“It was sort of like soccer camp for travel bloggers,” I explained to my son this morning as I drove him to swim practice. He wanted to know where I’d been all weekend. It must have seemed rather curious that I’d be anywhere but at the 
community pool throwing a football to him.
The simplified explanation seemed to satisfy him and helped me to crystallize what I got out of attending the 2010 Travel Blog Exchange in New York City.
I didn’t learn any game-changing tips at the two-day conference featuring panel discussions on topics ranging from boosting story telling skills to working with public relations professionals.
But I did come away with some new insights or confirmed suspicions about the travel blogging community. Here are 7 things I noticed:
1. Travel Blogging is Still in Its Infancy. Even the most dominant travel writing sites are still young. Before I started Travelojos in December 2008, I drew inspiration from World Hum. The site features some of the best travel writing on the Web. In his keynote address World Hum co-founder Jim Benning described how the site went from a time-consuming hobby that began in 2001 to a full-time job after it was acquired by the Discover Channel in 2006. The takeaway: most people have only known about one of the top travel sights for less than five years.
2. Large Corporate Sponsors. Kim Mance, the founder of TBEX of Galavanting TV, and Maren Hogan TBEX’s chief marketing officer and Galavanting co-star assembled an impressive number of large corporate sponsors such as Trip Advisor and American Express. This enabled them to offer the conference to attendees at a low price ($40 for early birds and $80 for everyone else), and enjoy a free lunch, happy hour, and party on the first day. TBEX 2010 marked the first time that American Express sponsored a travel blogging event.
3. Semi-Professional. Most of the bloggers I spoke with at TBEX are serious hobbyists. Few seemed to be earning a living wage from their efforts. (Even featured speaker Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View admits she earns $200 a month from her blog). Many attendees seemed tantalized at the prospect of receiving free bees from public relations professionals. Some seemed irked that the FTC requires them to disclose to their readers when they receive a free room etc, while the same requirement does not apply to newspapers or magazines.
4. Girls Rule. About 75 percent of attendees were women. Given the fairer sex’s proclivity for, um, talking, it makes sense that they dominate social media. Travel blogging is no exception. This is a good omen. My guess is that women exercise most of the purchasing power when it comes to travel. Mommy bloggers paved the way for corporate sponsorship on the blogosphere. For the first part of my life I’ve admired women for all the usual reasons why men like women. In the second half, I find myself admiring them for their social skills, industriousness and emotional honesty.
5. The Soul of Travel Blogging. Of all the speakers at TBEX, it was Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View who best personified the travel blogging ethic. Quirky and comfortable in her own skin, Pam described how she lets authenticity of experience guide what she blogs about. This means passing up offers to do things she dislikes. For example, she said she’s turned down free cruises because she hates being stuck on a ship. While Pam was probably the designated star, the person who stole the show was Evelyn Hannon, the CEO of Journey Women. Evelyn shared how she created her online travel resource for women after she split with her husband over 30 years ago. What started out as a series of faxes, turned into a website that landed her on a list of Time Magazine’s most innovative people. At a conference attended mostly by 20 to 40-somethings, it was a 70-year old who made the biggest impression.
6. Travel Trends. Two different people told me they either had started or were about to start a website for people who were thinking about taking a “career break.” Taking an extended amount of time off to travel is common in Europe and other places, but not in the U.S. But this might be starting to change. The new health insurance reforms in the U.S. will help remove one more obstacle to cutting ties with an employer. Someone else told me she started a sight that is sort of like Amazon.com for booking tours etc. Want to book a bike trip in Argentina? Go to her site and find operators that she’s vetted.
7. Missed Opportunities. I was disappointed that Matador Travel didn’t have a more pronounced presence at TBEX. Matador editor Lola Akinmade was a key player on the panel discussion about disclosing sponsors. But it appears that Matador didn’t step up to the plate when it came to sponsoring the event. The result was that the more commercial BootsNAll Travel Network ate Matador’s lunch when it came to gaining large amounts of face time with some of the most influential travel bloggers. BootsNAll also footed the bill for the blowout party after the first day of TBEX. I hope Matador doesn’t make this same mistake in 2011.
What are some travel blogging trends that you’ve noticed?
Photo by Koalazymonkey (Via Creative Commons)
Remember to subscribe to Travelojos via e-mail or RSS feed.
Got a question or comment? E-mail me at travelojos AT gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter at @Travelojos
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Steven Roll, Nellie Huang. Nellie Huang said: RT @travelojos: Seven Things I Learned at #TBEX 2010. #StateoftheTravelBloggingCommunity. http://ow.ly/24mKt [...]
