It’s been interesting to participate in the annual Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) Conference since its infancy. From a small gathering in one room in Chicago in 2009, the first actual TBEX conference was the next year, in New York City. That one, frankly, was a disaster. It was as disorganized and messy — and noisy! — as a little kid. Last year, the TBEX Conference in Vancouver was a big improvement, though there were still many organizational issues and programming problems that left a lot of attendees grousing and unhappy (sort of like moody teenagers). This year, BlogWorld & New Media Expo purchased the TBEX Conference, and the improvement is impressive. Having an actual conference and event organizer company organize TBEX has raised the level of professionalism throughout the entire production. It is clear that, with BlogWorld on board, we’re watching as the Travel Blog Exchange Conference grows up and becomes the conference our wonderful community of travel bloggers deserves.
Travel Blog Exchange Conference 2012 in Keystone, CO
The positive change in the Travel Blog Conference was in evidence from the get-go. The Road Rally from Denver to Keystone, Colorado was a fun way for attendees to get to see more of the state than just the inside of the airport, the inside of the airport shuttle, and the inside of the conference center in Keystone, Colorado. Once in Keystone, the opening night welcoming party was designed to be pitch-perfect with our surroundings: This being the Keystone Resort in Colorado, TBEX attendees took gondola rides up to a Taste of Vail party, with the interior decked out in a sophisticated and enticing way. The food was incredible and the drinks were flowing. Many of us were blown away by the presentation (and did I mention the food and drinks?) as well as the high level of friendly service.
Jen Miner and Jen Leo having gondola fun
Of course, the Travel Blog Exchange Conference is about much, much more than parties and socializing. The next day, the TBEX 2012 conference sessions had a stronger emphasis on professional aspects of the business of travel blogging — a huge improvement over the more free-wheeling feeling at previous years’ TBEX conferences. The conference panels and presentations were categorized into Tourism, Tools of Travel Blogging, Art of Travel Blogging, Business of Travel Blogging, and Beyond the Blog: Business of Travel tracks.
TBEX Keystone 2012 Keynote speaker CC Chapman
Keynote speaker CC Chapman energized and motivated the crowd, and keynote speaker Rand Fishkin enabled travel bloggers to feel more comfortable with marketing themselves without losing their authentic voices. They were both positive, optimistic advocates for blogging, and engaging, entertaining speakers.
Keynote speaker Rand Fishkin at TBEX 2012
While I unfortunately missed the closing keynote and closing ceremonies (it was Father’s Day! I had to get home), there is no doubt that this was the best TBEX conference yet. While TBEX Vancouver was better organized than TBEX New York City, the growth in improvement in every respect this year is off the charts. This is not hyperbole.
Room for Improvement
No matter how impressive a conference may be, there is always room for improvement. Two issues that could use improvement in next year’s TBEX conference are the location and the general level of the panels.
Location: The Keystone Resort is at a higher elevation than most people are used to, and it’s two hours from Denver International Airport. Don’t get me wrong: I loved Keystone Resort. It is a gorgeous property in a stunning setting, and the staff could not have been better. They were also incredibly friendly and seemed genuinely happy to help. But we were at an elevation of over 9000 feet, and a lot of attendees felt altitude sickness. This ranged from slight dizziness to serious nausea and debilitating headaches. This is no small thing: a weekend conference is, obviously, only three days long, and it can take three or four days to fully acclimate to a higher altitude. The Colorado mountain resort area is absolutely beautiful and I don’t regret that TBEX was at Keystone Resort this year, however, having the conference at a lower elevation destination would be advisable for a higher degree of attendee enjoyment. It would also be nice to have the conference somewhat closer to an airport, for transportation and overall travel purposes.
