Blogathon ATX

On Saturday I attended my first Blogathon, which was the fifth one to take place in Austin. My first, their fifth…got it? It was a twelve hour day that took place at Tech Ranch which is kind of a cool office space in North Austin. Lots of rooms and a mysterious collection of corks in the corner. This office has seen its fair share of parties.

And Blogathon really feels like a party. As is typical with any blogging conference, the mix of people was eclectic. From social bloggers (like myself) to business owners, brilliant techies and social media junkies, to people just contemplating a bloggy future, the place was buzzing with personalities.

I enjoyed the sessions I attended. Most meaningful to me were the sessions on WordPress (since I’m a WordPress user and it’s the freakin’ best!) and a Meet the Blogger Q&A. The blogger on the stand was Corrin Renee. You may remember that I did a guest blog on her site Oh Hey, What’s Up just last week. It was great to meet her in person and her frank and honest take on blogging won over the crowd. She bravely answered all questions that came her way and touched on marketing, writing, monetizing and best practices.  

In addition to the learning sessions, attendees could find a nook and quietly blog, get some tech help, or have a one-on-one blog critique. Or just mingle and chat.

If you are wondering how one keeps a mass of bloggers sedate for twelve hours, the answer is simple. Feed them constantly. The culture of Blogathon is one of comedy and food. I spent the day indulging in breakfast tacos, wraps for lunch, cake, and sushi. Then to wind down they fed us pizza, wine and beer. Plus, there was always a fresh bowl of candy and gum within arm’s reach of every blogger.

For Austin bloggers who are looking for a little inspiration, tech advice or new friends, Blogathon is a great bet. And for those who are contemplating blogging or just want to hang out all day, you should go, too. It really was a fun day and the hours flew by. I will definitely be attending a bunch of these.