I’m fairly new to the world of travel blogging, so I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting myself into when I signed up for the first annual TravelCon in Austin, TX. I guess it made me feel better knowing my first big travel conference would be at an event that was also in its first year. Turns out, the conference exceeded all of my expectations! Here is an overview of my experience at TravelCon 2018 and why I can’t wait for next year’s event.

What is TravelCon?

Great question! TravelCon is one of the travel industry’s newest annual conferences that connects travel bloggers, writers, videographers, and photographers with industry leaders, influencers, and other well-established writers and bloggers.

It was founded by experienced travel blogger, Matt Kepnes, better known online as Nomadic Matt. His goal was to create an event that stood out from other conferences and help travelers much like himself learn the skills needed to develop a profitable and sustainable career in the travel industry. Whether you’ve been blogging for years or just starting out, there’s plenty of opportunities for you to learn and grow at TravelCon.

What I Learned at TravelCon 2018

Despite the brave face and faux confidence I put forth, I was actually very nervous about TravelCon in the beginning. I knew I would be just a rookie blogger with a small yet steady following sitting in a room of extremely popular and successful writers, some of which I had been following for years. It was a bit intimidating at first, but as soon as I arrived, I instantly felt like a part of a community.

Everyone I talked to was very warm, open, and interested in my blog and what I had to say. We were all there to support and learn from each other, just like a big family. We also shared the same interests and passions, making it easy to strike up a conversation. There were so many fascinating stories of travel and helpful advice to be exchanged and shared amongst us. Without a doubt, my favorite part of TravelCon was the people in attendance!

If you’re worried that you won’t fit in or you aren’t qualified enough to be in the same room as those who have made it to the big leagues, don’t be! There were so many other bloggers, photographers, and videographers who were also just starting out, some of which hadn’t even set up their website. There’s plenty of room for everyone in this industry, and TravelCon organized their events so everyone would feel included and valued.

Breakout Sessions

Throughout the three-day conference, there are several hour-long classes/workshops known as breakout sessions. These sessions focus on a variety of topics including the basics of social media marketing, improving your content, pitching to editors, and working with affiliates. They’re also led by industry experts who have plenty of experience in their chosen topics. You’ll have the freedom to pick and choose which breakout sessions to attend based on your own individual goals and skills.

Each session is also categorized by its difficulty level. For example, new bloggers will probably find the “Beginner” sessions more suited to them whereas experienced bloggers will benefit from the “Intermediate/Advanced” classes. However, any and all attendees are welcome to participate in any session they want!

My personal favorite breakout session that I attended at TravelCon 2018 was definitely Creating Community Online led by Steve Kamb, the founder of Nerd Fitness. He had such a unique way of connecting with us, and of course, used plenty of pop culture and “nerd” references to get his points across. He explained that the best way to create an engaging and loyal online community was to make your readers the hero of the story while you act as their Yoda! He also made it a point to learn everyone’s names so he could interact with us on a more personal level. It was truly inspiring to learn from someone who has a website following of 30,000 and discover the secrets to his success.

Keynote Speakers

In addition to the breakout sessions and workshops, we all had the chance to hear from industry leaders, authors, and more successful travelers. These specially chosen speakers give speeches about succeeding in the travel space and share how they discovered success through their own endeavors.

During TravelCon 2018, we heard from several influential people including Ryan Holiday (writer, media strategist, and founder of Brass Check), Rolf Potts (author of Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel), and of course, Matt Kepnes himself!

Of all the speakers, the one that stood out to me the most was Oneika Raymond, a media personality, journalist, and public speaker. She started her journey in the travel industry as a teacher abroad before leaving it all behind to follow her dream of becoming a blogger. Since then, she has been a host for the Travel Channel, an on-air travel expert for CTV Canada, and earned several awards for her blog.

Her TravelCon presentation was very empowering, especially towards women in the travel industry. She used her story as inspiration for us bloggers, proving that consistency, dedication, hard work, and the willingness to do the “undoable” is the formula for a blog that gets attention and withstands the test of time.

Networking Sessions and Expo Center

One of my favorite parts about TravelCon was the expo floor that featured sponsoring tourism boards, PR firms, travel brands, and tech companies. This was the ultimate opportunity to speak with companies and brands that partner with bloggers and pitch ourselves to them. Each brand had their own booth in the expo center, most of which were open throughout the entire event. However, the networking sessions are the best time to speak with brand representatives since you’ll have a 10-15 minute slots to speak with them privately. These slots must be reserved in advance online before the start of the conference.

Since I’m a new blogger, I skipped the networking sessions. However, I was able to speak with many exhibitors during my spare time. I passed out several business cards to firms and companies who were interested in dog-friendly travel, creating relationships and potential partnerships for the future. It was also a great way to learn about brands that are geared towards helping bloggers build their websites and grow a decent following. Altogether, a visit to the expo floor is an absolute must during your time at TravelCon.

Fun! Fun! Fun!

While TravelCon is a travel business conference first and foremost, it didn’t come without a fair share of fun activities! Each night of the event, there were parties hosted at local hot spots throughout Austin…WITH OPEN BARS! The best part? Everyone at TravelCon was invited! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t show up to the second day of the conference slightly hungover.

Plus, there were specific niche meetups held in local bars and restaurants throughout the city, giving attendees the opportunity to meet with other bloggers working underneath the same umbrella. People who had been to several conferences before confessed that TravelCon was one of the most fun they had ever attended, and it’s not difficult to understand why!

What You Need to Know About TravelCon 2019

As attendees of the first annual TravelCon, we were the first to know about the announcements for next year’s event. TravelCon 2019 will be hosted in Boston, MA from June 27th-29th. While the finite details are still in production, three keynote speakers have already been finalized. These speakers include Tony Wheeler, the founder of Lonely Planet, and Cheryl Strayed, the author of one of my favorite books, Wild.

Registration for bloggers starts at $399. This may sound like a fairly hefty price tag, but I promise it will be worth it! You receive a lot of helpful information and extras with this price, including free lunches, a virtual pass, and lifelong friendships and connections! If you can, I highly recommend buying your ticket in advance since only 800 will be sold this year and the first event sold out very quickly.

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Overall, TravelCon 2018 was an incredible experience, and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to learn from travel industry professionals and make friends that I’ll have for the rest of my life. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.