Panel Level: I heard two complaints about the overall level of the presentations and panels. One was that they were too basic, and the other was that they were too advanced. Funny, right? Well, clearly this says less about the presentations and the panels than it does about the population of travel bloggers in attendance. Namely, that they are diverse. Young and old, backpackers to luxury travel specialists, and most importantly, beginners to experts. For the panels and solo presentations to better serve the needs of the attendees, it would be smart to offer professional training at differing levels. I would really, really have loved an Advanced WordPress presentation, for example, and some bloggers told me that they would have really wanted to hear a basic “how to get invited on your first press trip” type of panel.
Destination location selection and tweaking presentations for different levels of travel blogger experience would be easy adjustments for the Travel Blog Exchange Conference. BlogWorld bought TBEX after some plans for the 2012 conference were already in motion, and the conference organizers had a lot on their plate — some of which may have been unexpected. Any other issue that cropped up prior to the conference or along the way is understandable, and, in terms of the overall experience of TBEX Keystone, small potatoes.
TBEX “speed dating” at conference center’s Expo Hall
Everyone that I spoke to had glowing things to say about the Travel Blog Exchange Conference in Keystone, Colorado. It gives the travel and tourism industry, travel bloggers, and travel PR specialists a sense of pride and a renewed sense of purpose to have such a useful, well-organized conference specific to our interests. As Rick Calvert, CEO of BlogWorld & New Media Expo told me, “we want to give travel bloggers the conference they deserve.” Thank you, Rick: BlogWorld and TBEX have done it. We finally have a professional, interesting, exciting and well-organized travel blog conference, and simply by having one, we can feel like we do deserve it. It’s a thrill to watch and be part of the process, as the Travel Blog Exchange Conference grows up.
The Vacation Gals, all together at TBEX 2012!
Disclosure: ColoradoGal Kara Williams and I were speakers at the 2012 TBEX Conference in Keystone, Colorado, and had our expenses covered as a result.
Definitely something I would like to attend in the future. Sounds like there were some good take-a-way lessons from the organization standpoint. My blog is still growing, and I am learning something new most days – do you know if they already have a 2013 meeting set?
2013 location and date not set yet – but as soon as that info comes out, I’d mark your calendar. It was an EXCELLENT conference.
So glad to hear such a big improvement. It’s so exciting when I heard about BlogWorld Expo purchasing TBEX. So have they announced the next location yet?
2013 U.S. location & date have not been announced yet. I’m *guessing* it’ll return to the East Coast. I’ll be there, for sure. This was the BEST TBEX yet.
I was invited last minute to attend by a fellow blogger, and man am I sorry that I missed it. Like everyone else I’m eagerly looking forward to the announcement of next year’s conference.
Great write up about the event and being my first time at one I can’t comment on the past, but I think you nailed it on things that could be improved.
The elevation slammed me in a big way. I was actually VERY worried about my keynote based on the way I was feeling the night before. Thankfully the gallons of water I drank and an early bedtime seemed to do the trick, but I definitely would of had more fun if it wasn’t for the effects of the altitude on me.
Programming for a conference is always tough because you never know the type of audiences you are going to have. The age old problem of entry level vs. more experienced is something that I think every event struggles with and I can’t imagine how hard it must be to do it.
Hope to see you next time around.
Just couldn’t make it this year, and missed all of you! Hope to catch up IRL sooner rather than later. xo
I’m sorry to have missed the programs and the events, but I think the elevation would have done me in, based on how I felt last time I visited CO. I’m SO hoping it’s back here on the East Coast next year!
It would make sense for this (East Coast) to be true.
This was my first TBEX and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. I do agree, however, that some more “nuts and bolts” type presentations would have been helpful for newbie bloggers like myself. Regardless, I’m very tempted to book a flight to Costa Brava now!
Great to meet you Jen, and thanks again for your SEO panel – very helpful to this new blogger on the block. You gals are all very nice, looking forward to following all of your adventures!
Great recap! I wish I would have attended your session. I’m sure it was great. Unfortunately I made the choice to attend what turned out to be the wrong one and had to walk out halfway through. The panelists by and large were great, it was just that one that was really bad.
Great to see all three of you!
