This was originally posted on IFB by the lovely Wendy Brandes
As you might have seen, Independent Fashion Bloggers announced its big event for New York Fashion Week: Evolving Influence will take place on September 9.
I asked Jennine Jacob, the founder of IFB, if I could say a few words to help y’all make the most of this opportunity to take your blog game to the next level.
True to its name, the Evolving Influence event itself has evolved, though I prefer to think of it as Madonna-like re-invention. In February 2009, Jennine hosted an IFB blogger party. By September 2009, the event, having turned into a party with panel speakers, had outgrown its original location. It was hectic! Bloggers were here, there, everywhere and spilling on to the sidewalk. To accommodate the growing interest, the event was moved to a larger venue for February 2010 and was a smashing success. Three hundred bloggers attended in person and 2,000 people viewed the livestreamed video of four panels. And, of course, there was an after-party.
This September is going to be the most awe-inspiring event yet. Seriously, it’s going to be like current Madonna with the bulging biceps and the Brazilian boyfriend. Evolving Influence has moved to the ultra-hip Hudson Hotel, where there will be four seminars. The seminars are different from the panels in that they provide more one-on-one interaction with the experts, allowing you to get the practical blogging tips you’ve asked for. Each seminar is led by just two well-known bloggers, compared to as many as six bloggers on the panels. Each blogger will speak for 20 minutes and the audience will have a full 20 minutes per speaker to ask questions. The quality of the information you get will depend on the quality of your questions. Think about your issues — whether those are photography, traffic, comments, monetization, sponsorship or anything else – then listen to the speaker and impress us all with a smart question that’s going to elicit an answer that helps you and everyone else. (As anyone who saw me moderate a panel last season knows, I will gladly cut you off if you launch into a soliloquy instead of a question.)
See Madonna’s biceps? via Harper’s Bazaar
Not only do you have wisdom to gain — and impart — at the seminars, but you also have the chance to get and give lots of good advice while hobnobbing with your fellow bloggers in between the seminars, during lunch and at the after-party. The timing of the event is perfect, too: right at the beginning of Fashion Week, so that you can put all that you’ve learned into effect immediately and impress the pants off me (figuratively speaking).
Once again, here’s the Evolving Influence schedule:
ONE: It’s Just Business: Make a living with your blog
9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Brought to you by Bloglovin’
Whether you’re getting up and running, or taking monetization to the next level, this session will help you demystify the business of blogging.
Speakers: Mattias Swenson - Bloglovin’ • Phil Oh - Street Peeper
TWO: Get Involved: Cultivate a passionate readership
10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Brought to you by theFashionSpot.
One of the best parts about blogging is community engagement. Learn from the masters how to get your readers excited about your blog, and how to keep the love alive!
Speakers: Yuri Lee - LOOKBOOK.nu • Gala Darling - Gala Darling
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Lunch included
THREE: Foot in The Door: Launch your new career with your blog
1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Blogging can open the doors to amazing new careers in fashion. This session will share experiences from those who made it happen for them.
Speakers: Susanna Lau - Style Bubble • Bryanboy
FOUR: Content is Queen: Captivate your audience with compelling content
3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Brought to you by TheFind.
What makes a great blog? Writing? Photography? Style? Je ne sais quoi? Here we’ll talk about how content will always bring your blog to the next level.
There will be giveaways, nice gift bags, and fun stuff so stay tuned for more information!
Join us for the party afterward!
The conference is possible because of our generous sponsors American Express and TheFind, Bloglovin’, Jeff Silverman, the Fashion Spot, who brought us the seminars of the seminars. Other sponsors include Shopbop, ModCloth and LOOKBOOK.nu. Without the sponsors, IFB wouldn’t be able to charge $60 for a day that includes four seminars, lunch, an after-party, giveaways and gift bags. As Jennine noted in February, tickets would cost a whopping $300 without the sponsors. And I assure you that an event of this size doesn’t happen for free. People don’t donate things like locations, audio and video systems, lighting, food, drinks, graphics and so on. Crazily enough, they expect to be paid. (If you want to understand more about labor costs, click here. My post is about jewelry but it applies to everything!) So instead of blowing $60 at some fast-fashion store in Times Square, expand your mind and your readership by getting some hot blogging tips from IFB. I mean, who else would bring you something as eye-opening as this post about how some corporations take advantage of bloggers? There will be lots more of that on September 9. Also, you’re not going to BELIEVE the dress I’m going to wear unless you see it with your own eyes.
