Erica's Musings: Best of BlogHer '11

When we heard that BlogHer '11, a three-day blogging event for women online, was being held in San Diego this year, two of us ladies on the Voxox marketing team signed up for a day pass. "What types of bloggers might attend? Would I meet valuable contacts? Will I walk away with useful information?" were only a few of the questions soaring back and forth between my ears. As it turns out, all this contemplation was in vain...

BlogHer '11 was in short, pretty awesome; a giant dose of happiness for female bloggers around the world. There were scheduled seminars throughout the day on various blogging topics from food photography to blog design, quick 15-minutes how-to and info sessions, hosted lunch and snacks, networking breaks, and themed parties in the evening. Between the 3,600 attendees and 100+ sponsors, there was never a dull moment. Because it's impossible to cram every great moment from BlogHer into a single blog post, I've broken it down and picked a few favorites.

My Top Three BlogHer '11 Moments:

Flash mob! My dreams of seeing a real-life flash mob came true as women jumped up and began dancing to Lady Gaga during lunch

• An emotional confession from a young blogger who faced taunting, hazing and eventually death threats over her posts. Cyberbullying is real, and there are ways to take action: tell your attacker to stop, report the incident, and keep records.

• The Expo Center. Free food, garb, and giveaways... this was the place to be! Not only did I score cool stuff, it was the best atmosphere for networking and self-education on social media campaigns, marketing material design, and product promotions.

I met so many intelligent women, a few brave men, and learned a lot! Check out some of my pics...

Kudos construction workers, yum!




CaliforniaRaisins photo op! #LoveYourRaisins


@RetailMeNot Money Booth



Pfeel Better" booth by @Pfizer_news