Blissdom Advice For First Timers…Post Contains Hugging

This time next week, I will be the happiest woman alive. Why you ask? Because I will be with all my friends at Blissdom and I cannot wait.

In getting ready for this years event, I thought back to last year when I was scared to death, didn’t know a soul and my blog was only six months old.

My how times have changed.

It made me think that rather than just hearing about the conference itself, I would have really liked to have heard what to expect as a “newbie”. Things that would have made me feel a little less jittery walking through the doors of the hotel.

So if you are new to this event, or if you just don’t have anything better to read at this particular moment, here is a list of things you should know:

• Everyone is nice.   I didn’t encounter one single person who was mean to me.   If someone is mean to you, come find me and I’ll take care of it post haste.  And then I’ll probably hug you.
• You won’t be sitting alone.   People sitting at tables with extra seats will generally be very welcoming of you joining them.   If you do find yourself sitting alone, come find me and I’ll sit with you.  Or on your lap.  Your call.  Either option probably also involves hugging of some sort.
• Take layered clothes.   Doesn’t matter how fancy the hotel, they can never get the temperature just right.   You will find yourself either too cold or too hot.   If you are too cold, come find me and I’ll hug you until you warm up.   If you are too hot?   I don’t know, the only thing I can do is throw you in the pool and I don’t think you want that.
• Take a good mixture of clothes.   There will be at least one day you probably don’t change from what you wore during the day and one night you may find you want to dress up.   Take stuff that mixes and matches so that when you invariably freak out and don’t know what to wear, you have a lot of options.     If you freak out, call me.   I’ll show up with a bottle of wine in hand, hug you and tell you to get over it.
• Take business cards.   Listen to me…this one is important. Even if you have to print them up yourself, be sure to have a few hundred on hand.   You will probably be able to tuck them into your name tag and you will want to be able to refresh your supply often.   If you don’t bring business cards, I may not hug you, because my eye sight is starting to go and I won’t be able to read your name tag and I can’t just be hugging on total strangers can I?   (Well, yes I could but this is my feeble attempt to get you to do what I say.)

Above all, come with a great attitude and expect to walk away with a whole lot of new friends.  I know I did last year, and I cannot wait to see each and every one of those lovely ladies again next Thursday!

Come find me…and don’t be surprised when I give you a giant hug.

You have been warned.