It goes without saying that I learned an incredible amount from last year's Blogworld event here in New York City. As the date of the event creeps ever nearer I dance with the question of what I can truly afford one year later. The first question is, can I even afford to go to Blogworld this year? However, as the first question enters my mind, a second quickly challenges, can I afford not to?
As an attendee last year, I was a sponge sucking up whatever knowledge I could from every panel I could get into. I was having a virtual identity crisis as I had just started this blog and wasn't entirely sure I was walking away from another. When I was asked questions like "What kind of blogger are you?" I was honestly stymied, not knowing which passion I wished to pursue or what Rivera Runs Through It was meant to be.
Things are different now. I could go to Blogworld not only to learn, but also to network. In fact, my brand new (FREE) business cards arrived from VistaPrint today. Is this a sign? Shall I go into the red, start skipping breakfast or grow my hair out again just to jump in the waters again?
As far as I see it, I have 24 hours to decide. The early bird pricing ends tomorrow.
I figured I would share this news with you too, just in case you wanted to take advantage of this great deal. According to the Blogworld people you can Save up to $400 off your BlogWorld registration with Early Bird pricing! Early Bird pricing ends on 3/22/12!
Here's a small sampling of what I learned from last year's event:
- 3 Quickie Lessons from My First Day at Blogworld Expo New York 2011
- 3 More Lessons from BlogWorld Expo NY
- Blogging With An Authentic Voice
- The Birds and Bees of Your Blog Life
- Your Book Proposal from a Publisher's Perspective
Here are the various passes available for this year's event:
Important Dates and Pass Prices:
| Pass Type | Thru Mar 22 | Thru May 15 | After May 15 |
| 3-Day Blogger and Podcaster Pass | $197 | $297 | $397 |
| Social Media Business Summit | $697 | $897 | $1,097 |
| Expo Pass | $47 | $57 | $77 |
| Virtual Ticket | $197 | $247 | $297 |
| Virtual Ticket Add-On (add to 3 Day or SMBS passes only) | $47 | $47 | $97 |
Check out who is speaking at Blog World Expo in June!
So is it worth the money? Absolutely. Now if I can just FIND that money!
How do you make the decision of how much you will invest in your own education - is it based on how much you have, how much you'll learn, a balance of the two, or something else entirely?
Have you ever attended a blogging conference? What lessons did you learn?
