It’s a part of every trip-as soon as I’m home I start thinking about the next one. I just got home from vacation last week. That means it’s time to get ready for my next adventure. And unless anything pops up soon, my next trip is when I leave for Arkansas to attend SoFabCon.
So what is SoFabCon? It’s the annual conference for Collective Bias and their Social Fabric community. (But no worries if you’re not a part of SoFab-the event is open to everyone!) And the conference is basically going to rock your face off. I came home with a long to-do list after last year’s conference. My goal? To suck less. (I kid. Well…actually, I do want to suck less. Always. If I was a life coach that would be my advice to everyone: suck less. Want to improve your life? Suck less. Want to get more? Suck less. It works for everything…) But seriously, (not that I wasn’t serious with the suck less thing) I did come home with a legit to-do list. I wanted to work on my YouTube channel. (As in actually have videos there.) I wanted to move to WordPress to take advantage of the SEO benefits. I wanted to improve my photography. And now? I’m on WordPress. I have vlogs. I’m always working on my photography. So I think we can call SoFabCon 13 a success. And I can call it all a success without even talking about meeting some of the coolest people in the universe and partying harder than I have since college. (And I would totally attend this year just for the people and parties. It was that epic…) Who knows what I’m going to get out of SoFabCon 14? (My hopes are high.) At the very least I plan to return with all new inspiration on how I can suck less this year.
As one of the lucky attendees of SoFabCon 13, I now consider myself a SoFabCon expert. (You can disagree with my expert status. You’d probably be right. But, you know…suspend disbelief for a moment.) As the unofficial SoFabCon expert, I’m happy to help you get ready to attend, too. Obviously, the first step in getting ready for any trip is packing. (OK, the first step is booking said trip, I suppose. But then after that it’s packing. Well, after booking it’s shopping for stuff to take. And then you pack. Wait…I digress…) Anyhoo, back to my original point. Packing for any trip is important and packing for a blog conference is extremely important-and different than any other kind of trip you’re planning. That’s why I’m saving your sanity with my printable blog conference packing list.
Clothing
Obviously you’re going to need something to wear. But there’s so much more to consider. What events are going on? Will you be changing in the evenings? What about pajamas? Even if you don’t wear them at home, chances are you’ll have a roommate. They’ll appreciate it if you pack pajamas. Trust me… Oh, and the one official event that has been announced is a pajama party. So pajamas are mandatory in your luggage. Plus, you can expect a few more fun events. Perhaps a cocktail party if they follow the schedule for last year? Blog conferences are a really fun excuse to go shopping. (Even if it’s just shopping your own closet.) Whatever you pack, just remember to stick to things that fit your personality and style. No one is going to care what you wear, they just want to hang out with you! (I’m still going shopping, though. It’s kind of my thing.) Oh, and feel free to laugh at the fact that I included weather based accessories on the list. It snowed last year. In Arkansas. In May. So, you know…check the weather before you zip your suitcase.
Technology
Here’s where it gets tricky. (Oh so tricky…) What tech do you take? In most cases you’ll probably be OK with just your smartphone. (Well, as long as you remember the charger and a backup portable charger. Blogging conferences are battery draining.) I’ve traveled a few times with my laptop and never used it. My compromise has been to take my tablet and a wireless keyboard. I almost never use it when I’m at a conference, but I have it if I need it. I confess that I most likely will take my laptop this year, but only because rumor has it the Geek Lab will be at SoFabCon again and I have a list of things I’d like some help with on my site. Think long and hard about what you might need while you’re gone. Over packing tech (it’s heavy!) totally sucks. (Says the girl who packed a karaoke machine emblazoned with a certain Japanese feline last year that we never used…)
And The Other Stuff
It’s a conference. Don’t forget to pack your business cards. (There’s a story about how one of my friends forgot hers and we spent some of our first few hours in Arkansas tracking down an office supply store that would print some on demand…but, you know…that’s her story to tell…) You’ll probably have a roommate or two. That helps when you need to borrow something. You should still try to think of all of the little unknowns and prepare. Pack some bandages. Bring some aspirin. After last year I’m totally bringing a few energy shots-I got no sleep. (And I’m totally going to gloss over the fact that at not one, but TWO difference blog conferences I’ve had to borrow certain female-type personal products from my friends because I was so unprepared…) But hey-if you do forget anything, it’s going to be fairly quick and easy to make an unplanned shopping trip! (And who doesn’t love shopping?)
Are you coming to SoFabCon 14? Let me know! And let me know if you think I should give the karaoke machine another shot in my luggage this year…
#LuvSoFab14 #SoFabCon14 #collectivebias