Just for context: TBEX is the Travelblog Exchange — a conference dedicated to travelblogging. The conference took place in brutally hot and humid Manhattan last weekend and pulled together about 300 people from all over the planet. I spoke on a panel about PR and bloggers and I shared reading the community keynote — eight travel stories — with the excellent and funny Mike Barish (in the powder blue tux). Here are a few disorganized thoughts about the experience.
Ego: Let me get this bit of self aggrandizing out of the way first. It is truly an amazing thing to experience this: You introduce yourself to a room — “My name is Pam Mandel and I write a blog called Nerd’s Eye View” — and the room bursts into applause. I can not express how overwhelmed with gratitude I was at that moment. And I truly hope that you, fellow blogger, get to have that experience yourself one day. I’m still swooning a little. Moving on…
Noise: It’s no big secret that crowds make me uncomfortable. I don’t like loud rooms full of shouting people and a lot of TBEX was in a loud room full of shouting people. It was simply not possible to interact in an effective way during most of the conference free time. I’m also kind of dorky in a crowd so if you introduced yourself to me and I said something like, “OH! It’s nice to meet you!” and then floated away in a distracted manner, well, I’m sorry. Please, forgive me and promise me that when you come through Seattle (on your way to Vancouver, perhaps?) you will look me up. I adore meeting other travelbloggers, I love hearing about what you’re doing, and finding out what you know that I don’t, but I just can’t work a room. Email me, okay? I was chatting with Mike Yessis at the Australia lunch and he joked that I needed a private room with a sign up sheet for visits. He’s not far off, though I am no princess, no social snob. I just like to be able to converse in a space where I can hear you.
Stage Fright: I am now officially shutting the hell up about my stage fright issues. I was completely unworried during my panel, and while I was a little nervous at the beginning of the community keynote reading, about five minutes in I was just fine. If I stumbled on your words, I’m truly sorry. It wasn’t so much nerves as it was dehydration, the New York heat had baked me dry. For all of this, I own a big thanks to two things. The first, the remarkable Sheila Scarborough who seemed to think I’d be a good partner for a panel at SxSW last year and, yes, that’s right, the ukulele . Get one.
Storytelling: As for that reading, it was truly an honor to read your stories. Mike and I struggled over the selection process tremendously and while I’ve read the criticism (too long, wrong time of day, certain travelers not represented) I hope that, if nothing else, you were inspired by the amazing writing our fellow bloggers are doing.
Community: I still perceive myself as the bookish one in the corner, but it’s getting kind of crowded over here. When 300 people spring for a summer weekend in NYC, you can’t pretend you’re alone, not for a minute. Sure, you can divide the room in to mellow West coast types and East coasters in fancy shoes, or you could draw a line between the backpackers and the traveling moms or the how to crowd versus the narrative crowd (though being part of the puny narrative crowd, I think the how to folks will crush us). You could do that, but why would you? I have learned so much from the not-me bloggers in our community, and we seem to be free from the kind of competition that prevents us from sharing our skills in order to get ahead. I love that about travelbloggers. I like to think it’s an extension of our love for travel, we’re happy to help out a fellow wanderer in this new territory.
Face Time: I’m continually thrilled to find out that if I like you online, you’re about 900 times better in 3D. And it’s got nothing to do with you sharing my travel style, priorities, agenda. I like the traveling moms so much, even though I’m blissfully without kids. I haven’t really hauled a backpack since, oooo, I’m not saying, but those just-starting-out gap year folks are busting with infectious enthusiasm. While I’m most at home with the egg-headed word lovers, I’ve got a lot of respect for those who have put their minds to the business end of the stick. If I’ve taken a shine to who you are on the web, regardless of your pigeon hole, I want to hang out with you in person.You never disappoint me. Never. I love that about you.
Edges: Sure, I can sit in a hall and listen to people talk at me. If it’s entertaining and/or compelling, it’s time well spent, but it’s not, in itself, what makes me drag myself across the country. I keep showing up at these things because of the fairy dust around the edges. Quality time with Kelly Goodman and Lauren Braden in our Village digs. Crossing Manhattan with Spud Hilton and Mike Barish. Having a drink in that mostly empty bar with Kelly and Debbie Dubrow and Don George and Wendy Perrin. That quiet lunch with Corey Taratuta. Sitting on the floor with Eileen Smith and Dan Noll and Audrey Scott. Wandering around Soho with Ali Lemer. This is what I like, better than anything, about having so many great people in one place at one time: the opportunity to get to know you better on a small scale.
Inspiration: I overheard the remark “I’m really inspired to do [fill in the blank] now!” come out of all kinds of people, from people who are just starting out to the old school journalists who took time to find out what we upstarts are all about. “I need to learn more about [fill in the blank]!” “I want to work with you on [crazy mad project].” Ad infinitum. I’ve got a few new ideas myself, they’re rolling around in my brain like a marble I found in the garden, some of them collaborative, some of them solo, all of them inspired by something at TBEX.
