My Plans and Goals for Blogfest and IDEAWorld

Well, it’s finally here. Almost anyway. Blogfest and IDEA World Fitness Convention start next Thursday and I can’t wait! I signed up about six months ago, but I’ve really been waiting for this week since last year! I have my sessions selected, my hotel reservation, my travel plans all ready to go. I’ve done everything but pack (and I have a plan for that too!). I thought that I would share my plans and goals for Blogfest and IDEAWorld with you.

Wednesday

I’m driving in early from the desert. I’ll be picking up Tiffany at the airport, then we expect to arrive in Los Angeles by about 11:00. Even though we both signed up to take a Zumba instructors’ licensing course, the timing meant that we’d miss most of the first half of class, so we pretty much have decided to skip it. That leaves our day open for…well, anything!

My roomy Tiffany, with Melissa, Ragnar teammate Jill, and Pamela in the background (from 2014)

Tiffany is also one of my roommates (along with Jill and Jessica), so one option is a quick trip to Whole Foods to stock up on a few items for our hotel room. I think Jill will probably want to go along, so we may wait until she arrives around noon. Then we’ll check into the hotel and the convention. Then, who knows? Since most of the events don’t start until Thursday, there won’t be a lot to do at the convention center. I’ll just see what the girls want to go and go from there.

Jill and me at Blogfest 2014

Wednesday evening I’ll be having dinner with Susie and Amy, the founder of Brick Betty. As a new ambassador I’m excited to learn more about the program. The clothing is beautiful, colorful, and made in America, which makes me extra happy to be a part of it.

Goal for the day: Have fun, enjoy the cool weather (compared to the desert), see old blogging friends and meet new ones as people arrive in town.

Thursday

Thursday is the first day of Blogfest! Before anything even starts though, I’ll be meeting up with Tiffany and a lot of other bloggers/runners for a run! It’s a great way to get a fitness convention underway!

Although the IDEA Convention takes place Thursday through Sunday, the first two days I will be at Blogfest. Then I get to participate in the weekend sessions at IDEA. I’ll also get to go to the IDEA Opening Ceremonies and Welcome Party on Thursday.

So here’s what’s up the first day of Blogfest:

Katy and me at the IDEA World Expo last year.

The first two hours are dedicated to learning how to build your blog. Katy Widrick will lead “How to Increase Your Readership and Market Your Message to the Masses,” followed by “Mind Blowing Blog Tips” from Alyse Mason and Jamie King, the founders of Fit Approach. After a Tweet Break, we’ll all head over to the opening ceremonies. The Keynote Speaker is best selling author Brendon Burchard.

The Sweat Pink Team: Jamie, Alyse, and Becky, at Blogfest 2014

After that I’ll have a couple hours to eat lunch, wander around the expo (more about the expo below), and probably meet and socialize with more bloggers (seriously, my favorite part of Blogfest).

After lunch, my Ragnar teammate and registered dietician Melissa Burton will bust the top 5 nutrition myths. Then we’ll spend a couple hours learning how to build a following on Instagram (from Kasey Arena) and Pinterest (from Natalie Jill). That’s followed by the Lightening Round where eight bloggers will have 5 minutes each to teach us something with their slide presentation. It was a ton of fun last year and I expect this year will be no different. I’m really looking forward to it. Then we’ll have a couple hours to go back to the expo, have some free time, and get ourselves ready for the PARTY!

The opening party is always fun. Several thousand fitness professionals from all over the world will be eating and socializing for a couple hours. Add a couple hundred bloggers to the mix and you have a super duper event!

Goals for Thursday: I’m always trying to build my readership, so I’m really looking forward to Katy’s lecture. The same goes for increasing my reach on Instagram and (especially) Pinterest. And every keynote speech I’ve ever heard at the IDEA Convention has been inspiring, so I’m really looking forward to hearing Brandon Burchard.

Friday

Day two of Blogfest starts off with a workout: Kaia Konditioning and Kore with Nikki Warren. Then we’ll get into a little more serious stuff, learning about the legal aspects of blogging from Elizabeth Bain. Then we have the Blogfest keynote speaker, Gabrielle Reece. Not only will she present the keynote speech, she’s then going to lead us in her workout, HighX! Then, right before lunch we’ll discuss the future of blogging with Jessica Matthews.

