BlogPaws or Bust!

I am now in the last 24 hours before I leave for Salt Lake City, so it’s time to start packing. Since this is my fourth BlogPaws conference, there are a few things I’ve learned from experience that I should pack, including:

My smartphone and charger – Believe it or not, I actually went to a conference without my phone charger, and my phone died within 24 hours. It’s tough being out of town without a cell phone, and I ended up trekking quite some distance to get to the nearest Verizon store (think blisters).

My camera and charger – My phone is fine for snapshots to upload to Facebook, but for anything else I prefer to use my camera. My camera is small and doesn’t take up a lot of space so it easily fits in my purse or computer bag.

My computer and cords – Again, my phone is fine for things like the occasional tweet, but I prefer to have my laptop when I am in sessions. It also comes in handy later when I am writing a blog post summarizing the day’s activities.

Power Strip – This one I learned from experience when I found out that the hotel in Denver did not have enough outlets for me, my roommate and all our assorted electronics. It can also come in handy if you’re tweeting at the reception and your battery dies, which has also happened to me.

Business Cards – These are a must! You are going to BlogPaws to meet people, so it’s important to have business cards to hand out. I actually have two sets of cards – one for Bunny’s Blog and one with my personal information.

Flat Pet – If you use your pet as your Twitter avatar or Facebook profile picture, a flat pet helps people identify you quickly. Flat pets have become quite popular at the BlogPaws conferences, and you can attend a conference session on how to make one.

Umbrella – This is actually another item that I’ve learned to pack from experience. I know it’s supposed to be 90 degrees and sunny in Utah, but it may rain here in Pittsburgh. I don’t desire to get soaked running to and from my car, so I will throw a small umbrella in my tote bag.

Steno Pad – I use my trusty steno pad to keep track of everything including my itinerary, the conference schedule, my packing list, the weather, the hotel location and anything else I need to know before the conference. At the conference, I use it to take notes. And after the conference, I use it as reference for follow-up emails, blog posts and next year’s packing list.

Thanks again to my sponsors, who have made it possible for me to attend the conference this year: Embrace Pet Insurance and BlogPaws, as well as my brother, Steven Stringfellow, who generously donated his frequent flyer miles.