Dîner en Blanc – Chicago

Aug 27, 2011 by Sami

Attending #DeBChicago was such an amazing time. I cannot thank the founders enough and am so proud to have been a Head of Table (HOT!) in this fabulous event! All I have to say is: I cannot wait for next year!

It all started with @SecndCitySoiree asking me to be “Head of Table” for a group that will depart a point in Chicago to meet up at a secret location in Chicago. A flashmob meets a picnic kind of thing. Only this picnic was a really fabulous event of everyone dressed in white, eating a 3 course elegant meal. We were to guide a group of 20 people or more along with our own tables, chairs, food, etc. At first it seemed like people wouldn’t care much about an event that required a lot of work but before we knew it there were hundreds upon hundreds ready for the event. Everyone was so happy to be there and people got very creative with their foods, outfits and even decorations for their tables. Big congratulations to the founders of DeBChicago. Again, can’t wait for next year! Check out my flickr for more!

 

 

 

 

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12 Great Takeaways from #20SBSummit Keynote Speakers

Aug 22, 2011 by Sami

#20sbsummit saw great panels and fantastic creative energy. By the end of it I felt like I’ve grown years in wisdom. I genuinely believe that it’s one of the best conferences this year in Chicago, along with #bbsummit11. Although, in terms of speakers and panelists I think 20SBSummit had the best of any conference I’ve ever attended. Hands down! I wanted to go home and do things and create things. I wanted to never sleep again because that would mean that I would stop creating things. I also felt that everyone “got me” at the conference. I didn’t have to worry about puzzled looks and judgements after I explained what I did.

Community seemed to be the running theme of the summit. After all, 20SB is a community of 18000 bloggers. How to create a community? How to engage with your community? How to make it bigger? Want to find out? Well, you can’t. What I learned is that there isn’t a formula to solve above questions. What I can tell you that it’s a lot of hard work, authenticity is the absolute most important pillar of creating a community and create a community to help others and not help yourself. Trust me, in the long run you will achieve success and profit will come but that’s not what you should have in mind when you try to start building community.

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Check this Music Out: ELLIE GOULDING

Aug 7, 2011 by Sami

I never realized how much I loved live music until I went to Lollapalooza this year. It was absolutely my favorite weekend this summer!

I then realized something else, I realized how much I loved non-headliners. I enjoyed the big names like Eminem and even Coldplay but there’s something so contagious about the energy coming out of the newer acts in music. They’re always so happy and appreciative to be performing and are always giving it their all. Again, I’m not saying that the bigger names don’t but this is different.

I think the reason I am starting this section of my blog is because great music is a huge part of the many wonderful experiences that Chicago offers and I would love to share a little bit of what I encounter with everyone else. It won’t be long reviews- just a few sentences here and there along with a video to get you started.

I saw Ellie Goulding earlier this year and felt completely in love with her! More than have an amazing voice and beautiful videos, she is one of the best performers I have seen. There’s so much energy coming out of her and you can’t help but get infected by it and before you know it, you’re dancing around and singing along with her. Her biggest talent might just be doing acoustic. A truly magical.

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#20SBSummit, why you’re going, where you’re going & how to get FREE tickets!

Jul 28, 2011 by Sami

Your breath smells fantastic. Like fruit!

Above line is one of many that you’ll get to hear me say when we meet at 20SBSummit‘s opening cocktail reception. Yes, it’s a conference that will teach you so many wonderful useful things with one of the best (looking) speakers line-up I’ve seen in a while but we still like to have a good time!

I’ve already mentioned 4 great reasons you should go and there are even more!

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Brands & Bloggers Summit, Things I learned

Jul 18, 2011 by Sami

Last weekend I attended Brands and Bloggers Summit in Chicago. I tend to visit few conferences a year but this was a truly an educational AND a fun conference. I can’t wait to go again next year and learn even more! The summit had an amazing collection of brands and bloggers coming together to learn, as the incredibly smart @xiaolinmama from @CleverGirlsColl puts it, “dance together”.  As a blogger it’s important to know how to best maximize the potential of building a relationship with brands. That wasn’t all, we also received tips on how to build relationships with the media and even got best practices on vlogging!  Below are some of the things I’ve learned that I hope will benefit you as well!

Passion for a brand is contagious and that’s what captures a brand’s attention. @ConnieBurke from GMC.

The blogsphere has changed (…) bloggers should be paid. We are doing their (brands) work now, and it’s about your influence. Clever Girls Collective is like Match for bloggers, putting those relationships together and making sure they’re good relationships. When I know what you write about, your personality, and your metrics, it’s easier for me to know that you’re a good fit for a particular campaign. The overall page views doesn’t matter as much as it sometimes appears. When there’s a campaign, a lot of times brands are looking for aggregate numbers or they’re looking for a very specific demographic.@xiaolinmama from @CleverGirlsColl.

Sometimes, it’ll take a long time for a brand to respond to you so have patience and don’t give up. @meaganfrancis

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