I took notes this weekend. A few more notes than I’d initially thought I would. I found myself constantly scribbling – PR tips, resource links, key names, WordPress backend ninja tricks from John O’Nolan, and nuggets of valuable SEO information from Michael Briggs.
Because that’s what a well organized, concise, and very functional conference lets you do. Truly learn and connect with friends and fellow colleagues without other distractions.
Held in Manchester, Travel Bloggers Unite (TBU) brought in bloggers from the UK, mainland Europe, as well as a few from North America, all of who I was honored to meet (for the first time or again) outside of their Twitter handles and blogs.
The overall vibe was relaxed. The panels – which centered around PR companies working with bloggers – were dynamic and extremely interactive. It seemed every question each blogger was thinking was asked by another blogger, which in turn spawned interesting conversations.
Small scale. Simple intimate location. On Point. TBU rocked.
Here’s a visual snapshot of a very worthwhile weekend spent with friends in Manchester and I’m looking forward to Innsbruck.
A decent size crowd.
Cailin (@TravelYourself) probably chatting with Candice.
Oliver Gradwell, TBU founder and organizer (left), and Heather Cowper (HeatherOnHerTravels) checking out her new smartphone.
Bloggers introducing themselves and networking.
John O’Nolan, the ultimate WordPress ninja (as in he actually develops the thing) giving a superb presentation.
The conference rooms
Spiffy cowboy boots that were raffled off, courtesy of Canadian Tourist Commission.
L-R: Glyn from Travelzoo, Melvin of Traveldudes, Kash of BudgetTraveller, and Iain of MalloryOnTravel.
Mike Briggs of Caliber Interactive talks big scary SEO. Roaaar!. Will be implementing tips immediately.
Traveldudes meet Oyster Worldwide.
Karen Bryan of Europe a la Carte and Oliver Gradwell (TBU mastermind) posing for the camera.
Germany expats – Julie of @zurika and Laurel of @expatgermany sipping cocktails at the Mint Hotel networking event.
For those who are interested, here’s my presentation – Travel Writing At Ground Level For Bloggers – also known as “Ban the Fluff.”
Enjoy your next vacations to Manchester
wish i was here to see all the familiar faces!
Such great photos! I loved your presentation, too. I agree with you that the event’s organization led to better learning. While I’m a sucker for the networking/social part of conferences, I feel empty if I leave without learning anything. And I definitely feel I learned a ton at TBU.
@Heather – So cool. You’ll do wonderfully. Definitely share your presentation with us once it’s done and please feel free to use any slides or notes you think might be useful.
@Candice – Hilarious that you were using twitter to track down Cailin. We definitely missed your vibe at TBU
@Chris – I couldn’t agree more – the size made it more intimate and more manageable. But I also trust that if it were larger, Oliver would have done a fantastic job as well.
@Michelle – Thanks Agent M!
@Good Naija Girl – Thanks. Hope it was helpful in some way.
@Serena – Hope to see you in Innsbruck then?
@Ekua – Thank so much for your insightful comment. I’m still so behind on all my favorite blogs (including yours) and can’t wait to catch up this weekend. I love your voice. Your style. Just keep writing in your own way. It’s funny, the new last name really is similar 🙂
@Sonya – No worries. There’s going to be another one in Innsbruck end of August or early September. Don’t know the dates yet.
Wow, thanks this looked like an amazing event. Sad I missed it!
Another great and informative slideshow! It seems like the conference was a nice blend of promotion and an often overlooked aspect of travel blogging: writing skills.
The fear slides in the beginning definitely struck a chord with me because I’ve been writing about India, a country I did not enjoy. I underestimated the difficulty I’d have with covering it as I truly experienced it and then pressing the “publish” button. It can be challenging for travel writers to cover places they didn’t like not only because of the fear of the potential travel writing repercussions, but also because there is a pervasive idea that travelers should somehow enjoy every place they visit and accept the things they didn’t like as simple differences. No place is perfect! Travel is not guaranteed to be fun! I’ve actually been slowly forming a piece about this.
Again, loved the slideshow and will definitely try to implement your tips. Raising a fist in solidarity to “ban the fluff”!
P.S. – I’ve been meaning to tell you that I love that your new Swedish last name is so similar (in letters, at least) to your Nigerian maiden name!
i strongly hope to be there next time! it should be very instructive for me! thanks for sharing and have a nice week end!
That was a great presentation…I read every slide. The contents of those slides are applicable to anyone who wants to be a successful blogger I’d say!
SUCH a cool presentation, Lola!!! Wish I’d been there to see it!
Great photos Lola and a great talk by yourself as well. The fact the event was small I think contributed to the fun of the weekend. You could meet everyone and have more than just a fleeting conversation with them.
Damn, looks like I missed out on a good time! Haha, and yes, Cailin IS emailing me in that photo, she included it in her email. 😉 I kept getting pictures Tweeted at me all pictures, I was so jealous!
“Rage against the status quo” – love it!
I pitched a VERY similar concept for a workshop to IFWTWA for the Conference at Sea in June, although it will be angled at career travel writers/journalists/food & wine writers. I’ll probably be the youngest and least experienced presenter, so I’m a bit nervous about it but excited at the same time.