Thanks for the wrap-up! Sorry we missed it, but a big issue for us is that Colorado from Atlanta is cost-prohibitive: Flights, accommodations and food for Mary and I would’ve been over $1500! Having it in gorgeous travel destinations is great, but since most of our time will be spent inside the conference center itself, it’d be nice if future TBEX venues gave greater consideration to fitting into bloggers’ limited budgets.
Bret, I do hope you make it to next year’s. Maybe it will be held closer to your home base.
Interesting write up. Glad to see it has improved.
Don’t forget though, that a conference that travel bloggers deserves and one that provides the “nuts & bolts” sessions you suggest, already exists in Europe!
Proximity to a major metropolitan area is the biggest reason why I didn’t attend this year and very interesting to read about the panel comments as I feel they were quiet similar post-conference last year. Since travel and/or blogging isn’t my main career the conference would either have to be in a place close to home or somewhere I would want to travel anyway. But I loved following along on Twitter! So far, seems most of the response is very positive, which always makes me jealous, in a good way. Great wrap up and see you soon JM!
It was so much fun seeing my Vacation Gal pals again at TBEX. As someone who’s attended 3 out of the 4 TBEX conferences, I agree that finally TBEX is coming into its own. And why shouldn’t it, since TBEX is now run by Blog World, the master of running blogging conferences. I’d like to see the speed dating increase to both days, for me it was the most beneficial part of the conference. A two-track system of educational sessions would be good too. It’s a long distance between beginner blogger and the more advanced among us. I was lucky that the elevation didn’t bother me too much. I thought Vail Resorts went out of their way to show us a good time. It will be hard for the next U.S. destination to mee the standard that they set.
Great recap of a beautiful conference!! Next time I swear I will listen to Kara when she says to start hydrating a few days before you arrive! The altitude was the only thing that slowed me down.
I can’t sing enough praises about this TBEX. The only thing I wished for were either repeats of sessions or having it available online for attendees! I wanted to go to them all!!!
Thanks for the recap, my friend! I’m so glad to hear that TBEX was a more organized conference this year, and that @randfish once again rocked the crowd. I’m also relieved that I didn’t attend — having just gotten over three months’ worth of illness, it doesn’t sound like the altitude would have done me any favors…I join you in hoping there will be different tracks/levels next year, as that sounds like a brilliant idea!
Great insights! I agree about the elevation, I didn’t know what to expect and didn’t feel fully adjusted until Sunday morning. Loved the variety in panels and feel like there can always be more, looking forward to next year”s panels! Great to see you, Kara, and Jen, so sad I missed seeing you! Next year
I just became a TBEX member and wasn’t able to attend this year, but am certainly looking forward to next year. This was a very helpful recap. Will there be others going into more detail/take aways regarding the panels that you attended?
Wow, wishing I was a travel blogger right about now! Would have loved to hear your talk!
What an upgrade compared to NYC!!! Remember how our dinner was a food truck? Hard to believe compared to the dinner we had on our first night in Keystone. I had such a great time at TBEX and they are only going up from here. I’m super excited for TBEX Spain.
I agree with the above! Totally wishing I was a travel blogger right now!! Love to go to such fun venues for “work” conferences!
Great write up!
I wasn’t a big fan of it being at Keystone because I just felt that it was too spread out. I prefer a more intimate conference area.
I agree on the sessions. Too basic on the skills level but the discussion ones were wonderful. Loved the “New Press Trip” with Kara.
As far as conferences go, you can’t beat the cost on this one and I do look forward to it next year!
I thought TBEX 2012 was wonderful. The elevation was only a challenge the first evening for me (probably because of exhaustion) but I did see quite a few people have a hard time. The setting was gorgeous and I only wish we had more time to enjoy our surroundings. This is the first year I didn’t come in a day early (I had to cover a press event) and I did feel like that detracted from my experience a bit. Going forward I will make every effort to enjoy the pre-conference events and suggest those thinking about going for the first time in 2013 do the same. The sessions were great and I think I learned more at this conference than I have in conferences past. The speed dating was great and I hope they have even more time allotted to it in next year’s programming.
