I present to you, my haul from Type-A Parent Conference 2011.
As you can see, it’s difficult to resist the urge of “free stuff”… especially when sponsoring brands are literally throwing it your way at conferences and the like.
Try. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself lugging an extra bag home and/or become that person repacking in the middle of the baggage check line.
Before you dive in like a jungle animal for the kill, BIG PAUSE. Ask yourself these very important questions.
“Is this mug/butt cream/monster truck really worth the check-on luggage fee?”
“What am I going to do with all this baby food when I only have teenagers waiting for me back home?
“Do I even have a Wii?”
Instead of making a grab for all of the swag you can stuff, wear, and carry, take the time to talk- -really talk– to the sponsors. They are there because they believe in bloggers and support social media. So much so, that they’ve taken the time to show up in person to meet YOU.
What better opportunity could you ask for? Don’t squander it!
Ask them how they plan to work with bloggers. Pitch them some of your ideas. Figure out theirs.
What you will learn along the way will be much more valuable than 183,459 flash drives. Incidentally, this happens to the approximate number of drives that I’ve received since I began blogging in 2007. They all live in a box under my bed, where they are being very useful, I assure you.
Even if you have no interest in what the brands are offering, at the very least thank them for sponsoring the conference. Then, hang on to their card for future reference. You never know where a connection may lead you in the future.
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You got a Purse Perfector! I was drooling over those – makes so much sense since I’m forever rooting around in my bag trying to find stuff.