to know.
But if you are planning to attend Blissdom for the first time, you might want to do a few things to prepare. Its a fast paced weekend, jam packed with goodies. The more you can do and plan for now, the better your experience will be. Most of these things take 5 to 10 minutes of brain power and physical action, but will pay off big at Blissdom (or any conference for that matter).
Have some tips of your own? Please do tell below!
1. Order business cards – Probably better get on this one quick, if you haven’t already. You’ll want to arm yourself with a couple hundred business cards to hand out. Make sure you have current contact, Twitter and blog information included. Check out this post from Ashely of My Front Porch Swing…she includes a free template you can download if you want to create your own card. Need some recommendations on printing services? Check out…
Moo Cards
Overnight Prints
Vistaprints
Prinly
2. Plug in - Make sure to bring a power cords and extra battery for your laptop, if you have one. Unless things have changed since the last Blissdom I attended (2010), it would be helpful to bring a power strip as well. I’d recommend not bringing only an iPad unless you type on it really fast or have a portable keyboard (which brings you right back to the laptop thing, really). The sessions go pretty fast and I typically start seeing smoke rising from my keyboard by the end of the session.
4. Coordinate with roommates - There will be plenty of swag to bring back home (and dont forget the Handmade Marketplace this year!), so leave some spare room in your suitcase by coordinating with your roommates on who’s bringing what. Maybe you can share a flat iron or new tube of tooth paste? Keep in mind that the room comes with one hairdryer and one iron. Still need a roommate? Follow the #blissdom Twitter stream and Facebook page for others looking too!
5. Plan to bring a good backpack – I have a great laptop backpack. It was so helpful to sling that puppy over my shoulder and have two free hands during the conference. Plan to bring, borrow or buy a good quality laptop carrier of some sort (I’d recommend the backpack variety…). I’m planning on bringing my trusty Luna Stripes Backpack from Casauri…
6. What to wear - Not sure what to wear? There are plenty who do and are willing to share. For starters, check out The Well Read Wife‘s post on attire suggestions and what’s hot this year. As more “fashion” gurus add their input, I’ll be sure to update you here. So stay tuned…but you want my humble input? I’d go for something like this…
or this…
and maybe…

Bottom line…go for comfort, especially in the shoe department. You’ll be walking a.lot. Choose some casual but cute ensembles that make you feel your best…both literally and figuratively.
7. Prep your blog - You’re likely to get some traffic on your blog from other Blissdom attendees during and after the conference. Be sure your blog is in tip top shape by taking a few minutes to make sure you have things in order. Update your sidebars (clear out the unnecessaries and rearrange things if necessary). Make sure to have a clear contact, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. link so people can follow you in all aspects of your online self.
8. Add a badge - Identify the fact that you’re Blissdom bound by adding a badge to your blog and the Blissdom 12 “Twibbon” to your Twitter profile picture. It just gets people familiar with you before you even arrive. And, lets your readers know you’re going too, therefore making it easy for you to set up some face to face meetings.

9. Leave some love notes - There is a lot of…shall I say, sacrifice?…that goes on for the rest of the family when mom goes away for a conference. I dont know how your family structure works, but for my family, its a joint effort to make sure everything runs smoothly while I’m away. Everyone pitches in…even Grandma…to keep everyone fed, dressed, warm and educated. I always leave Husband a huge long page of “to dos” and logistical details…bus stop times, homework schedules, sports practice times, etc. It just helps things go smoother. I also try to leave some love notes in creative, inconspicuous places to be discovered while Im gone. Look at these cute *free* printable love notes from vol. 25…
Download here
…and thedatingdivas.com
Download here
Corny? Maybe. Secretly loved by all? Absolutely.
10. Conference Confidence - Are you feeling a little apprehensive about going to a conference of 700ish women, representing you and your little blog? Well, know that you’re not alone. I cant imagine one person there that wont have the same feelings to some extent. Even the veterans get the jitters. But branch out, put your big girl boots on, and come knowing that you’re surrounded by like minded souls. The Blissdom gals do an amazing job recognizing this fact and take great strides to help you connect and feel welcome. Take them up on that offer…
Going to Blissdom? Let me know!














