#CambMeetUp: How to organise a blogger networking event from scratch
Philippa Artus is the author of fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog, Clashing Time and on the 7 March she will hosting a blogger networking event in Cambridge. ‘After traipsing back and forth to London for events one too many times, I decided it was about time we had a bloggers meet up/networking event in Cambridge!’
Going with the hashtag #CambMeetUp, the event ties in with the ongoing Cambridge Style Week and is being presented in partnership with The Blogger Programme.
Philippa spoke to us about what it takes to organise a blogger meet-up from scratch, why blogs are sometimes more convincing than adverts and how brand marketers can and should get involved in blogger networking events.
Tell us more about the #CambMeetUp you are organising? How did this idea come about? I came up with the idea for the #CambMeetUp after travelling to a bloggers event in London. I realised that although it is an incredible privilege to be invited to events, sometimes bloggers just want to meet local people who they can create a real friendship with! By organising the #CambMeetUp I wanted to encourage bloggers, however big or small, to come together and discuss all the positives (and negatives) associated with blogging. Essentially an event for lovely, honest chit chat!
What advice would you give to someone trying to organise a blogger networking event? What are the challenges? I think the best advice I could give is: start the event planning process as organised as you can be and try to remain organised the whole way through. If I am going to pull this event of, I have realised that I need to keep in contact with a lot of people and I need to try to not forget anything!
When I sat down to think about what I wanted to achieve, I decided to base it on what I think I would have liked to have seen if I was going to attend the event as a new blogger. Imagine if you had just started out, would you feel completely intimidated by the fact that it is a new world and some people seem much more experienced? Although that can very daunting – we all need to remember that we can learn from each other and no one blogger’s imaginative posts are any better than the next, they are just different!
How have PR and brands got involved? I have been fortunate enough to work with some incredible brands on this project. They have been so supportive and have been kind enough to provide me with product samples, brochures or vouchers for the goodie bags. I have spent a long time contacting specific brands directly and I have also been approached by some smaller brands looking to expand their profile. Every person I have spoken to has shown a real interest and I feel very grateful to be able to share these brands with the attendees.
Got the best package ever from the @bloggerprogramme today! Who’s ready for the #CambMeetUp #bloggers event now? :) pic.twitter.com/8FQ7ofnp95
— Philippa Grace Artus (@Pippa_CTx) February 25, 2015
What advice would you give to brands/PR who would like to get more involved? How do they benefit? I would definitely advise brands/PR to constantly keep an eye on Twitter for different meet ups happening around the country. No matter how big or small the event, having a brand or specific product included gives the bloggers something to talk about!
People trust that the blogs they read are based on honest opinions and they feel encouraged to buy certain products or use certain services if someone else they admire talks favourably about them. Sometimes a blog product review is a lot more convincing than an advert as bloggers go into a lot more detail and reference their own personal experiences which you can often relate to.
What do you aim to achieve with this event – key takeaways
My main goal for the event is to meet people in the local area and for the attendees to make friends. At the end of the day, blogging is a community of incredible and talented individuals sharing their thoughts and believes through the magnificent world wide web – what more could you ask for?
Was amazed to receive this huge package from @KETTLEChipsUK today! Thank you so much for sending them for #CambMeetUp pic.twitter.com/MiLhe4V4bD
— Philippa Grace Artus (@Pippa_CTx) February 26, 2015
Drinks and venue completely confirmed for the #CambMeetUp at @RevCambridge! Only a few slots left so register here: http://t.co/z8LgXUmCSj
— Philippa Grace Artus (@Pippa_CTx) February 13, 2015
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