Blogging Events: My Essentials

When attending a blogging event, I learned plenty. A lot of tips were around how to improve my blog, increase my traffic and take better photos. One thing I managed to learn on my own, is exactly what to take, what I'll actually use an what I'll never use. 

Whenever I travel anywhere that's considered long-distance, I will always bring a holder for my documents. When travelling my train or coach, the receipt or ticket is quite large and needs to be easily found in a bag full of nonsense. My ticket-holder is by Emma Bridgewater which is where you can find plenty of quirky but stylish items, perfect for gifts or treats. I love the simple layout, and the documents folder is full of pockets and zip parts so I can store everything in one place. When travelling somewhere distant for a blogger event or meetup, I would always keep my insurance (if applicable), tickets and receipts in one place. I also kept about £15 in the wallet for emergencies. 

It's very difficult for me to go anywhere without gadgets, but for a blogger meetup, they're essential. On some occasions, such as jobs or longer trips away, a laptop, portable hard drives and more than one camera may be necessary. For the shorter trips, I like to have my phone, to take photos quickly and use social media whenever I like. I bring my iPad Mini which I find more useful than the bigger iPads as they take up less room. An iPad is really useful for typing up blog posts on the go and browsing the web on a bigger screen. I will always bring my main DSLR Canon for the higher quality photos too.

A huge necessity for networking are business cards. It's really easy to forget the names of blogs or people when there's so much going on. Carrying business cards helps people to remember your blog and contact details once they're done with the day and spreads the word too. When I returned from London after a whole day of talking the people, I found a case filled with business cards from bloggers and vloggers in the bottom of my bag. I was able to find these blogs and check out each one once I got home and they're much easier to remember! Business cards can also make or break a first impression, but I've found the simpler the better. 

Taking a notepad and pen is an essential that varies depending on the event. Usually, there's a plan for the day; so if there's a sit-down discussion where notes need to be made, why not bring a pad and pen? I do like to take notes using the Word app on my iPad as I can sync it with my computer at home. However, sometimes I can make spelling mistakes without noticing and when I go back to read through, I have absolutely no idea what I'm trying to say. The classic notebook and pen is perfect for jotting the important bits down and making sure everything is accurate!

What are your blogging essentials?