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IZEAFest ’09 recap
By Laurie | October 6, 2009
I’m home from IZEAFest, and it was a great time. It was my third social media conference of the year, and I can confidently say that it was the best. The venue was amazing, the sessions were informative, and there were plenty of fun evening networking opportunities for those who chose to participate. I promise I am not just saying that because (disclosure) I am an Izea Insider. I really mean it, and appreciate the hard work that the team put into the event, as well as making me (and Dave) feel comfortable and welcome.
We flew into Orlando on Thursday afternoon, and after taking care of a little incident with our luggage, we were on our way with @corrinrenee to Disney World. We had a whirlwind (i.e. quickie) trip, though we actually were able to do a lot. On my list (in no particular order) was 1) Eat a Dole Whip, 2) Ride the Haunted Mansion, 3) Get a picture with Winnie the Pooh and 4) Ride Buzz Lightyear. Each of those were accomplished, and we even rode probably 3-4 other things due to there being no lines. We watched part of the afternoon parade, and posed for pictures with pumpkins too. This was the only trip to Disney I have ever taken where I did not have to wait in line. We even hopped right on Pirates of the Caribbean!
My customary photo with my (nick)namesake
Our trip was short because we actually had plans to attend the IzeaFest pre-party at Howl-O-Scream at Busch Garden’s. The chartered buses took us from Orlando to Tampa to experience the park transformed into a Halloween lover’s dream. There were 7 really decent haunted houses, and lots of little touches and scare zones scattered across the park. We loved seeing the elephants in the dark (one even bowed to us!) We also rode their huge wooden coaster and one other ride. I would have loved to see the park in the light of day too. I bet it is even more amazing. I was disappointed to miss out on the big fashion show that I heard so much about prior to going, but I feel like we did a lot in the over two hours that we were there. The park is so big (and was sooo dark) that we had a hard time navigating our way back to the front gate.
@heatherinbc and @table4five
In the morning we made our way over to registration (a little later than I wanted since I forgot about the time difference). Dave and I were greeted by Ashley and two of my fellow Insiders, Heather and Elizabeth. I had met Heather in NY for ASE, but this was my first time to meet Elizabeth. She was a complete sweetheart. I wish I would have had the opportunity to spend more time with her, but hopefully next time.
Over the two days, I picked up a lot of information. To be honest, I am still processing what it is all going to mean for me and my blog. I have been contemplating changes for a long time, and I am still deciding what road I want to go down. I will probably be making another post that is more specific to the content of the conference. I just wanted to share a quick recap and some of the fun photos.
My new friend Lucky the sloth
We also had the opportunity to go to Icebar Orlando after the first day of sessions. It was a fun event, and a great venue. There is a separate room made entirely of ice, including the glasses you drink out of! They even give you hooded jackets. This was way better that our local Ghostbar.
@mommaven, @itstoni, @corrinrenee, @laurie_pooh, @decipheryou
We also enjoyed shots on Uncle Ted, and shared a bottle of Moet. Needless to say, I was feeling a little bit tipsy. Dave even participated in the karaoke contest!
@tedmurphy strikes a pose
Chillin’ in the Icebar
On the last day of the conference, we were all introduced to @tommyfishback, the incredible 14-year old who I dubbed Ted Murphy’s Mini Me. It was pretty darn incredible how eloquent, informative and full of ideas he was. I know we will definitely be hearing more great things from him in the coming years. Oh, and he even participated in a cake plow, as did Ted and Bob.
Our MC, Bob and Ted Murphy
On Sunday we spent the day at SeaWorld. Dave and I rode the Manta twice, but really enjoyed Kraken more. It was a lot longer, and faster. We sat in the very front, which I guess is suppose to be the best place to experience the ride. We also caught several shows (including Believe which turns me into a sobbing baby) fed sting rays, sea lions, and dolphins and had lunch. It was a great day, and afterward we headed immediately to the airport to go home.
Dave & I in a picturesque location within SeaWorld
I met a lot of great people, and wish there had been more time to meet and talk with even more. I am actually very quiet and tend to observe rather than approach others. I work much better on a one-on-one basis than in big groups where the bigger personalities tend to drown mine out. There were a lot of bloggers and people from Twitter that I wanted to meet, but didn’t want to stretch out of my comfort zone and walk up to and strike up a conversation. I am working on that though, and hopefully next time will be better.
Want to see more of my IZEAFest pictures? Check out my slideshow:
Topics: Friends, Insiders Super Crew | 10 Comments »
Laurie,
Posted by: Cindy SchultzGreat pictures! It was great to meet and hang out with you this weekend!
Sounds like you had a wonderful time, and great pictures too!
Posted by: JulieI can’t believe you have a post up already! You overachiever you.
Posted by: corrinCindy, We enjoyed meeting you and spending time with you also! Hope you are making a full recovery from all the madness!
Posted by: LaurieThanks Julie! Still missed you! I hope to make it to BWE (or at least just for a visit) next year though! We have to make an In-N-Out date!
Posted by: LaurieCorrin- I knew if I didn’t make it right away, I would never do it. If I let a week or more slip away, I feel like it is not timely anymore. I never made a post about New York (other than the conference) or DisneyLand earlier in the year!
Posted by: LaurieLaurie:
This is an AMAZING post! And I’m not just saying that because you’re an IZEA Insider. It’s really thorough, and certainly a great representation of your experience in Orlando.
I’m so glad you were able to make it to the event this year – it was a pleasure to see you, as always.
Posted by: Ashley K. EdwardsI heart you, Ashley. Thank you again for everything. Next time you are in Texas, come say howdy.
Posted by: LaurieLaurie, I can’t believe you went to Disney before Howl O’Scream! That’s so wonderful you were able to accomplish all your goals in such a short time.
Your recap says it all – IZEAFest 09 was the most fabulous, fun event, EVER! I don’t know how we crammed in so much learning, laughing and networking
I enjoyed meeting Elizabeth too – thanks for the nice picture.
See you as soon as possible!
Posted by: Heather in Beautiful BCHeather- It was good to see you again! Glad you had such a good time too! Hopefully next time I will actually get to have a drink with you. How we crammed it all in (at least in my case) was no sleep. I was a drunken zombie. *hugs*
Posted by: Laurie