BloGHer 2010 Preliminary Schedule to Include Autism

If you think the BlogHer 2010 will be all fun and games, think again. The conference organizers have put up the preliminary schedule for the conference and it is full of great sessions designed to help bloggers improve their blog. Here are some of the classes scheduled for the 2010 conference:

“Change Agents: Feeding the Conversation: How to Build A Community Around Your Cause
Passions: Reserved for Room of Your Own
Personal: Blogging Autism: Shattering Myths, Opening Eyes and Finding Your Tribe
Professional: The FTC Guidelines: After A Year, Has Anything Changed?
Geek Lab: Usability for Beginning Bloggers (Beginning Level)
Writing Lab: Writing Inspiration: Stoke Your Creativity
Job Lab: Self-Marketing: Resume and Social Network Profile Writing Clinic”

Did you notice the one on Autism? Here is the description for the Autism session:

“Personal: Blogging Autism: Shattering Myths, Opening Eyes and Finding Your Tribe
Autism is both more out in the open than it has ever been before and more shrouded in myths and mystery. Come learn and share your stories about how blogging contributes to the autism community as a source of support and outlet for parents, as a way for those not dealing directly with autism to gain more insight and sensitivity and as a tool for advocacy and activism.”

The description of this session describes what I aim to do with my blog. I am looking forward to sitting in on this session, learning how I can approve my particular blog niche, and interact with others that blog about autism. I am excited that BlogHer has scheduled an Autism blogger session and I applaud them for doing so.

If you plan on attending this year’s conference, I suggest that you go read the new conference guidelines. Last year, there were a lot of bloggers attending the conference and having sponsors pick up the cost. This is something that I am doing this year. Jones Dairy Farm is one of my partial sponsors, and I am looking for more to cover the rest of my conference expenses.

BlogHer has made changes to their conference guidelines as they pertain to bloggers handing out their sponsor’s promotional materials. You can read the exact details on their website. Basically, it means that you can not hand out a sponsor’s promotional materials within the conference space. You can still wear clothing with your sponsor’s information on it and you can have your sponsors listed on your blog’s promotional materials, i.e. business cards.

Businesses that want to have their promotional materials distributed at the conference can contact the organizers and arrange to become a BlogHer Conference sponsor. Businesses that sponsor bloggers to attend can still benefit with advertising space on your bloggers site, posts written that include a mention of your business (like I did in this one with Jones Dairy Farm), and having the blogger wear a shirt with your companies information on it. Bloggers with sponsorship can devote their time to attending the sessions offered at the conference, instead of trying to hand out boxes of swag. I consider this a win/win situation for everyone involved. I look forward to attending this year’s conference, and if you are a company looking to sponsor a blogger, please consider me.

UPrinting and BlogHer 2010 Sponsorship Opportunity

Are you a blogger? Are you a member of the UPrinting Network Ning Group? If you are not, that’s alright. You can put in an application to join. This is a private Ning group for bloggers that wish to work with UPrinting. They offer review and giveaway opportunities for bloggers. There are groups to join in the UPrinting Network Ning Group for interacting with other bloggers that share your interests.


I have worked with UPrinting in the past. I found them to be extremely accommodating and caring about our interactions. I’ve done a couple of giveaways for their printing services. In return, I was given the exact service for free as a thank you. I sold them advertisement space on my blog and am working on re-newing that. I enjoyed my business relations with them because it was a no hassle arrangement. I am looking forward to renewing a relationship with them.

If you are already a member of their group, where have you been? Have you checked in on what great things are going on in the Ning Group? I would like to share the latest activity in the Forums. UPrinting is trying to gauge interest from it’s members in regard to a BlogHer Sponsorship program.

“The BlogHer sponsorship package contest is being reconsidered. If you are interested in blogging for a chance to go to BlogHer (Flight, Hotel and Conference Pass Included), then please start a petition so I can try to get a budget for that contest.”

They are looking for a couple of hundred bloggers to participate in a blogging contest for a chance to win a sponsorship package. Right now, it is a no go. If enough of us reply on the petition in the forum, they will reconsider this. As you know, I am trying to raise enough money from sponsors to go to BlogHer 2010. I would love the opportunity to participate in this contest. If you are a member, and you would be interested in participating in a UPrinting BlogHer Contest, please head over to the forum and let them know. You can click on this forum link to take you right to the petition discussion. (This link will take you to the Sign-In page and then to the discussion.)

If you are not a member, you can apply to join. I encourage you to do so. I hope to see you over there.

