The Blogging Olympics Are Coming To Chicago!

Sure, sure, Chicago is anxiously waiting to find out if we will host the 2016 Olympic Games. I really hope that we get it. We were able to handle one night of complexities that was attended by a couple hundred thousand and watched the world over; why not the Olympics?

We’ve got almost a year before we will find out if Chicago beat out the competition (Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and Madrid), but there is another distraction of Olympic proportions taking place in my city that I can definitely count on: BlogHer 2009!

What the heck is it? Here’s the 4-1-1, directly from the BlogHer site:

Building on the momentum of four consecutive sold-out annual conferences, BlogHer ’09 will bring bloggers from every corner of the blogosphere together for hands-on learning, rich discussions, opportunities to meet with the brands that support them and plentiful networking opportunities. BlogHer ’09 will take place on July 23-25, bringing over one thousand attendees together to celebrate 2009’s theme: “In Real Life.”

One of the number one reasons we all attend BlogHer every year, whether coming for the first time or as an old-timer, is to meet our online community “in real life”. So after five years we think it’s a great time to celebrate the fact that our blogging, whether personal, professional or political, has brought us real work, real friends, real satisfaction and is most definitely a significant part of our real life!

BlogHer ’09 will be at the The Chicago Sheraton and Towers from July 23-25, 2009. We will kick off on Thursday July 23rd with out third annual BlogHer Business Conference, and will continue with the two-day 5th annual BlogHer Annual Conference on Friday and Saturday, July 24-25.

When I started reading about folks who would be attending this year’s conference in San Francisco, I was a little curious, a little jealous, and a little bit in disbelief that people would actually get on a plane to attend this event. That all changed, however, after seeing photos, reading stories, and watching someone whose blog I thoroughly enjoy read a post that ripped my heart out to this huge group of fellow bloggers. I found myself not really imagining yet that I’d ever go, but sort of understanding why someone would go.

And then the announcement came about Chicago 2009. I was really excited and decided to figure out if I’d be able to go. I saw the date and thought it looked familiar. I checked the calendar and indeed, Jim and the boys will be away on a Boy Scout trip. I had already decided a while back that I was going to spend a day or two in the city while they were gone, so this works out great! (Instead of spending time alone, I’ll be with a couple hundred other blogging types!) If my budget will allow it, I will even find a roomie and stay in the city; OHMommy tweeted me that in San Francisco, she made the most connections during the social events after hours and I’d miss out a little bit by having to catch a train back to the burbs.

So it’s settled then. I’m looking forward to a great weekend of wearing my tiara in the city and hoping I’ll get to meet some of you! I know that Melissa and Sarah will be headed down there, I’m fairly certain I’ll finally get to meet Momo and Anissa there, and that Andie is going to see if she can make it work; anyone else jumping on the bandwagon? Not sure? That’s okay. You’ve got 8 months to decide! (Sarah Clapp? I think it’s a Starwood Hotel…Just sayin’)

E0EBC2C8393DAD4423FE9417A308918D

11 Comments

  • Anonymous

    MELISSA!
    I would totally come to this event! Here’s my “problem”… I’m getting married that following weekend in Maine!
    SNAP! The fact that I am actually considering going might be grounds for divorce before we’re even married… If I spring for it I will definitely room with you! Heck, you’re my official voice mail, so why not!
    xoxo
    weather kim in dc and on tv

  • Kat

    What up Chicago? Way to go. I would love to join in and meet some real life bloggers. That would be cool but I doubt the budget allows for three intercontinental flights next year.Bugger.

    Being in Europe with most of my readers from the US and Canada I feel a bit left out. Bawl.

    So I will live through your posts and I can’t wait for you to live it up and write it down!

  • Melissa

    You just never know what might come your way, Kat! 🙂

    I’m really excited that it will be here this year…it’s going to make traveling so much easier…no sitting in a plane for 4 hours.

    And that fact that I get to meet more bloggers face to face is so thrilling to me. I’m not quite counting the days….but I will be soon!

  • Tracey

    I KNOW!! I am so stoked. Like, crazy excited. Like, I posted on my site about it and on Chicago Moms Blog, too… 😉

  • OHmommy

    I can not wait either. The most fun happens after the conference when we let down our hair and really get to talk.

    See you there!

  • Michelle

    What, you think I’d skip it? Or do I just not rate? 😉 I am definitely going. AND I’m definitely getting a room in the city. The after hours stuff sounded way too much fun, and I’m not up for going back and forth constantly on Metra. It’s an hour plus to get home for me. Stupid no express to my stop. Now I just have 8 months to figure out how to do this BlogHer thing! 😉

  • Sue

    Oh my gosh! I so want to come! I would happily be your roomie or Sarah’s. Hey Sarah, we could fly out together!!!!! Let me look into making this work. How fun!!!!!

  • Mom24

    I am very jealous! I know you’ll have a wonderful time. I think it’s very smart to plan on staying in the city.

  • Melisa

    Weather Kim: I don’t consider your wedding the week after as a “Problem”, ha ha. (I know you were kidding though) Maybe they’ll reschedule Blogher so you can come?

    Kat: Don’t worry; we’ll include you somehow, via live Tweeting and such. We’ll figure out how you can experience as much as possible, long distance!

    Sue: We’ll talk about the roomie situation; I’m gonna have to ask Julesie if she’s interested in going or not first before I start figuring things out! Regardless of who’s rooming with whom, I think it would be really fun for a bunch of us to plan to do dinner somewhere; I’d love to show you girls around Chicago, depending on when everyone can get to town!