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Thanks for sharing your impressions of TBEX. As a new travel blogger to the scene, I think attending TBEX would provide invaluable insight. However, I didn’t learn about the event until a week or so before it took place. Therefore, I think TBEX and other similar events need to better promote themselves. That being said, I hope to attend TBEX in 2011 in Vancouver.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
I didn’t go to TBEX, mainly because I’m a travel writer by profession and blogger by hobby (and have no desire to flip flop and becoming a blogger by profession), but I know many of the panelists and attendees and have been curious about how things REALLY went down. I’m quite happy to stumble upon a fair and balanced review of the weekend from you. Many of the Tweets I followed seemed tipped in the favor of “best! experience! ever!” and I wanted to hear more about the good, the bad and the ugly, not just the good, better and best. So thanks for the honesty!
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Hi Kristin. Perhaps someday you will make the flip to professional travel blogger. But I would say much of the content might have been too basic for you. For instance, the session on improving your story telling was very obvious. Points like “expand your anecdote so it provides a lesson or insight to the reader.” A breathtaking number of travel bloggers fail to do this. As a professional travel writer, I would imagine that you’ve become pretty good at that.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Very worthwhile review! Disappointed to hear about Matador. I wonder if they didn’t step up purely because they didn’t have the funds.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Steven,
A pleasure meeting you at TBEX and thanks for the round-up. I thought when I read #7, you might mention – never go to the bathroom when there is a sponsor giveaway.
stay adventurous,
Craig
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Hey Steven, I share your disappointment about Matador not having more of a presence there. I’m an editor with Matador and we did have a fairly large contingent representing the good name, just not in a formal sense (also, 5 out of 8 of the keynote stories read aloud were Matador editors and contributors). I’ve already voiced my opinion about Matador being at TBEX11 in a more pronounced fashion.
Re Craig’s comment above…were you the one who missed out when they did that sticker under the chair thing? Ouch.
Too bad we didn’t get to meet there…perhaps next year! Take care.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Nice round-up. I can’t beleive I didn’t notice we were 75% women in there!
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Newark. It’s a great place for blog comments, apparently. Hey, I’m not sure what it means to be the “designated” star TBEX, but, uh, thank you? I loved Evelyn too, so I’m glad you mentioned her. And Lola, jeez, she’s so freaking excellent, I would have loved to hear more from here about how she’s played her position as a relatively unknown blogger in to the wonderful success she’s achieved, plus, she’s SO lovely and kind and smart, too. Maybe next year we’ll hear more from her.
I hope that should you find yourself in Seattle that you look me up. Big crowds make me nervous, but I do enjoy meeting people, especially when there’s time to talk. If I stared past you in a daze, I’m sorry, and I hope we’ll get to meet for a real conversation in beautiful Vancouver.
Happy travels.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
I love everyone sharing their impressions of TBEX because it just goes to show that everyone comes in it with a different mission of what it is they want to learn and what they get out of it. My favorite is #6
Karon – as a new travel blogger I think you would get a lot out of the conference. If I knew some of the things I knew now (and what they presented) back when I started building my site in 2008, it would have made things so much easier. Especially trying to embrace the techie side of things (SEO, monetization, etc…). Hopefully they will spend more time on those topics next year.
Camels & Chocolate – there was a lot of love going around the conference but I think that also had more to do with people finally meeting each other in person. Most of us work independently and spend a lot of time networking in the digital world, so there was a lot of excitement around that (plus, it is a fun group of people). Conference wise, there is a lot that can be improved upon and I believe that will happen. This event has grown tremendously in it’s short life (as has the travel blogging community) so there will be much more to learn moving forward.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Steven,
I see your 7 and raise you 21. Here’s my post about 28 Things I Learned at TBEX: http://www.missadventures.com/2010/06/28/28-things-i-learned-at-tbex/
Yours is an insightful post and I really liked this:
“For the first part of my life I’ve admired women for all the usual reasons why men like women. In the second half, I find myself admiring them for their social skills, industriousness and emotional honesty.”
I had noticed, too, that there seemed to be more women than men at TBEX, but not sure I’d put it at 75%. Thanks for the general compliments towards women, though. It’s about time our emotional honesty was considered a good thing!
Cheers.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Thanks for a well-thought-out & balanced wrap-up of TBEX. I did want to note that the Saturday night party (that it sounds like you enjoyed, which I’m happy about!) was co-sponsored by BootsnAll and NY-based EuroCheapo, & it was really Pete & Tom of EuroCheapo who took the reins of organizing things (since they were on site in NY). We couldn’t have done it alone.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Hi Jessica. Thanks for the clarification. You are both awesome. For the record, I wasn’t at the party. But I talked to several attendees who seemed rather hang over and had vague recollections of a mechanical bull. I enjoyed your comments during the niche session. Your passion for Italy really showed through. I guess Italy and passion are two things that go hand-in-hand.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Haha! The mechanical bull was at a venue that some TBEXers went to AFTER our party. We didn’t think to hire one for our event.
And thanks for your kind words; I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to meet! Next year, I hope, if not before.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Thanks so much for including us (career breaks) in #6 – I”m thrilled to hear that you walked away with that impression!
Overall, some great insights and like Stephanie – I also didn’t notice that it was 75% women…a very intriguing finding!
Totally agree abt Journeywoman…she was really inspiring.
