January is one of my favorite months of the year. I love the feeling of a fresh start at the beginning of the month, then at the end is one of the most creative, fun, and informative blog conferences – Alt Summit. Since that time is upon us, I’m preempting my regular Monday You’re My Obsession posts for the rest of the month to bring you my Top Tips for Alt Summit – things you should do before, during, and after the conference.
Last year was my first time to attend and I remember feeling like I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was nervous. I didn’t know that many people who were going. Luckily, I got involved with a local blogger meetup group in Seattle about a month beforehand and several of them were attending the conference. Plus, I had some new online friends that I’d been chatting with for a while that I was finally going to meet in person. That made it a little easier.
I didn’t know what to wear or how many business cards to bring. Also, on a personal level I was kind of freaking out. I was going to be away from Nathaniel overnight for the very first time. But even with all of these thoughts making their way through my brain, I was so excited. I knew it was going to be something big, and I felt so lucky to be a part of it.
What To Know Before You Go
I’ve put together some of the things I think are most important to help you get ready for the big event. Since there’s so much information, I’m breaking it up over three posts. Today you’ll find out what to do before you go, next Monday I’ll give you some advice on what to do when you’re there, and then the Monday after the conference I’ll tell you what to do now when you’re back at home to help stave off post-party depression.
Define your mission.
Why are you going to Alt? That’s an important question to ask yourself before you make your way down this list. What are you planning to get out of it? Do you want to meet potential new sponsors? Make connections with other bloggers to collaborate with? Find a mentor? Get some new writing gigs? All of the above?
Let your motivation be your guide. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. There are so may people, sponsors, panels, and things to learn. Not to mention the parties and design camp options. Last year my main goals were learning as much as possible about the business of blogging, meeting some new friends and people to collaborate with, and finding out what some of my favorite bloggers and Ben from Pinterest had to say.
So grab a sheet of lovely paper, your journal, or a blank online document and write down why you’re going to Alt and what you hope to get out of it.
Do your research.
Take a look at some of the blog posts from previous Alt Summit conferences for some examples of what it’s like. Read the latest blog posts from bloggers you’re hoping to connect or collaborate with. Research the sponsors that are most appealing to you. The more prepared you are the more relaxed you’ll be.
Source: The Bedlam of Beefy
Don’t stress about the clothes too much.
Oh my dear Uncle Beefy…I’m going to miss you this year.
There’s a lot of interwebs chatter about the Alt Summit runway. Yes, there are people wearing awesome outfits. You throw a bunch of creatives together and parties with with themes like Mad Men mod and Great Gatsby (on the same night!) and you’re going to see some style. But the most important thing to remember is that you need to feel mentally and physically comfortable in whatever it is that you’re wearing.
I’m not suggesting you wear pajamas or yoga pants, even thought that’s the uniform for many of us who live behind our computers most of the time. Note to Alt: Pajama party theme next year? But if you go to events wearing something that is so outside of your comfort zone or traipse around in painful breakneck heels for hours at a time, it could distract you from your Alt Summit mission.
You’re going to be inside most of the time, so you might want to dress in layers. Keep a pretty scarf handy for quick walks around the courtyard to get some fresh air. To see what’s been worn in previous years, take a look at the Alt Summit photos on Flickr.
Have a plan.
There are so many amazing panels and discussions, and more times than not you’re going to wish you could be in at least two places at the same time. Spend some time going over the schedule beforehand and create your plan of attack. Do you have certain people that you want to make sure you connect with? Email them beforehand and try to schedule a breakfast or coffee meeting. There’s so much awesomeness packed into those few days, so manage your time efficiently.
Don’t forget your business cards.
Have you ordered or made your business cards yet? You have a little time left to let your creativity shine through! I just got some great ones for genuineMIX – the Luxe cards from MOO. I love them. Last year I brought about 150 or 200 cards with me and gave away at least half of them. This year I’ll have Inward Facing Girl and genuineMIX cards. No candy this time, friends. So sorry!
Next Monday you’ll get some tips for what to do while you’re at Alt Summit. Then you’ll be ready to take off on Wednesday! Except for the packing…yikes. See you soon.