VDog Blog

Whaaaat is uuuhhp with all these Blogging (slash social media) conferences??

Since I talk about breast feeding and potty training, supposedly that makes me a “Mommy Blogger.” So I figure any conference with the word “mom” or “her” in it would be targeted towards me.

But I swear there’s like, at LEAST five new “MomCons” this year ALONE. Or it just seems that way. It’s like one of those late night infomercial get-rich-quick! schemes. “Throw a blogging conference and make it BIG!!” It’s like the in-crowd got sent complimentary “conference in a box” kits from ACME or some shit.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I pimp, too. Pimpin’ ain’t easy, as Jay-Z once said. I gots me my Room 704 Media, LLC n shit. I werk the PR and marketing for dat bitch. AND!! For the LOW, LOW price of only $18.95, you too can own your VERY OWN Room 704 t-shirt!!

From Mom 2.0 to BlissDom to SITScation to Type-A Mom to MomItForward/Evo’09 to GodKnowsWhat’sNext, I am OH-VER-WHELMED. Why not just conglomerate all these and make it a MOMapalooza? Women’s BlogConApalooza? (Let’s call the whole thing off?)

Of course, I would LOVE to attend all of these conferences, but it’s just not possible. And sure, one could say that, well, each serves a different demographic. Or at least a different geographical area (from Houston to Nashville to Vegas to Asheville to Park City and back down). But when the speakers for these conferences have so much overlap? It’s like The Real World Alumni going to speak at colleges around the US. Same content, different location.

What really makes all these conferences different? How do I know which conference is for me? With all the assumptions being made about who is throwing what and who is speaking at what — how do I find my people? I certainly can’t go to ALL of them. Admission price for the five conferences I just listed — Mom 2.0, BlissDom, SITScation, Type-A Mom and Evo’09 — would total *with early bird pricing* over one thousand dollars. (I’m not sure you heard me — ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!) Add in plane tickets and hotel, and hot dayum, we’re talking mucho dinero.

Now, you’re thinking, “VDog, you just be a jealous beesh.” But you’d be wrong. Well, mostly wrong.

Envious that I can’t attend all of these events? Surely. Jealous that I’m not speaking at any of them? No, not really. Either my time will come or it won’t. That part doesn’t bother me. Despite appearances I’m a fairly patient person and I try to celebrate other people’s successes — especially other *women’s* successes.

Remember the Low-Carb Diet craze of, what, five, six years ago? Sure there are still people living a low-carb lifestyle and trying low-carb diets, but the explosion of products and magazines and the downright *fervor* over the topic has all but crashed and burned.

One can make the argument that this is not what we eat — BUT it IS what we consume — how we choose to spend our time and money. So, just about the same, yes? As the cliche goes, the cream rises to the top. But what happens when SO many amazing women are putting together SO many fabulous events? What happens when you know and love the women that are throwing these conferences, and you attend one but not another? BlissDom this year, but Mom2.0 next? It’s enough to cause heart palpitations.

My point here is that this is becoming a “fad” (a “trend?”). Sure, it’s an “emerging market” that companies and individuals are looking to capitalize on. I can’t blame them a bit for trying.

But let’s look ahead to next year, or the year after. Come 2011 how many of these conferences can really survive? What will the market hold up as valuable and effective time and money-wise?

It’s hard NOT to feel like you want to go. It is, as my husband astutely observed, a way for us moms to get away from our families and just enjoy ourselves. Perhaps there SHOULD be this many opportunities to get mom away from the family? Would we be on fewer crazy pills?

Here I stand, shouting, “STOP THE INSANITY!!” We already have SO many obligations in our lives; why add in blog conference overload stress? I *know* they’re fun. I *know* it’s a chance to get away. But as of now, I am committed to BlogHer and BlogHer only, for the rest of the year. Yes, I attended BlissDom and had a FANTASTIC time. But I don’t think I can handle any more.

ZOMG NO MORE MomCons!!!! We’re FULL UP! If I see ONE more MomCon, I SWEAR TO GOD WE *WILL* THROW A FlingHer!!! DON’T MAKE US HIT YOU BABY, ONE MORE TIME!!!!

Now go buy a t-shirt.

I am adding the disclaimer that *should* someone *want* to hire me to *speak* at one or more of these lovely conferences, I will go. I’m no fool.

I will also add ZOMG ENOUGH WITH THE BLOG(her) PARTIES!!! And yes, I am TOTES guilty. Let me have it.

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Tags: Blogging, Conferences, Who Do I Think I Am?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 at 9:44 pm and is filed under Bloggy Stuff, Soap Box. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.