Blogalicious 2010 Sponsored Blogger Policy

It’s very important to us that the Blogalicious Weekend conferences remain as accessible as possible to the bloggers that want to attend. For this reason, we make it a priority to keep the registration costs as low as possible, the hotel room rates as reasonable as possible, and to offer important extras – like sharing a Family-Friendly Area Guide with conference attendees beforehand, assisting attendees with finding a roommate, and providing free childcare to those parents are attending Blogalicious with their little ones in tow.

Still, we recognize that some bloggers may want or need to have their Blogalicious Weekend registration and trip expenses sponsored by a company that they have a working relationship with. That’s a-ok with us and we are more than happy to know that brands are recognizing our importance as ambassadors for their products and services. That said, we have to make sure that the Official Blogalicious Weekend Sponsors are not overshadowed by the companies sponsoring individual bloggers (“unofficial sponsors”). To make sure that everyone is happy and that our Official Sponsors get their due, we have put together these guidelines for bloggers seeking individual sponsorship to Blogalicious Weekend 2010:

Ø You may not represent yourself as an official representative of Blogalicious in order to secure individual sponsorship to the conference.

Ø No swag, gifts or materials from unofficial sponsors may be distributed or posted within the conference space, directly or indirectly.

Ø You may not use the Blogalicious Weekend 2010 room block to secure a room to host a private event for your sponsor.

Ø Any private events hosted by/for your sponsor must not conflict with the Official Conference Agenda.

Ø If you are working with a company that is interested in becoming an Official Blogalicious Weekend Sponsor, please have them contact us at: sponsors@blogaliciousweekend.com We’d love to have them!

Questions? Email us at: info@blogaliciousweekend.com

Product Recommendations come from friends, not networks?

MediaPost published an article today discussing a survey of 583 moms with kids under 12 conducted by MomConnection entitled "Product Recommendations Come From Friends, Not Networks."

The gist of the the study is that that "despite all of the attention being given to the relationships that moms form online through social media...they do not use social networks as a resource when it comes to product decision-making. Moms are four times more likely to turn to their personal offline network of friends and family than online social networks for product recommendations and buying advice." (Read the MomConnection release here).

I could NOT relate to this story at all because I find myself relying on online recommendations for certain products, especially products related to my daughter. Don't get me wrong, I have not bought products based purely on Twitter entries, but I rely on my "trusted mom" sites/blogs to look for information.

I think the study misses the mark a little because it fails to appreciate that in many instances our online network (especially in the blogosphere) is personal and true friendships are made and that it's not just about being social.

What are your thoughts? Do you rely on social media for information about products or do you view your online relationships as purely social? Is this survey correct?

Join The Blogalicious Message Board

We hear you... The Blogalicious blog is great for updates and news, but you want to be able to connect with other bloggers planning to attend the conference. Piece of cake! Hop on over to the Blogalicious 2009 message board on BigTent and make yourself at home. You'll be able to look for a roommate, ask questions, and dish about all things Blogalicious. Sign-up is easy and free.

What to do with my family?

You know that Blogalicious is just about 2 months away, right? You know that it's during Columbus Day weekend, right? You know that you're going to have a good time, right?


Now you're wondering how to work it out for yourself . We're sure one of the biggest issues you're facing is should I leave my family? Well consider this - you can make a trip to Atlanta WITH your family! Yes, I said WITH them ... because while you're getting your blogalicious on, they can be site-seeing and doing all the other fun stuff that the ATL has to offer.


Take for example, a tour of the Georgia Aquarium, or the historic MLK site, or go to the Bodies exhibit or feed your face at the Taste of Atlanta, or even go to Stone Mountain or enjoy the Fall Festival. There are countless family-friendly activities in Atlanta (click here for our family friendly guide). So don't feel bad because it's not really a hard decision. Make a vacation out of it - you'll have a good time and so will they!


(P.S. Stay tuned for more family friendly options)

But I'm a White Girl. Can I Still Come?

Why are people so excited about Blogalicious? What makes it so special? We think that it's because it is the very first event of its kind. Women bloggers of color have generally been ignored in the social media space or given short-shrift by marketers reaching out to bloggers and at other blog conferences. Enter Blogalicious 2009.

This event will be an outlet for attendees to voice their feelings and opinions; a place to share hopes and dreams; an opportunity to learn from one another about everything social media. The conference offers a getaway that combines all of the things that you love about blogging with the added element of face-to-face interactions and the intimacy of IRL relationships.

And the great thing about Bloglacious is that women of all backgrounds are excited about its mission and purpose. We think that's fantastic and we welcome participation from women bloggers of all colors. Really. We've been getting email after email asking: "I'm really excited about Blogalicious, but...I'm a white girl. Can I still come?" The answer is absolutely. We want diversity in the blogosphere, in the marketing world, and certainly at our conference. So come on down to Atlanta and join us! You'll be spending time with a group of welcoming women of all shades, all ages, all backgrounds and all levels of blogging expertise.

And please don't worry about how pale you are (this was actually raised in one of the emails we got) and instead, get to worrying about how you're gonna handle all the fun you're gonna have.

One caveat: We want Blogalicious to be a comfortable place for open and frank discussion for all, so if you're shy, don't apply!