Travel blog conference offers elective workshops

Among the industry heavyweights sharing their wisdom and experience will be social media guru, educator and founder of the Ogilvy Digital Marketing Academy, Dave Duarte; user experience designer at Clickshape, Joseph Lawrence; digital innovator and head of Retroviral Digital Communications, Mike Sharman; and digital marketer and head of paid media at Quirk, Heidi Ocker.

They will join travel writers and other creatives on the platform at the Cape Town Tourism-sponsored event at the Double Tree by Hilton Cape Town Upper Eastside in Woodstock, Cape Town. Local bloggers in the speaker line-up include 'Mzanzi Girl' Meruschka Govender, successful food and travel blogger Ishay Govender-Ypma and Anton Crone, former ad man turned travel writer.

More interaction

Commenting on the new format of the conference, Getaway events manager Tracy-Lee Behr said it would allow delegates to focus on their particular areas of interest and level of ability. "In response to feedback from previous conferences, we have created small focus groups that will allow for interaction and valuable Q & A time on everything from blog design and the use of photography, video and social media to tips on how to pitch to an editor and the analytical tools needed to measure their audience."

The parallel breakaway sessions will take up the majority of the day's programme, while plenary sessions looking at topics such as monetising blogs, travel trends and building a blog brand identity with integrity.

Last year's conference saw a threefold increase in delegate numbers, which necessitated the move to a bigger venue. Although demand for attendance is again high, numbers will be capped to ensure a quality experience for everyone, Behr said.

The Getaway Travel Blog Conference (hashtag #GTBC) costs R800 a person (R700 for Getaway bloggers), which includes a full day of presentations, lunch and refreshments. For more information, go to http://conference.getaway.co.za/travel-blog.