I am so excited today to have with me Kami Kilgore of the Everything Food Conference. We recorded this episode live from the Alt Summit Conference and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to talk about conferences and why they are so important for bloggers.
IE 62: Everything Food Conference with Kami Kilgore
2018 will be the third year for Kami’s conference and I was lucky enough to be there last year and will be there again this year! The conference has grown exponentially since Kami began and it brings in some of the best in the food blogger and general online business.
Everything Food Conference Schedule
Depending on which conference you attend…and there are plenty to choose from no matter what niche you are in…but no matter which one you attend, the schedule will be unique based on the topic and the number of people attending and speaking. I asked Kami to give us a breakdown of her food bloggers conference to give us an idea of what a brand new, never-attended-a-conference-before attendee might expect.
- Kami includes different types of sessions at the Everything Food Conference; everything from keynote sessions to workshops.
- Kami bases her conference survey feedback very seriously; she hosts the conference for the attendees, not for herself. Listening to the current attendees helps her figure out what to keep the same and what to change for the next year.
- One thing that is unique about Kami’s conference is that she holds 2 hands-on workshops. Because this is a larger conference, with over 300 attendees, Kami knew it was important to have hands-on experiences for the attendees. 2018 will offer hands-on workshops in food photography and video as well as a writing workshop.
Is Everything Food Conference Only for Food Bloggers?
I know that in my circle of readers, listeners, coaching clients, and fellow bloggers, I have several food bloggers but I also have several lifestyle and craft bloggers. So would a food blogger conference be applicable to other types of bloggers?
Kami’s take on this is one that I love and completely agree with. Most food bloggers aren’t just food bloggers. Many of them travel and blog about traveling. Many of them do a lot of lifestyle type posts.
The content creation information at the conference, along with the chance to interact with sponsors and network with other bloggers will be extremely beneficial for all types of bloggers, but especially those in the food, travel, and lifestyle niches.
Avoiding Overwhelm at Everything Food Conference
So you’ve been to a conference and you’ve gained a ton of knowledge and now it’s time to leave and you feel completely overwhelmed by everything you learned. Is there a way to go home feeling confident instead of overwhelmed? How can you have a plan to put into practice what you learned so the great information doesn’t just go to waste?
Kami had some great ideas for this.
- Come with a purpose. Have an idea of something specific you want to learn, whether that’s video, SEO, or pitching brands.
- Set goals before you come. This allows you to separate everything you have the opportunity to hear from the things you need to hear.
- Have a networking strategy. If you’re coming to a conference for the networking opportunities, you need to know specifically who you want to network with.
- Think of the next 6 months. Have an idea of what the next 6 months’ goals look like for you and how this conference can help you get on track to meet them.
Networking on Every Level at Everything Food Conference
We all have online businesses so we get the whole “my best friends live in my computer” thing. But attending a conference takes the whole relationship component to a completely new level.
Not only will you have the opportunity to meet other bloggers face-to-face but you can also meet brand representatives face-to-face. The other bloggers you meet have a chance to get to know you and those types of relationships often evolve into collaborations in the future.
At Kami’s conference, you have the chance to interact with the brands she has invited and she chooses those brands very carefully. Not only do the attendees benefit from meeting the brand reps in person, but the brands want to meet the bloggers they work with as well. There is nothing like an in-person meeting to establish a great relationship with a brand.
And like I tell you all the time, great relationships tend to turn into long-term relationships.
Kami shared with me that she has attendees leave her conference with 6-month to 1-year deals already in place with brands. How’s that for getting the most out of a conference?!
Be sure to check out the Everything Food Conference if you are a food, travel, or lifestyle blogger, or if you plan to level up on your networking in 2018.
If you can’t attend a conference in person, the closest next thing is my mastermind programs. Be sure to get on the waitlist today!
