Staying Safe at a Blog Event

Hello!

It's been so long since I last wrote a blog post that I feel out of practice! So forgive me if I ramble and make lots of typos - I'm still on the come down from my uni hand in. If you remember a few weeks ago, I posted about the weirdest event I've ever been to where I got trapped at a conference. After posting that, I had loads of people ask me what they could do to keep safe when going to an event, so I thought I'd make it into a post.

Obviously it's lovely to be invited to a blog event but I think sometimes it can be all to easy to get caught up in the excitement and assume it's fine without doing any research. I'm not saying that I'm an expert but these are a few things that I noticed were odd that should've been red flags.

Have they got a track record? Do some research - have they run events before? And if they have how did they go - can you find any mention of them from bloggers? Maybe they're just a new company, but it's still something to consider.

Have they been active in the community? Now I'm not saying that you can't set up and go straight into doing blogger events. But usually the people that organise blogger events do so because they have been bloggers first. Look at who is running it - are they a blogger themselves? How long have they been blogging and are they integrated with the blogging community? If you've just answered no to all of these and they seem to have sprung up out of nowhere as an "expert event organiser" then I'd be wary.

How much are they charging? I know that some events are free so this isn't always relevant but price can be a good indicator if you look at it alongside other factors. A lot of the time a blogger will need to charge just to cover room hire and any other costs that they've encountered by creating the event. But if the tickets are over £50 and it's being run by someone with absolutely zero online presence, they're probably just out to make a quick buck out of blogging becoming fashionable. 

How much information can you find? Most blog events work with a sponsor and have brands there showcasing products, so they'll be mentioned. If it's a conference there should be an itinerary available online. If you can't find much information about the event or the people running it then you should maybe be concerned.

As I said, these aren't foolproof indicators, but just something to think about before you send back that RSVP. It's easy to assume that all blog events are kosher, but I've learnt my lesson that this isn't the case. And if, once you get there, you feel uncomfortable then don't be afraid to speak up. Stand your ground and if you need to leave then do it, even if you've paid to be there.

I've had a lot of people messaging me, worried that they could end up in the same situation so I hope these tips will help you. And of course, feel free to message me on Twitter if you want any more advice.

Love and Feathers, 

 The Owlet 💜 

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