Got excited about the Road Rally to Keystone and thought…IBEX should come to Moab, we are lower elevation…then the report pointed out being closer to an airport. The Canyonlands Airport does receive 2 daily commercial flights weekdays, one weekends with 19 passengers per plane. Or Grand Junction Colorado has an airport 2 hours away…
Moab is another beautiful place, especially, for travel bloggers to experience…
I’d be pleased to help research Moab for a future IBEX!
Great write up, and I agree with all your points. I think there were some very minor hiccups and organizational issues (those who didn’t have sponsor tables said they had a hard time figuring out where to meet for speed dating, and the Saturday lunch line was awful), but overall I think the logistics of the conference were really well executed
I also agree with the comments that some of the sessions were a bit too basic. I was disappointed that there was only one session on writing (which was excellent) and I was surprised that the session was not packed. Next year I’d like to see more sessions on improving your writing, and I’d love to see beginner vs advanced tracks (or maybe an optional pre-conference 101 bootcamp with several beginner sessions so the main event can offer more advanced info). I loved the addition of speed dating though! As a sponsor representative, it was extremely helpful in making connections and getting to know many more bloggers (outside of the parties) in a short amount of time.
The venue did present some problems for a lot of attendees (including me) in terms of the altitude, but still I thought Keystone went above and beyond in their hospitality. They did a fantastic job of welcoming us and showing us the best of the resort.
Overall, it was a great event that left me excited and inspired and allowed me to reconnect with old friends and make new contacts. Every year TBEX has gotten bigger and better, so I’m looking forward to see what next year’s event brings.
I’ve always wanted to go to Blog World Expo. Thinking of going to the next one. Thank you!
Drat the one time I decided not to go (because of the location) it turns out to be worthwhile, oh well there’s always the next one!
Nice job and I feel basically the same. P.S. Who took that nice pic of you and Jen Leo?
You know what, Johnny, I ALWAYS put photo credit in the mouseover, but the process of collaging those two great photos you took of me and Jen sort of left that element by the wayside. I’ve since fixed it, and thank you for letting me use use photos here!
That was my fault – I take full blame. I forgot to fix the mouseover title when I tried to fix some spacing in Jen’s text! Sorry, Johnny.
(Lovely to meet your fiancee this weekend!!)
I’m losing track of how many conferences I’ve been to, including a few in past life career paths. All have something that doesn’t go perfectly, but in terms of pure return on time and investment, I can’t imagine anyone came out of this one disappointed. I was thrilled to see so many quality travel companies, destinations, and PR firms there. It gives me faith that the industry overall is finally waking up to where the influence is and where the real ambassadors for what they offer are located. (Hint, it’s not in a New York office tower.)
But I’ll say too a closer location to an airport, with a wider choice of accommodation for people on a budget would be preferable for this crowd. One budget blogger I know who was registered skipped out after he figured out what it was going to cost to stay anywhere near as a solo traveler.
I’m so jealous – everyone looked like they had such an amazing time at TBEX. Wish I had gone. One day I will manage to get there.
Like everyone else, I think this TBEX was much improved thanks to Blog World’s involvement. Yes, there were some minor hiccups, which I discussed with Rick, and he found remedies that worked. I know going forward these particular problems will be dealt with long before TBEX ’13, so I expect they won’t be around next year. Also like everyone else, I would love to see more speed dating. This was very beneficial to me, and I want more. The EXPO hall was a HUGE improvement over last year’s set-up, and I finally had an opportunity to talk to the sponsors without interrupting sessions (who sets up sponsor tables inside a session room?). In addition, I LOVED the Road Rally and hope it becomes an annual event. It was an ideal way to see more of the area. Finally, I agree that having TBEX closer to a major airport would be helpful and, hopefully, less expensive in terms of airfare. That being said, I hope TBEX stays away from typical convention sites like LA, NYC & Las Vegas. I liked the uniqueness of Keystone & the opportunity to do something off the beaten path (a gondola ride — with a flute of champagne, no less — to the opening night party??? That’s fantastic!). There are many places TBEX can go that marry a major airport hub with an interesting travel destination. I hope they do so!
