I was happy to attend my first BlogHer this past weekend for so many reasons, but I must admit that there was one thing that I didn't embrace as wholly as I should have (I guess) - swag! Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But I was overwhelmed by and with swag. Marketers got onto the fact that women bloggers are a force in the marketplace so they descended upon BlogHer with arms open wide. I wish I had taken some photos of the amount of stuff that we were showered with and the crates of boxes in the hallway and the gigantic giveaway bags.
I was grateful to have received swag, but also overwhelmed by it all. I felt disgusted after a while having been offered, and probably more importantly, taken, stuff because I knew that there was no way that I would EVER use that stuff. I mean, c'mon why in the world would I need 5 different kinds of dish clothes, or onesies for a 3 month old? But there I was sitting in all that stuff wondering why!
It was excessive and I feel like it brought out the wrong side of me and many other women there. I was excited on the first night, but by the second night, I just couldn't deal with it any more and I abandoned ship. I heard that lines were endless for some of the parties because the gift bags were so ridiculous; I heard there was fighting and pushing at some events; I heard that folks were at the events just for swag - they got 'em and then left.
It appears like it was about the swag and not the women/community. Maybe next year BlogHer should require all marketers to contribute to the ONE conference swag bag rather than all the random swag parties. Maybe that way the focus would not be on the swag but on the conference - just a thought!
What are your thoughts on the SwagHer?
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I feel you on being overwhelmed. I tried to describe the Swagher experience to my friends in DC, but words just could not do it justice. I did try to pick up things I could use or give to folks I know. I think the marketers should be required to donate items to local women's shelters, organizations, and groups that serve vulnerable populations and underserved communities in 2010. That should help some.
ReplyDeleteI didn't go but I keep reading the same thing over and over that the swag was overwhelming. Some ladies left a lot behind, some shipped it home. I've read about the rudeness of others because of the swag. I can't even imagaine the overwhelmingness of the swag but if it is this bad, maybe BlogHer should tell their sponsors for next year to take it down a notch. They can only go by what their bloggers tell them. But thanks for the slide show, I felt overwhelmed just by seeing how much was going on. I'm going next year. Maybe I'll meet you in NY
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