Apr 20, 2017

Blog Conference, What’s in my Bag?

What's in my bag? See what I bring to attend a blog conference.

Throughout the course of my blogging years, I’ve attended more than a few conferences and one of the biggest topics that comes up is what to pack. While I usually share my clothing packing lists, like what I packed for BlogHer or what I packed for Alt Summit, but you should also consider what to pack in your day bag. Today I’m sharing what to pack in your day bag for a blog conference. These are items that I’ve always made sure to have in my bag while going from keynotes to sessions and beyond at a blog conference.

What's in my bag? See what I bring to attend a blog conference.
Above: 13″ Macbook Pro Laptop (though now I carry a Space Grey 12″ Macbook Retina with this black sleeve.), Marble Laptop Skin, bkr 16oz Water Bottle in London, Cuyana Travel Wallet, Canon G9X Camera, Moo Luxe Business Cards, iPhone 7, Laut Black Marble iPhone Case, Anker External Battery Charger, Baggu Bag in Gray, Poketo Business Card Holder (this might be as similar as I can get), Cuyana Classic Alpaca Cape, Le Pen Fine Tip Pens, Sharpie Marker, HAY Notebook (similar), Cuyana Classic Leather Zipper Tote

Laptop
Pictured above is my 13″ Macbook Pro Laptop with this skin, but now I carry a much-lighter Space Grey 12″ Macbook Retina with this black sleeve. It makes it easy to do hands-on type work while people are talking, or to pull up other people’s blogs in real time.

Water & Snacks
I normally carry my bkr water bottle with me everywhere I go, so bringing it here is sort of a no-brainer. Recently at Alt Summit Palm Springs I was introduced to Rx Bars and fell in love. The sea-salt chocolate is divine and I carry one in my purse everywhere I go. I never know when I’ll get hungry between meals or if the food provided at a conference is safe for me to eat (I have food allergies).

Wallet & Business Cards
I carry my Cuyana Travel Wallet with me everywhere, as it’s my daily wallet, but it also functions well as an evening clutch. I usually keep a couple of business cards in it, but for a conference I like to use my Poketo Hex business card holder, and while they don’t sell them anymore, this might be as similar as I can get. I love the Moo Luxe Business Cards, they’re so thick and feel wonderful in your hand.

Camera
I used to carry my large SLR with me everywhere at conferences, but it started to get really heavy. While I do still take it to more important events, I carry my trusty Canon G9X Camera and it performs pretty good for instagram photos or quick snaps, but it does fall short in lower-light conditions.

Cell Phone
Obviously you can’t go anywhere without your trusty phone. I carry an iPhone 7 with a black marble iPhone case daily and at a conference is no exception. I also bring along an anker external battery charger for when my juice runs low.

Light Sweater
Being at a conference and not in charge of the temperature in a room can sometimes be hard. I bring along my Cuyana Classic Alpaca Cape as it is so easy to throw over my shoulders when I feel chilly.

Notebook & Pens
My favorite notebook right now is the HAY one pictured, and while it’s no long available (I bought it in Denmark), this one is quite similar. I always carry one or two black Le Pens to take notes, and a sharpie to write notes on business cards.

Bags
My daily bag is the Cuyana Classic Leather Zipper Tote, and I like to carry a spare baggu bag, in case I come across any extra goodies, make a quick trip to a store, or need to carry extras of something.

What's in my bag? See what I bring to attend a blog conference.

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Oh sweet! I’ve never been to a blog conference but I can see why using a smaller camera would be better than carrying a bulking one. Business cards are also a must!

I love this post! Conferences are so fun but I always feel like I am forgetting something. Thanks for this!

xo Rachel

I cannot go anywhere without a notebook/journal and pens. My notebook serves as my external memory where I can scribble lots of unrelated ideas and thoughts, throw in some creative writing ideas, and my grocery list also goes in there.

I have to agree that notebooks and pens are a must! I remember the only blog conference I went to back in 2009 … it was Type-A Mom but now is called Type-A Parent and it was in NC. I was so not prepared with notepads, I had to scribble on napkins and these tiny memo pads we got from reps there 😉

I can definitely see a theme/style here. Checking out those skins, I’m tired of the plain back on my iPad!

Hello – love the blog and all the packing / photography tips! Quick question – my old MacBook Pro is dying & I can’t decide what to replace it with – love the style of the MacBook, but a bit worried about power. Does it run Lightroom ok for you?

Thanks!

Hi Ciera, thanks! I was pretty worried when I made the switch to the smaller and non ‘pro’ version but it runs Lightroom ok for me. I should note that the bulk of my Lightroom (hundreds/thousands of raw files) work is done on my iMac at home and I use the Macbook to travel with and make smaller edits on the go using high resolution JPGs. I also have the HP Spectre that I got through a sponsored partnership last year, and although I am not a huge Windows user and no longer use it, the power in it was on par with my Macbook Pro and it was as lightweight as the smaller Macbook I have while keeping the 13″ screen. I edited plenty of raw files on it as well.

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