BlogHer 2010 Conference for Bloggers

There are several good blogger conferences each year that I would love to attend. Currently, the buzz is on the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. I received an invitation to attend, but can not afford to. Even if I could raise the money on short notice, I would also have to consider the fact that I would have to bring my husband and kids.

This would be great, except that it is impossible for me to attend the conference activities and leave the kids with my husband to manage. Since my son is autistic, it really takes two of us together to do things in public.

The conference that I am working on attending this year is the BlogHer 2010 Conference in New York. This will be a huge event that will allow bloggers to get together and learn from one another. I am really looking forward to it.

I am trying to get sponsors to cover the expense of going. I would like my husband to go with me. This will only work if my parents will be able to watch the kids. My father would be alone with them while my mom is at work for two of the days. This may be too difficult for him. If push comes to shove, I may have to make it a family trip and my husband will have to entertain the kids in the hotel room when I was doing things that they could not participate in.

So far, I have one sponsor that has covered my event ticket and hotel deposit. Jones Dairy Farm has been supportive of my blog and is sympathetic with families raising an autistic child. Their reaction to the new autism rates is just one of the reasons that I am proud to have them as a sponsor. “The recent autism figures released by the CDC really help shed light on the increasing number of families who are struggling with this disorder,” said Philip Jones, president of Jones Dairy Farm, a six generation family business best known for all natural breakfast sausage. “If our gluten-free certified products help parents in even a small way, then we couldn’t be more pleased. Jones Dairy Farm is glad to be able to provide protein-rich foods that both kids and adults love to eat.”

I am in need of more sponsors to make attending this conference possible. If you are a company that would be interested in sponsoring me, please feel free to email me at tammy@learningfelt.com. No amount is too small or too big. By sponsoring me for the BlogHer 2010 Conference, your company will benefit in advertisement on my site and having me as a representative at the conference. New BlogHer guidelines prevent me from being able to hand out your promotional information, but I am allowed to wear clothing with your company info on it.

I'm Going to BlogHer '10

Yeah! I'm going to BlogHer '10. Thanks to Jones Dairy Farm and Pediatric Safety, I was able to purchase my event ticket and pay to reserve a hotel room for my stay. BlogHer '10 will be held at the Hilton New York, on August 6 and August 7, 2010. I have reserved a room for check in on the 5th and check out on the 8th. Since I will be flying in, I didn't want to miss one moment of the event. Check in is at 3:00PM, so arriving on the 5th was the best choice. I'll be checking out early on the 8th and flying home.

One night of my hotel stay is paid for. The room is reserved for the stay, but I will still need to raise the rest of my hotel stay via sponsors. I will also need to have cab fair from and to the airport. Then there is the food and drinks during my stay. I have some time to raise the money. I am thrilled that Jones Dairy Farm and Pediatric Safety made it possible for me to get a room at the same hotel as the event before they were all booked and an event ticket before they were sold out.

I am still looking for more sponsors and welcome any amount. I am happy to work out arrangements for promoting my sponsors here on my site and at the event. If you are looking for a blogger to sponsor for BlogHer '10, please consider me. You can contact me via email at tammy@learningfelt.com for more information. Thank you.

Please Send Me to BlogHer '10

Now that BlogHer ‘09 is over, the talk is starting to move on to BlogHer ‘10. Nest year, it will be held on Friday and Saturday, August 6 thru 7 in New York, NY. If you are not familiar with this annual conference, let me try to explain.

I have not been to one, but I hear that it is designed to allow bloggers to attend classes and listen to speakers in order to improve their blog. It is also a great opportunity to meet other bloggers and PR representatives for a lot of great companies. There will be opportunities to work and socialize.

I would love to go to BlogHer ‘10. My blog is less than a year old, and is already doing great. I would love to take it to the next level, and I feel that attending a conference like this will help me do that. The problem is, is costs money. There is the ticket ($198 if bought before Feb.), airfare, hotel room, and meals. There is no way I can go unless I have some help.

Here is what I am thinking. If you are a company or a PR rep. for a company, that is looking for someone to help promote your products, I am your gal. I will give you free advertising on my site (amount of time can be negotiated). I will wear clothing with your company logo on it while I am there. You can count on me to recount my experiences at BlogHer ‘10 on my blog, including mentions of your company and the reactions of other bloggers in regard to you. And of course, there will be the posts that I will be doing prior to the event telling everyone that I am going and who is sponsoring me.

No amount is too small or large. The money raised from sponsors will pay for the event ticket, hotel for two nights, a round trip airplane ticket, as well as clothing, meals, travel to and from the airport. If you would like to sponsor me, please contact me at tammy@learningfelt.com and we can work out an arrangement. Thank you.