After lunch and expo time, we learn SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tips and tricks from Sara Downey Robinson. That’s followed by three of my favorite bloggers, Katy Widrick, Laura Peifer, and Katie McFarland teaching us how to make a career out of our blogs. Following a tweet break we’ll learn how to build up our Twitter following from Amanda Vogel. Then we get to do a workout led by the founder of Zumba, Beto Perez! Then, sadly, Blogfest will wrap up with a closing networking party.

Goals for Friday: Whew! With three challenging workouts I hope I have the energy to take in what I need! I am really interested in learning more about SEO. Getting found by search engines is so important to building your following. The legal aspects of blogging are really important too. There is a lot to know about contracts, taxes, copyrights, that can cause you problems if you’re not aware. And while making a career out of my blog might be a dream, I certainly wouldn’t mind making a little more money.

Saturday and Sunday

One of the exciting things about the IDEA Convention is that there are so many classes to try. They go on throughout the day, every day of the event. From group cycling, Pilates, and yoga, to special guest presenters such as Jillian Michaels, Todd Durkin, Jeanette Jenkins, and Leslie Sansone, there truly is something for everyone. And I believe that some fitness pros go to the convention simply for the workouts.

But after saying all of that, I don’t usually go to any of the classes. Occasionally there will be a workshop that combines a lecture with a workout that I will try. But I generally go to IDEA to learn and to get CEUs that I can use to renew my certifications. And they don’t give you CEUs for exercising, darn it.

Instead, I will start off my Saturday with a run, then head to my first sessions which is Functional Fascia for Group Exercise. As I’ve mentioned, I’m taking a Fascial Stretch Therapy certification this summer, so I want to soak of all the information about fascia and its relationship with our fitness as possible. In fact, I’m taking a second session, Fascia Gone Wild, an Integrated Approach to Corrective Exercise, later on Saturday afternoon.

My second session on Saturday morning is I’ve Fallen, Now What? Since I mostly train older adults, balance and preventing falling is very important.

Coach Jason and me at IDEA World 2014

My final session on Saturday is the Running Clinic, taught by my friend Jason Karp, PhD. He’s very knowledgeable about running (he was IDEA’s Personal Trainer of the Year in 2011, among many awards) and a personable and funny speaker. He even offers his own running certification course, Run Fit Specialist., which is available online and now in a few live workshops around the country. I’m also going to Jason’s Plyometrics Palooza on Sunday.

My final class on Sunday is Bare Essentials–Group Strength Training. I don’t teach many group classes anymore, but these tips can come in handy for all kinds of training.

My goals for the weekend: I’ve chosen sessions that will enhance my knowledge about fascia, which I am studying right now. I will earn CEUs for all of these courses, so that will come in handy when I renew my certifications in the fall.

The Expo

Jill, yet another Ragnar teammate Carrie, and me at the IDEA World Expo last year

Ah, the expo. Just imagine a huge exhibit hall filled with exercise equipment, fitness clothing, accessories, and any kind of fitness toy you can think of. Hundred of booths, offering deals, samples, and free food. It’s a shopper’s trainer’s dream come true!

My goal for the Expo: Aside from scoring a few deals, I want to make some connections with the brands that I love. The expo is an opportunity to meet the people (or at least get their contact information) that work with bloggers.

 

Can’t get enough of Blogfest? Here are my other posts:

How to Pack for Blogfest
Meet My Blogfest Buddies!
The Scoop: Blogfest and IDEAWorld, Gabby, Jillian, Beto and More!
5 Reasons You Need to Go to Blogfest 2015
Blogfest: It Starts with the People
(From 2014) 6 Women (and 1 Man) I Can’t Wait to Meet at Blogfest

I’m linking up with Debbie in Shape for Tip Tuesday, Nanna’s Wisdom for Wednesday Wisdom, xoxo Rebecca for That Friday Blog Hop, and with Kathleen for the Blog Booster Party.

Will I see you at Blogfest and IDEA World? What classes will you be taking (or would like to take)? If you could meet any blogger that you read regularly, who would it be. Aside from me, of course 🙂