The second year of Blissdom Canada is over and a great time (I think) was had by all. I was very eager to attend this year’s conference given the amazing time I had last year, and while the conference started off slow for me, it definitely ended with a bang. I learned a few things about myself and what I wanted to do throughout the course of the past few days at Blissdom Canada, and here they are in no particular order:
Expectations Can Be A Bad Thing
I went into Blissdom Canada expecting to love it as much as I did last year. Expecting to know what to expect. I really should have gone in with more of an open mind because it was nothing like last year for me. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t as amazing - it was just a different amazing. And change can be good.
I Really Love The CBC
I blog about entertainment stuff, meaning a lot of content that’s out there doesn’t pertain to me, but when I heard CBC Live was going to be one of the sponsors of Blissdom Canada, I got excited. To be able to walk into the CBC headquarters and hang out in a room full of media types made me giddy. I met Jamey Ordolis and Amanda York who are the social media face behind CBC Live, and I got to chat with journalist Alison Smith before the mother in me took over and I ran up to CBC’s Arisa Cox. Arisa used to be a Much Music VJ before becoming an on air personality on my local A Channel Ottawa. But the real reason I know Arisa is because she makes an appearance in my house every day. Arisa has a role in Camp Rock 2 which is played at least once a day in my house. Naturally I asked for a picture with her!
With a lot of questions and concerns over the role of brands in conferences and social media I must applaud how the CBC represented themselves. They genuinely seemed to care about how they connected with us and listened to the advice given while never going over the top. On air and behind the scene representatives were on hand to mix and mingle and even sit on some of the panels. Makes me wonder why I don’t watch more CBC.
I Am Not A Wordsmith – But That Doesn’t Mean I Can’t Appreciate Those Who Are
The one thing that reveals itself to me, the more I read a wider variety of blogs, is that I am not a wordsmith. I will never write with the eloquence of Catherine, and I will almost always abuse the exclamation mark. Sometimes I swear and sometimes I will begin sentences with the words but, and, and so. And just because I wouldn’t use the word ‘hubris’ doesn’t mean I can’t spell the word ‘hubris’. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate those who are wordsmiths and those who blog for the art of blogging. Having a commerce track and an artistic track made it difficult for me to attend all the sessions that I wanted, making me miss the mostly artistic sessions. I’m a little sad about this because I would have loved to hear what these bloggers had to say but when it comes down to it, choosing the commerce track tended to take for priority me. I wish we didn’t have to choose to be one or the other, because just because the commerce track applied to me more it doesn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the artistic track.
Conferences Are What You Make Of Them
There have been lots of discussion about Blissdom Canada and those who liked the presence of brands, those who didn’t and those who didn’t know. Those who enjoyed the sessions, those who didn’t and those who didn’t know, etc. There was lots I loved about Blissdom Canada and some I didn’t but what I do know is that I made the most out of this conference. Whether it was catching up with friends that I only get to talk to online, finally meeting those twitter friends that I hadn’t had the chance to meet before, connecting with new people, interviewing some really cool CBC stars or just hanging out with Candace, Blissdom Canada was what you chose to make of it.
I Still Have A Girl Crush On Jordan Knight
Honestly it’s like I’m 16 again. I.Love.Him. I love Eric and Candace Alper almost as much.
It’s Really All About The Amazing People
It never ceases to amaze me after I attend a conference how people impress me. I know it sounds cheesy, but I left Blissdom with girl crushes on more than just Jordan Knight. I love that I get to listen and learn from some of the best and brightest bloggers, writers, authors, television personalities, entrepreneurs, business women, pr professionals and cocktail-ista’s in the business. And I love even more that I get to call them friends. Because it’s not just listening to them in the sessions, it’s having dinner, lunch, coffee or cocktails with them, or just having a quick chat in the hallway between sessions. It’s having that quick 5 minute conversation that suddenly makes your world so much clearer because of the advice they offer you. I left Blissdom with such an appreciation for so many women and men who are so good at what they do they simply inspire me to be better.
And that was blissful enough for me.
Scene and Heard
Confession from a Pop Culture Mummy
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