I bet most of you have already marked your calendars and are already eagerly waiting for tomorrow’s big offline blog event, the second Taste Asia Blogger Meet-up. Over 500 bloggers were invited to attend, i reckon that it would be another fun night for everyone.

I took the time to browse the guest list and found some new unfamiliar names. Yes, new bloggers for me to meet! *evil laugh*

I remember the first time I signed up to attend a blog event (It was the first Taste Asia event), I looked around the blogosphere for tips and stories on what really happens during such events just to give myself an idea. Are people required to speak in fluent english? Do I have to wear a coat and tie? Do I have to bring a laptop?! I was clueless!

Now that I have already attended a number of offline blog events (read: three!), I can now consider myself as an ‘experienced blogger’ when it comes to meet-ups. And for the benefit of those new bloggers who will be their first time to attend such events, I have compiled a mini-guide to give them a better understanding of the things they will be dealing with during these meet-ups.

Hope this post would help!

Why should you attend blogger meet-ups?
Why not!? There are actually lots of reasons why a blogger should not pass-up offline blog events. I have listed some of them below:

• It gives you a reason to scrape your butt from your computer seats and take a day off from all those blogging, at least just for a day.
• You can get to know the bloggers behind other blogs even more.
• You may also get to know other bloggers that you haven’t met with on the online world.

• You can now finally converse with real people! (How long has it been?)
• These kinds of events have lots of photo opportunities which you could post and brag about on your blog.
• You’ll have something to talk about on your blog for the next few days.
• Meeting up with other bloggers will open up new opportunities for your blog (i.e. advertising, business relationships, and such)

What should you expect during offline blogging events?
Ever wondered what offline blog events have in store for bloggers? Expect that there will always be:

• Bloggers - Obviously, hehe. Yep, you will be seeing lots of them during these events. No static images and anonymous faces here, you’ll be meeting up with the real ones this time.
• Discussions - Bloggers are people who naturally love to talk and share opinions. Expect to engage into different conversations with other bloggers on a wide range of different topics.
• English Speaking People - Hahaha. I don’t know why, but bloggers seem to love to converse in English. Yeah, this means you should practice your vocabulary skills at home before going to an event. I always do! Hahaha! But of course, meron din naman ang mga nagtatagalog. Mas lalo na kung masyado nang malalim ang Englishan!
• A Feeling of Anxiety - If you are a little new to these kinds of events, it is only normal to feel a little out of place especially with the great number of people around. Have no fear, bloggers are really friendly and outgoing people, you’ll feel welcome as long as you open yourself up to others.
• Blog Promotions - It is during blogging events where people people take the opportunity to promote their new blogs and look for new readers. You should do too! Be ready to promote your blog and prepare for an opportunity to (shamelessly) plug your blog on the mike.
• Food - Most blog events offer food during events. But not just any food, but free food! Yay! You may want to go to the event with an empty stomach to get the most of the free food, hehe.
• Fun - Blog events are surprisingly fun! This is the main reason why I am always looking forward to offline blog events. I meet new friends, get to see magic (thanks to Marcelle), and experience loads of memorable moments. I always go home smiling.

Hope this post would be helpful! I will be posting the second part of this series tomorrow which covers topics like “Things to do before going to offline blog events” and “Other interesting things during offline blog events“.

Happy Blogging!

Sign up for my feeds to get the latest articles here in PinoyBlogero! What’s your pre-offline-blogging-event story? Do you have any other tips to share? Leave them below and I will include them on the second post!