Great write-up. Thanks for putting this together. I completely agree that it would be beneficial to break down the sessions into different levels based on experience. It was sometimes hard to know, based solely on descriptions, whether a session was advanced or introductory. That said, I think it was a good conference overall. Nice chatting with you!
I guess we picked the right year to attend TBEX. All of the guest speakers gave us so many ideas. You guys blew our minds! Thank you Jennifer… we are currently changing all of our titles to be SEO-friendly. Oh wait, maybe we don’t mean thank you
Great recap, ladies! It was wonderful to meet all three of you and I’m super glad I attended this year. I learned so much as a first-timer and agree on the different levels of workshops as well as the altitude issue. But overall, I found them to be small inconveniences. And the closing keynote – what a fantastic choice – that ALONE was worth the entire trip for me. I appreciated that there was a speaker for those of us who are more into travel photography and writing than blogging as well. I’m honestly looking forward to the next TBEX!
Thanks for the nice write up Jen – I think you raise some excellent points (although I also agree with what Karon said about the uniqueness of the venue being an asset – and goodness knows Vail Resorts can throw a wonderful party!)
To me TBEX has always been about the people – I love getting together face-to-face not only with bloggers but with brands and PR. This year was no exception, but what made a huge difference was that we were invited to create a profile that enabled us to connect easily with other attendees. I’m pretty sure I made more meaningful connections in that brief two-day period than I have over the past three TBEX conferences put together.
Great summary and observations on TBEX ’12. This was my first TBEX and the proximity of Keystone to my home in Salt Lake City is what made it possible for an “up and coming” travel blogger like me to be there. It makes sense to move it around the country each year to make it easier for those on a tight budget to attend at least occasionally.
I agree with your suggestion to structure sessions around experience (i.e. Beginning WordPress v. Advanced WordPress). However, the opportunity to network with bloggers I admire and meet other fascinating travelers at the parties, lunches, speed dating, etc. was worth the price of my ticket.
Great summary, Jen.
Sorry you had to leave before the final presentation. Chris Baker did a great job explaining how he adapted and changed his career as the market(s) changed.
I never heard of this conference…. sounds like fun…. I’ve heard Rand Fishkin speak at another conference in the past…. he was very good!
It was so nice to finally meet you Jen! I hope next year’s conference is somewhere near So Cal because I would love to attend!Looks like a great conference.
I thought the event was good. I didn’t have any problems at all with the altitude (granted I deal with some altitude here in California being close to Tahoe). Only time I felt it was when I got off the gondola Friday night. Other than that, I was fine all weekend (but did have a little trouble sleeping).
One other big complaint on this one (you hinted at it but didn’t state it) – please don’t have this event again Father’s Day weekend. They wouldn’t dare do this on Mother’s Day weekend so why do it Father’s Day? I left early Sun am (I know CC and others left too) so I was really bummed to miss the last day.
As Kim was on stage during the closing remarks, getting emotional about how far TBEX has come since that packed Chicago room, I got emotional, too – it’s really stunning to have witnessed the exponential growth over the past four conferences. And as with any dramatic growth spurts, there are bound to be growing pains. The BlogWorld folks eased most of the growing pains from previous years, I think, & I’m confident they were taking notes for the future.
To me, the topics covered in the sessions themselves are the biggest area for improvement in the future – &, frankly, that’s an area that’s not terribly difficult to improve. I’d love to see an entire weekend’s worth of sessions (from beginner on up) on topics like writing, video, WordPress, & photography. And there’s no reason that all the speakers need to come from the travel world, either. We could learn bucketloads from great photographers, for instance, no matter what their background. Same goes for writing instructors, WordPress wizards, etc. I think having BlogWorld on board means more opportunities for pulling in great speakers on all topics, regardless of their ties to the travel blogging world.
