Blog World Expo ‘08 – What A Blast!
Posted on September 25, 2008 by Nate Whitehill
Just like last year, Blog World Expo has come and gone way too quickly. This was my second appearance to the second annual Blog World Expo, held in Las Vegas Nevada. Overall, the BWE08 weekend far surpassed last year!
Last year was our first conference ever and first time we exhibited, as well. This year, UBD designed and implemented the official Blog World Expo Blog, so we were upgraded to a 10×20 booth (twice as big as last year). KA POW!
On Friday afternoon, only four days after returning from Orlando (IZEA Fest), we packed up our monitors and UBD supplies, and we drove the 4.5-hour trek from Phoenix to Las Vegas.
Friday
We arrived in Vegas around 9:00PM, right when the Tech Set party was kicking off. We first met up with our Blog World Expo buddies from last year, Ms. Danielle and Greg Morgan.
New friends Gary from iPhoneinCanada.ca and Derek Semmler also joined us and we went to the Tech Set party at the Mirage where we met up with our Market Leverage home girls, Dina and Debby, and ShoeMoney.
At this point, the bar was closing at the Tech Set party, so we went another bar in the Mirage where we saw IZEA CEO Ted Murphy and also Pete Cashmore from Mashable. After a few drinks with everyone, we basically called it a night. 
‘
Saturday
Saturday was the first day of the conference, so we spent the majority of the day at the conference hall talking to a wide range of different businesses and individuals. As you can see, I look a little more tired than the night before.
ShoeMoney and Ted Murphy stopped by to let us distribute some of their t-shirts, stickers and buttons. Did we mention we love IZEA?
Later that night, the fun started when we went to the Market Leverage-hosted Super Panel dinner with Internet stars such as Zac Johnson, Ian Fernando, John Chow, Jeremy Schoemaker, Brian Clarke and Jim Kukral. We had dinner at an awesome steakhouse. Big thanks to Market Leverage!
Sunday
Sunday was the final day of the expo, but luckily, I was much better rested than the previous night. We exhibited all day, and afterwards, we had dinner with John Chow, ShoeMoney, the Market Leverage girls at the Red8 Chinese restaraunt in the Wynn.
Unfortunately, my camera died earlier that day so I wasn’t able to snap any more pictures.
Overall, it was an incredibly productive weekend and some of the best networking I have done since, well, the week before.
Sometimes people ask me if I have any tips or tricks for people looking to get started online and how they can become more well known in their online field. My answer is always:
Remember that next time you are thinking about going to an industry conference/tradeshow.
Discussion: 30 Comments
Gary
- 26th Sep, 08 12:09am
I love reading all these BWE recaps on all these blogs–it’s like re-living the conference! It was a great time and I totally agree networking in person is HUGE!
Nate Whitehill (author comment)
- 26th Sep, 08 02:09am
Great meeting you and glad you agree. There is nothing more “brandable” than meeting and having fun with people. In my opinion, the value trade shows are less about the panels and exhibits, and more about the personal AND business relationships created through fun times and a few drinks.
Syed Balkhi
- 26th Sep, 08 02:09am
Looks like you guys had fun. I saw you guys at Izeafest … now I regret not going to Blog World .. .but there is always next year ..
Nicole Price
- 26th Sep, 08 03:09am
Apart from these photographs, your photo is doing the rounds in many other blogs too! Just about everyone seems to have had a bash. Congratulations.
Dina
- 26th Sep, 08 06:09am
Blogworld was a BLAST! Great meeting everyone and I can’t wait until next year. We’ve got two special Blogworld editions of http://www.marketleveragetv.com in case you missed the event. Great seeing you again Nate, hope you can make it to Pubcon!
Ted Murphy
- 26th Sep, 08 06:09am
Nate, It was a blast hanging with you and the crew. Can’t wait to do it all again next year!
Debby Phillips
- 26th Sep, 08 06:09am
Nate,
It was nice meeting you at BlogWorld. Thanks for coming out to dinner with us Saturday and Sunday night. This was our first year at BlogWorld. We are definitely going back again next year. I hope to see you guys again soon!
~Debby
Utah SEO
- 26th Sep, 08 08:09am
Looks like fun. Wish I coulda made it.
Mike Huang
- 27th Sep, 08 08:09pm
Dang…I missed it the second time
I wonder if I could attend the 3rd one and possibly with a new blog 
-Mike
Nate Whitehill (author comment)
- 27th Sep, 08 11:09pm
Ted, Debby,everyone! I love hanging out with you guys! Great times! I can’t wait until we can all kick it again soon!
Ashley K. Edwards
- 29th Sep, 08 12:09pm
Great post! I didn’t get to go this year, so I lived vicariously through your blog.
I didn’t realize last year was the first time–ever–that you guys were exhibiting as UBD! Crazy how time flies, huh?
Web Designing
- 1st Oct, 08 03:10am
Hey Nate, you all guys looks together sweet mate.
Internet Age
- 1st Oct, 08 05:10am
It looks like fun man. Shoemoney is quite a wild one, huh? Hehehe, I dig him. Well next time you’ll know to make sure that your camera battery is fully charged before taking off for such an eventful day.
Thank you for sharing Nate
pays to live green
- 1st Oct, 08 06:10am
That looks like real fun. I wouldn’t mind going out to vegas to have fun as well as providing helpful information.
UK Insurance News
- 1st Oct, 08 08:10am
Looks like everyone had a blast!
Pardon my ignorance but what exactly do you guys get up to during something like this? Or, is it one of those things where “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”? lol
Christmas BG
- 1st Oct, 08 08:10am
You have great rest, I think you relax as well as you work
Metaspring
- 1st Oct, 08 07:10pm
You certainly seem to have had a blast! What was it again, a blogging conference?
Affordable SEO
- 1st Oct, 08 09:10pm
You all guys look wild at party, lol.
Still josh looks quite decent. Did he?
Metaspring
- 3rd Oct, 08 06:10pm
BTW, I did not expect quite so many bloggers to be good looking
Nicole Price
- 4th Oct, 08 03:10am
Where are you Nate? I can’t believe that you are still recovering!
Women's Clothes
- 6th Oct, 08 01:10am
Looks like you had a great time. Good!
Eva White
- 9th Oct, 08 01:10am
Say long time no new posts! Come back Nate, we miss you…
Nicole Price
- 10th Oct, 08 07:10am
Ditto!
Nate Whitehill (author comment)
- 11th Oct, 08 11:10pm
I’ve been super busy, but I will try to get a new post up this week!
poems collection
- 13th Oct, 08 02:10am
Great pictures! They are the best proof of advantages to present at Blog World Expo personally. I wish I could be there as well.
Dax Desai
- 13th Oct, 08 10:10pm
Shoe totally looks like a vampire in that one shot.
Utah SEO
- 16th Oct, 08 09:10am
Very disappointed I missed out on this Blog World Expo.
Downloadic
- 18th Oct, 08 04:10pm
LoL look at Shoemoney in the third one.
savings
- 23rd Oct, 08 04:10pm
It seems really fun, wish I was there in the mix of you guys.
Nicole Price
- 6th Nov, 08 06:11am
After the blast, there has been just one post and the silence is deafening!!