Interview with the Casual Blogger Conference Organizers

If you are not living in some kind of blogging cave, then you have almost certainly heard about the Casual Blogger Conference, coming up on May 28 and May 29th.

This extravaganza is the brainchild of two remarkable women: Motherboard and MomBabe.  They have used those noms-de-cyber for so long that even people who know their real names have a hard time using them (incidentally, if at any time in this interview you have questions, you can email the conference organizers at: admin@casualbloggerconference.com)
As you can imagine, this massive undertaking is currently consuming their efforts and energies.  But, they took a few minutes away from their work to talk with me about the CBC.

(Full disclosure: My brother, Ryan, is one of the presenters at the conference).

As a friend of Motherboard and MomBabe, I have to say I am really proud of them.  They have worked incredibly hard to put this together and have succeeded in the face of a lot of skepticism.  As I email them about other projects, I have seen just the tiniest glimpse of the work and time they've poured into this event. 

Braden: There are a lot of different kinds of bloggers out there.  For example, the blogger who writes to archive her family history/scrapbook and then the serious who’d like to take it up a notch and turn her blog into a paid gig?  What might each of them expect to take away from CBC?

MomBabe: For the mommy bloggers, I think more than anything, they'll just go home feeling GOOD.  I think that they will be validated, and inspired. For the more professional blogger, we have AWESOME classes available covering every aspect of blogging. And if you're focusing on making money through blogging, then the Friday half-day business conference is the ultimate beginner's guide for monetizing your blog.

Motherboard: I think the practical information that bloggers can expect to take away from this conference, whether they are "just mommy bloggers" or the blogger who wants to take it up a notch is this: Blogging enhances everything in your life.  No matter what you choose to record on your blog, our conference will help you learn how to do it better.  Practical information- Enhance. Record. Inspire.

For the blogger who wants to "take it up a notch" we have a whole day set aside for them to learn HOW to do just that.  We’ll talk about how to run an ad campaign on your blog and discuss the correct way to review products.  For example, we’ll have an attorney present to teach us how FTC affect us as bloggers. We’ll also have the owner of a very successful social media company come to teach everyone HOW to use social media to promote your blog and/or business.

 We have over $3,000 worth of classes for only $175. You come out the winner simply because of the value.

 Are there any other conferences out there for “mommy bloggers?”

MomBabe: There's TONS of blog conferences out there. Ours is unique because it caters to the small, casual blogger. We know that you're a mom first, and a blogger second. So are we. Every aspect of the "mommy gig" was taken into account while planning this conference. From the location, to the times, to the types of classes, price, and speakers... every decision was made with you in mind.

Motherboard: We wanted to attend blog conferences, but just couldn't justify the amount of money it would take to attend-- the airfare, the hotel accommodations, the food. Not to mention the cost of the conference itself.  It was something we couldn't justify in these hard economic times.  Our conference is catered to people just like us: bloggers who want to learn more about their chosen hobby without breaking the bank.  We also didn't want them to have to worry about what they were going to do with their children for three days (and their spouses CAN'T take that much time off work for a hobby convention) so our conference was also planned with PARENTS in mind. Every single thing we have planned for this conference, we did it with YOU in mind.

Braden: What can you guarantee someone would take away from this conference if they invested in attending?
How did you choose this year’s presenters? How can someone sign-up to present next year?

MomBabe: That's been the really fun part. Because we're in charge, we got to select the people we wanted. It's like, our dream conference packaged up in a nice little bow.  Seriously though, we explained what we were doing and why, and our speakers wanted to be a part of that. It's been absolutely amazing.

As for next year, we'll probably put out a call for speakers at the end of summer. SO STAY TUNED!

Motherboard: I hate to say "I guarantee" anything, because I'm not Billy Mays. However, I do guarantee that if you are willing to put yourself out there, and step out of your comfort zone you will come away from the conference having learned how to be a better blogger.  But, not only that, you will come away from the conference having met some wonderful people.  Those imaginary friends you talk to through your computer will actually become real life friends. That is one of the things I CAN guarantee.

When we approached our speakers and explained what we wanted to accomplish, they wanted to be on board with it.  We have been able to get some amazing speakers-- some we approached and some approached us-- and this conference will knock your socks off!  As far as next year, we will put out a call towards the end of summer, early fall.  So if you want to be a presenter next year, make sure you get your information in early!

Braden: Let’s talk details.  When is the conference? Hours? What are the pros and cons of doing a part-day pass vs. a full pass vs. a social pass?

Motherboard: The conference is May 28th and 29th. Friday the 28th is a half-day conference with a business focus. Registration opens at 10:30 am, and classes run until about 4:30 pm. Saturday, doors open 7:00 am, and it's a full day of classes, with 6 different learning tracks, ending with a keynote session featuring CJane, and Sophie Uliano.

Thursday night, we have a special Girl's Night Out with Teresa Collins, and Friday night, we have the CBC Social with Mindy Gledhill and Cameron Rafati.

The half-day business pass only lets you go to the CLASSES on Friday. The Social Pass ONLY lets you attend the Friday night social. The Saturday conference and social pass lets you go to the Social on Friday night, and all of the classes on Saturday, and the full conference pass includes admission to GNO on Thursday, all conference programming on Friday and Saturday, and the social on Friday night.

How many people are you expecting to attend?

Mombabe: We have 300 attendees coming, and are working with our vendors to open up a few more slots. We do have a waitlist, so you should definitely get on it!

Are there any group discounts?

We DO have discounts available for groups of 5 or more. Just email us at admin@casualbloggerconference.com for current rates!

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