One thing I’d love to see at future conferences, perhaps even a series of sessions, is kind of a 101 on professionalism. For many of us, if travel blogging started out as a hobby we did for fun, it’s not necessarily a seamless transition to treating it more like a profession. And that’s precisely what we need to do if we’re going to continue to raise the bar for us & our cohorts, & get taken more & more seriously by destinations, PR firms, potential sponsors, & editors.
I’m exceptionally glad I made it to TBEX this year, & I’m really looking forward to the next one.
I’d wanted to attend the 2012 TBEX so badly. I’m glad I decided to stay home though- I actually spent the weekend in the hospital having an emergency surgery to remove my gall bladder!
I attended a blogging conference in the mountains of Colorado two years ago and I was so sick the entire time. Yes, it was beautiful, but that headache was a killer even though I tried to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. It’s hard to concentrate on the sessions when your head and bladder both feel like they’ll explode!
I’d love to see the conference on the East Coast next year and will anxiously await the locale! In the meantime, I hope they offer recordings of the conference for those of us that weren’t able to make the trek to Keystone.
Sounds awesome…I hope to attend in the future.
Hopefully the Midwest is considered! Elevation is not an issue
we are all at sea level. But more importantly, its more affordable and easier to get to for most of the USA.
Of course I am bias to the Midwest
Great to finally meet you ladies in Keystone! We agree that, while the location was STUNNING, the altitude was a bit tough. Next year, we suggest a major metropolitan area at sea level.
I agree with a lot of your points. I am a brand new blogger and first time attendee. I also got to sit in on your presentation, which was wonderful! I would LOVE to see a dual track of beginner and advanced – I didn’t start my blog as a hobby, but as a way to write off the travel that I do! However, I do have to see a profit at some point, or the IRS will get me like the boogeymen they are! LOL!!
The altitude wasn’t too bad for me, but I lived in Colorado Springs growing up and spent a week there with my mom prior to coming out to Keystone, so I was able to acclimate a bit better. The first night still got to me, but then, those are the joys of pregnancy!
Otherwise, as I sit in humid, muggy, 95+ degree NC, I must admit that it was VERY refreshing to be in 70-80 degree weather with no humidity, mosquitoes, or overbearing heat in summer!!
My biggest wish is that they’d called the “speed dating” something else. I’m happily married and took it to literally mean what it said, so I blew it off during the registration!!! Of course, my blog is so new that it probably wouldn’t have been very valuable at this point anyway, but still! I had NO CLUE that it meant “Maybe go on a press trip somewhere if we like you!” When I figured that out, I felt like a fool and an idiot at the same time.
Also (and this is NO fault of Keystone or TBEX), I-70 sucked getting back to Denver! I wonder how many people missed their flights? It took us 2 hours to go 30 miles, and I was kicking myself the whole time because I made the stupid, rookie mistake of NOT checking for traffic before we hit the road. We could EASILY have taken Hwy 9 and 24 back to CO Springs, but NO… we HAD to take 70. (I knew that 10 years ago it was a pain, but thought it’d gotten better since? Apparently not.) So, perhaps when selecting a location in the future, consider multiple routes and access points? Otherwise, you have a whole string of bloggers missing flights because one interstate is backed up like crazy and there’s no real simple alternate route to the airport.
Great recap. Location was my biggest complaint about TBEX. I could NOT sleep! And being 2 hours away from an airport was pretty sucky as well. Sorry I missed meeting you!
Thank you for the recap! This is the one conference I’ve always wanted to go but not yet been able to make it. Hope to make it this fall in Europe or next year in the US.
The conference’s agenda includes training on how to monetize blogs, search-engine optimization, podcasting and tapping social media.