Showing posts with label travel bloggers unite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel bloggers unite. Show all posts

Monday, 20 May 2013

Dam on the River Rotte

"Self-consciousness kills communication.” Rick Steves

 
 
First bloggers conference over! I had an amazing time at the TBU conference in Rotterdam.  I was giving a talk on creating content for your audience and knowing what your audience wants to read.  Honestly, most of the time I just write.  If you want to read it super but if you don't aw well.  However, this is not the way to think if you want to take your blog further than a simple personal blog. I hoped that the advice I gave will help other bloggers!
View from my seat on stage as people went out to have a break and BREATH LAURINA!
 
 
 
For my outfits, I kept everything really plain and simple.  I didn't want to stand out too much. Spot the fashion blogger trying to stand out!!! So standard blazer, tshirts & jeans.  I really wish I had tried to wear more colour but it always just seems to be easier when colour is paired with white or black.  At this rate I am just dying to get into some summer clothes as a "new wardrobe".  I have seen the same pieces over and over again in my wardrobe and worn them to death that I think the nice weather needs to come in soon so I can try new things!!
 
 
Rotterdam was a beautiful city to visit.  Outside the seminars and workshops that I did within the conference, Connor and I walked around the city.  The city really has a love of all things gnomes! The gnome above was one of the nicer ones I seen!  I would really recommend staying in the Mainport hotel if you are ever in Rotterdam.  It was a perfect hotel with easy access to subway and trams right on the door step.  The rooms are gorgeous and the beds are massive.  Was lovely not even knowing I was sleeping with Connor apart from him trying to steal the covers every now and then.
 
 
A special thank you to Oliver and his team for organising the conference and to Kim at Rotterdam tourism and marketing for having a lovely well organised itinerary for me. Just the way I like it.
 
 

  

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Leaving on a Jet Plane

"Well, you go to Holland and everybodys on a bike - nobody would think to have a car." Stone Gossard



Never in a wildest imagination did I think last year that in May 2013, I would be sitting with Connor in Belfast International airport stuffing my face with a Burger King on my way to my first bloggers conference to speak at. It is funny the way life works out. 

When I got asked to take part in the Travel Bloggers Unite conference back at the start of March by the organiser Oliver Gradwell, I thought aye, ok mate, sure I will come over! No problem. It was a sort of smile and nod reaction. I had only just started blogging and you get approached by many people suggesting ideas or wanting to work with you. I assume that till I get the product in hand, it is all BS (think a male cow & another word for faeces) but this wasn't even a product so I took it with a pinch of salt. Also, the fact is I am a fashion blogger edging on lifestyle, what did I know about travel blogging apart from having a cute pink passport with my initials on it??  

Got my essentials packed! 

And yet, here I am on a easy jet plane flying to Holland to talk in front of god, knows how many people. Never in my wildest dreams. Myself and another fashion blogger, Retrochic (she specialises in vintage fashion) are the key niche speakers. We are heading over to give insight into our blogging niche and hopefully be able to offer our advice to the travel bloggers on how we go about blogging. I guess at the end of the day, blogging is all the same but the only thing that differs is the topic. The conference last 3 days from Friday to Sunday with each day offering key speakers, workshops, seminars, networking opportunities and tours of the beautiful city that is Rotterdam. 

Sneak peak of article for Foam Magazine

So what does a fashion blogger pack? Aw I have no idea. I packed last minute, I was taking OOTD (Outfit of the day) photos for an American magazine before we left and I was late. Literally bunged my suitcase with random item of clothings which hopefully I will be able to put a nice outfit together from. I wanted to be smart but at the same time casual and approachable. How do you portray that in a outfit which also has to say hey! I'm cool and stylish enough to be a fashion blogger? No idea.  Not only that but I had Connor hovering over my shoulder while I packed so he could see if he could fit another pair of shoes in my luggage. He has size 12 feet, needlessly to say we fitted them in.  I think he put more thought into what he packed than I did and I am the fashion blogger!! 

Stay tuned over the next few days to see if I was able to make a nice outfit out of what I packed and my adventure of my first bloggers conference!! You can follow me here or check out my social media sites as well!! 

Twitter: @laurinak
Facebook: Fashion Fasting
Instagram: laurinamkennedy
Pinterest: Laurina Kennedy

Also if you want to check out Travels bloggers Unite & the conference, check out their sites! 

Twitter: @tbloggersunite
Website: tbueurope.com for info on the conference 
Travelbloggersunite.com