Vancouver! I’m giddy about the selection of Vancouver for next year’s TBEX for a bunch of reasons. It’s just up the road, I don’t have to fly to get there. I love Vancouver, it’s a great place to travel. It’s close enough that you might consider showing up here in Seattle prior to or after your trip to Van-City, so there’s a good chance I’ll get to hang out with you — you’ll be in my backyard, almost. I can’t wait for the chance to hang out with you again. You’ll let me know when you’re getting into town, right? Right. Of course you will.
Hmm…Vancouver, you say? I might be moved to show up next time. Can I be the first one on your sign-up sheet?
Kim, since you responded first, you get first in line. I’m imagining some kind of confession booth…
Yay for Pam!
That’s all I have to say. You rock.
Deafening round of applause headed your way, Pam. Thank you!
VERY much agree on the “I was inspired by…” Too many biz ideas, too little time. If only I could take a sabbatical from a) money-earning work and b) being a good mom. 😉
A pleasure meeting you in person, Pam, if only very very briefly. See you in Vancouver!
Love the concept of the fairy dust around the edges. It’s those moments and conversations that keep popping up as I think back on last weekend. We hope to make it out to Seattle one day and can pick up the conversation where we left off – kind of like what happened with Eileen from Santiago to NYC.
Beautifully written as always, Pam. I was absolutely thrilled that you were the first person I met at the Omni Berkshire party on Friday night. It was a great way to kick off the weekend. And yes, you did sort of wander off in a distracted manner, but that’s part of your charm. 🙂
You bet.
It was a pleasure meeting you at TBEX, Pam. I hope our paths cross in Vancouver next year. Of course, if you feel the need to come to Vegas, just let me know.
Very well-put for what a weekend in NYC was like! It was nice to finally get to meet you in person.
I will definitely seek you out on our way to Vancouver. Seattle will definitely be on our stop along the way. 🙂 See you next year!
Well said, my friend. Honored to work with you and my name will appear first on that sign-up sheet.
Applause definitely well deserved. You. Are. Awesome.
Said it before, I’ll say it again. Stop it, you’re embarrassing me!
I’m tempted to skip out on my Meet, Plan, Go NYC hosting duties to hang with you guys at the Seattle event. Might have to make a separate trip!
oh pam, this is wonderful – and SO YOU!!! i don’t do well in crowds because of my disabilities; the main reason we didn’t come this year. thanks for the great recap!
Well you can count me as in the narrative camp, as someone who really enjoyed the keynote and as someone who wishes she got to spend more time talking to you! Will be crossing my fingers for next year…
I would burst into applause at the mention of your name ANY time.
Signed,
NEV Groupie Comment Stalker
I like that you like words.
I think next year’s TBEX should have an open air, lots-of-space, mingle arena for the introverted among us. I adore meeting other travelers too; just prefer it in quiet, well lit places that don’t make me want to bolt! Then, maybe then, I’ll have the gumption to introduce myself to heroes like you. (I’d already met my quota when I got within 10 feet of you.)
Pam, my basically insecure self is relieved to know your drifting away wasn’t personal…;-) The invite goes both ways: next time you’re up here in the ‘Couv, make yourself known ok? And I think it’s time the PNW bloggers formed a coven or cabal…or something powerful like that…
all best
Julie
Hey, that marble is rolling around our heads too! It was a truly inspirational weekend and a joy to meet more of our social media friends in person. You always inspire us to find our unique voice in what we do and we think the applause is others thanking you for helping them do the same. It was great to spend time with you again, no matter how briefly, and to share some humour in the Newark airport as best virtual airport friends while sitting through our weather delays.
You’re about 1000x cooler in 3D, too! It was great meeting you and everyone else. You were right; I shouldn’t have worried about attending TBEX for the first time; everyone I was able to meet in those crowded rooms was friendly and welcoming! Glad you’re safely back to a more temperate climate!
Who are you calling an egghead?
My words, my beautiful words, indeed! Thanks for breaking this down and writing all about it from your perspective. And for coming over to sit on the floor with Audrey, Dan and me. I may be from the east coast, but I’m still not down with the fancy shoes! Nor with standing up unnecessarily, it would seem.
Distracted wanderer, you were easy to find when you dipped in to get another bucket of coffee. Seattleites. Not nearly as sneaky as they think…
Was great seeing you again Pam! If only for a short while. Here’s to Vancouver 2011.
Awww, I wish I could have made it. Sounds fantastic!!! Hopefully, these thoughts will only make 2011’s even better.
Although we only chatted briefly at TBEX, I just wanted to say it wad great meeting you and sharing a panel with you. Your words inspire me and your tweets make me laugh… a lot. See you in Vancouver.
Cheers
Andrew
John and I both LOVED the keynote you and Mike did. Great selection, couldn’t have been easy. You did great on the panel too 🙂 We didn’t get a chance to really meet this time at TBEX but maybe I can sign up early enough for the confessional booth you’ll have set up in Vancouver!
I can’t think of anything witty or profound to say, so I’ll just say, “well said!”
I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to meet you at TBEX this year. I was too busy holed up with the travel mom crowd & my friends in the flight attendant blogger community. Next year I will try to diversify more in Vancouver.
Oh – and I liked the readings too!
Pam, just a quick and very belated note to say that it was a pleasure and great fun to meet you at TBEX. Hoping that I’ll make it to Vancouver. If not, stay in touch!