There are all kinds of blogging conferences these days, filling all sorts of niches. Blissdom (2010) was absolutely a turning point for me with regards to blogging.
Just thought I'd throw out a few resources for you in case you think you might want to give a conference a whirl.
Blog Conference Newbie has great tips and resources.
2012 Mom & Social Media Conferences has a pretty sizable list of conferences happening throughout the year. (momblogmagazine.com)
Two that didn't make the above list above are 2:1 (I'm speaking) and the one I am going to do my best to attend in 2012: Relevant.
A few more that come to mind that aren't so much mom-related are SXSW, BlogWorldExpo and SOBCon.
There's no doubt about it, conferences can be costly. If you're not in a position to pay for the expenses involved, check out something like in(RL) which brings the conference to you!
Bloggy Boot Camps are another cheaper option as the conference travels around the US and may very well be in a city near you in 2012.
One more tip I thought I'd throw out there about finding blog conferences is to note where your favorite bloggers are speaking. Many bloggers have "Speaking" pages or list their speaking engagements on their About page.
Here at BloggingWithAmy you'll find tips, tools & tutorials about blogging and websites. In plain English. Want to 
Is there an amount that you use as "standard" admission for these conferences? How do you know what is a good deal?
I think it really depends on your budget. Check the sites for pricing (they vary). Keep in mind the other costs involved, such as hotel, flight, meals (all where applicable). Blissdom cost me about $800 to attend. I chose not to try to get a sponsor (many people do though!) but my husband and I agreed to scrape the cash together as we thought it would be a good business investment. I'm glad I did it, but we certainly felt it in our budget at that point! Of course, you could always cut costs by choosing one that's closer to home, driving instead of flying, getting a sponsor, etc.
There was a conference here in my city however you just don't know if they're going to be talking basics that you already know or teach you new things. Is there anyway to determine that? The schedule for the one here was vague.
True. I'd ask questions, get involved on Twitter if they have a Twitter stream, talk to others who have attended in the past, etc.
Thanks so much for posting all of these opportunities, Amy! Your awesome!
Great list of resources. Thank you for putting this together. – Sarah Wilson, MySmartPuppy.com
Actually Amy, the Savvy Blogging Summit isn't listed here as you said
And NAMS is another good event which we have talked about on Savvy Blogging (see this NAMS recap post).
I'm glad that Blissdom 2010 was a turning point for you. Perhaps the time at the Savvy Blogging round table made a difference? You were at my table right? You have certainly come a long way!
Thanks for all the great tips as usual. Going to check these out!
One of my 2012/long-term blogging goals is to attend a Blogging Conference. There are SOO MANY out there it is so hard to choose the best one for your blog!
I want to make sure I go to one that will benefit me, my blog, and my readers. I know as a new blogger they say to stay away from blogher b/c it's HUGE and overwhelming to newbies. I guess I have more research to do!
Thanks for this great list, Amy
I'm going to be a speaker at the Las Vegas Bloggy Boot Camp and I'm excited to connect with other bloggers. I attended the one in Seattle in 2011 and it was a great day. I highly encourage bloggers to attend one of the many conferences out there – the information and networking is valuable.
Hi Amy! Thanks so much for this great list. I've been wondering a lot about the (in)RL conference. Do you think it will still be beneficial even for women who do it by themselves?
Great list Amy…I've heard great things about Blissdom and Blogher…had the chance to attend Relevant this year and really enjoyed it… As a woman who would like to expand her reach to Christian women, particularly moms…do you think one of these would be better than another? I'm also looking into some more formal writing conferences…always a great place to network as well.
I have really wanted to attend a blogging conference, but, to be honest, fear is holding me back. I've never even met a blog friend in real life, and I'm reserved and pretty quiet in large group settings. I guess I have a fear that I'll spend a lot of money and then feel totally awkward at the conference. I don't have any real life friends who blog that I could take with me to help me feel more comfortable and have a roommate to reduce costs. Also, I'm still more in the beginning of blogging and trying to figure out how it's going to work for me, so I feel a little out of place among all these people with huge pageviews who are making money. That said, I can't tell you how many times I've seriously considered it but not done it. I'm once again seriously considering attending Relevant this year. It's only a 4 hour drive for me, and lots of bloggers that I absolutely love and read daily are speaking. I've listened to some of the audio recordings from it, and the messages were just so wonderful and encouraging! Hearing that a conference was a turning point for you is encouraging. Did you have a friend with you or know anyone? I'm just a little afraid of going cold turkey. Any suggestions how to go about finding a roommate?
Amy,
I checked out Blissdom and am so excited to see it's here in Nashville where I live. However, I can't go this year. Two questions. First, do they always have Blissdom here in Nashville and second even if I live in town is it more beneficial to stay at the hotel? (Do you know if and when they will have Blissdom in Nashville next year?) If it's here next year I am defiantly going to plan for it.
Thanks for the (in)RL shout out. That made me so happy to see. And yes, to those who wonder, even if you can't meet up with others, tune in by yourself and feed your heart on community that loves Jesus and encouraging other women!
One of my goals this year is to attend a blog conference. I won a ticket to Bloggy Boot Camp. Now I need to find a sponsor or earn the money to pay for travel expenses. I also want to attend Relevant but doubt I'll be able to cover the expenses for 2 conferences this year.
I am attending Bloggy Bootcamp this year (in St. Louis) and am so excited! Hopefully in 2013 I can attend more!
Right now, I was thinking to attend the BlogHer conference.
I'd love for you to include our workshop on your list. We've been holding an internet marketing workshop for niche website owners 4 years now. We hold the event in Atlanta in both February and August each year and have audiences from 300 – 400 people.
Some call it a conference but it really is a workshop. Sessions are 45 minutes followed by a break, followed by a 45 minute instructor-led workshop where everyone gets their hands dirty doing what they just learned.
The website is http://nams-workshop.com and our next one is coming up soon. We'd love to have you all.