One minor request…in the name of the SEO stuff we learned – I was wondering if you could fix the ‘career break’ link as it is broken!
Thanks again!
Sherry
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Really nice round up. Not all hearts and flowers as much of the post TBEX stuff will most likely be. Sorry we didn’t get the chance to meet, Steven. Room for improvement on that going forward might be a *speed-dating* type of event in a quiet space at the conference – so hard to just seek out everyone and get face time – especially at the after-parties. My biggest regret is not being able to connect with so many of the nice folks that were there.
I’ve been at this travel blogging and writing thing for almost four years – so, like you, alot of the info covered in the panels were things I had known already through my own tireless research, or things I dismissed because I didn’t have any interest in them for my own site (ie podcasting), though I think it would be good info for others.
I do wish that the SEO and Monetization topics would have been given their own panels – each with enough time for questions. Perhaps that will happen next time.
I especially agree on Pam and Evelyn. Both were a breath of fresh air. Meeting Evelyn, who I’ve known and worked with on-line for quite sometime, was seriously one of the highlights of the event for me.
on Jun 28th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Thanks so much for your interesting insights and for the personal shout out, Steven. I’m reading and smiling BIG. Very BIG;-) I came to TBEX to soak up the delicious ‘younger’ energy and ideas I knew I would find and I wasn’t disappointed. At all. I appreciate your kind words and am now even more certain than ever that, ‘Age is not important unless you are cheese.’ Looking forward to joining everybody in Vancouver next year.
on Jun 29th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Hi Steven! I’ve really enjoyed reading your (and Melanie’s) round-up of post-TBEX thoughts. Like most people, the friends I knew before and I thoroughly loved being able to meet our fellow travel bloggers/writers in person. The socialization was a big part of the conference for a reason!
Evelyn, it’s true, you really shone on your panel. Rock star.
Robin, I agree with you about splitting up the monetization and SEO panel into two separate ones. I felt pretty rushed as there were 7 people all trying to get their tips and advice known in a short period of time. I believe that they were combined to give more room for the Community Keynote or podcast panel.
All in all, though, there is no doubt that TBEX is a worthy conference. Talk about your targeted niche! It was a blast. See you all in Vancouver.
on Jun 30th, 2010 at 5:57 am
Hi Robin, I’m adding you to the list of bloggers I missed at the conference. I like your speed dating idea. It seems like giving everyone a chance to talk to one another is an important component of a “social media” event.
I agree with you about the SEO and Monetization panel. I found it annoying that they scheduled the event for 3pm on Sunday—a pretty transparent attempt to ensure there were not too many empty seats at the end. I had a bus to catch and missed it. But given the size of the panel and their mandate to cover two huge topics in a short amount of time, I wasn’t too worried about missing it.
on Jun 30th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Excellent observations, Steven. I couldn’t agree more about Evelyn. I had tears in my eyes during her description of how she started Journeywoman. She’s a rock star. I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to meet you. As others have noted, there didn’t seem to be enough time and/or environment conducive to really being able to meet every other attendee and have quality conversations with them. Maybe Robin’s idea of “travel blogger speed dating” would work. The boozy, loud, dark, crowded parties weren’t the place for quality interactions with other bloggers. I’m not against partying, but if I’m shelling out money to travel to a conference, I’m not there to get drunk or watch others get drunk, I’m there to have quality conversations and get to know people in a way you can’t in 140 characters on Twitter. I liked Pam’s suggestion of holding some networking time at quiet coffee houses instead.
on Jun 30th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
I totally agree about Evelyn and wrote about her on my blog about TBEX, too http://breathedreamgo.com/2010/06/india-tbex-and-new-york-city/
Also agree that boozy parties are not the best way to network — not to me anyway. Luckily, there are lots of people calling for latte-sponsored cafe events.
As a destination blogger, I felt a bit lonely. Was happy to discover Italylogue. At least I’m not the only one with an “I” country obsession.
Mariellen
on Jul 1st, 2010 at 1:03 am
[...] – Chris Around the World The 10-plus things I learned at TBEX – Writing Travel Seven Things I Learned at TBEX 2010 – Travelojos The top 10 things TBEX attendees love besides TBEX – Art of Backpacking The one about the [...]
on Jul 1st, 2010 at 8:55 am
We wrote a post before the conference that TBEX would be “where travel blogging meets speed dating.” While networking and meeting new people was definitely part of the conference, I agree that a more structured environment in a quiet setting would help people connect and talk more productively. Although I met a lot of people, I’m still seeing that there were so many I wanted to meet that I somehow missed.
I second everyone’s opinion that Evelyn was a rock star. So much experience, calm and life perspective.
on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 12:15 am
[...] – Chris Around the World The 10-plus things I learned at TBEX – Writing Travel Seven Things I Learned at TBEX 2010 – Travelojos The top 10 things TBEX attendees love besides TBEX – Art of Backpacking The one about the [...]
on Aug 31st, 2010 at 7:28 pm
[...] Travelojos provides us with not one but two great “Things I learned from TBEX” posts [...]