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Announcing the Dates and Location for BlogHer '09, our 5th Anniversary Conference!
by Today we are pleased and proud to announce the theme, dates and location for BlogHer '09, our fifth annual conference.
The theme for BlogHer '09 is "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!
Now, I'm guessing you're really waiting for this part: Where in the world is BlogHer '09?
After an extended period of polling, research, investigation, and comparing the pros and cons of venues from the perspective of our attendees, our sponsors and BlogHer itself, we are bringing BlogHer '09 to...[drum roll please]: Chicago, IL!!
Yes, 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 our 3rd annual BlogHer Business Conference, and will continue with the two-day 5th annual BlogHer Annual Conference on Friday and Saturday, July 24-25.
Some of you who have been following along may have just done a coffee spit-take all over your monitor, because Chicago was not one of the final three cities that polled the highest earliest this year. So, first let me tell you a bit about our 2009 venue:
The Chicago Sheraton and Towers is right in the center of all the wonderful downtown Chicago sights and attractions. It's right on the river and but a block from Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile. It's also less than a mile from the Navy Pier, the Art Institute of Chicago, and even American Girl Place! Chicago is one of America's great cities, and you might consider combining your BlogHer trip with a longer vacation...whether with your BlogHer friends or with other friends and/or family.
But these are but secondary reasons compared to the primary appeal of this terrific venue: It is big enough for us once again to house the entire conference, including our attendees, under one roof. If there is one piece of feedback we heard consistently after BlogHer '07 in Chicago and BlogHer '08 in San Francisco it's that our attendees loved Chicago, but they didn't love having such a long trek between the meeting space and their hotel rooms. I don't know how many times we all heard during and after BlogHer '08 in San Francisco that it was so much better to have everything under one roof. It became our #1 criteria when searching for a venue: It had to be big enough to accommodate our continued growth...growth in number of attendees, growth in number of sponsors, growth in number of programming tracks and meeting rooms to house them.
Our second criteria was accessibility and affordability...again for everyone involved, including BlogHer. The Chicago Sheraton will match our 2007 and 2008 room rate of $199, and we once again got comped in-room Internet for all BlogHer attendees (a savings of $12.95/day). Moreover as we took a look at airfares, we were reminded that Chicago is a top hub city right in the middle of the country. Even as airfares continue to rise, it is possible to find affordable, non-stop flights to Chicago from just about every part of the US and Canada. The Hotel also happily worked with us to find ways to help us and our sponsors save money too...and that will allow us to keep registration prices exactly the same as last year's registration pricing too.
Finally, there's a whole lot of other stuff that is a bit behind-the-scenes, but is going to make this the best conference yet. The Chicago Sheraton and Towers is simply made for a conference as big as ours has gotten. The facilities, and the flexibility of those facilities, are beyond compare. We can't wait to make the most exciting use of what this venue has to offer.
We hadn't originally planned to re-visit a city we'd been to before, which is why I didn't include Chicago on our city poll at all (mea culpa). But as we investigated the three top cities from the poll, we found that one city didn't have a single facility big enough for us (Portland); one city had only one facility big enough that was available during either of the last two weekends in July...and it was way more expensive than we expected, and management displayed little willingness to negotiate (Philly), and the final city actually wasn't that easy to get to and had more limited facilities for lots of tracks and lots of unique sponsor activities (St. Louis).
We fully expected we would produce BlogHer '09 at one of those three cities, but after spending lots of time investigating all three (and let me just say it was Kristy spending the vast majority of that time!) and compiling a grid that compared about 40 different criteria, we admitted we didn't have the perfect solution in any of them.
We went back to the drawing board and opened our mind to revisiting Chicago, and the rest is (and most definitely will be) history. We hope you will be as excited as we are to come back to Chicago, this time without a half-mile trek between hotel and meeting space!
Stay tuned for a post from Kristy that will announce that conference registration is open, and that will provide all the details on how to reserve your hotel room.
In the meantime, here is your html code to declare your intention to join us for the 5th annual BlogHer Conference, BlogHer '09, July 23-25 in Chicago, IL.
<a href="http://www.blogher09.eventbrite.com/"><img src="http://www.blogher.com/files/BH09-going.gif" alt="I'm Going to BlogHer '09"></a>
<a href="http://www.blogher09.eventbrite.com/"><img src="http://www.blogher.com/files/BH09-150.gif" alt="BlogHer '09 In Real Life"></a>We hope that now that you know when and where BlogHer '09 will be you will mark your calendars. We also hope those ideas keep pouring in, in response to our Call for Ideas. Thank you all for your patience as we worked on site selection, and we hope you're as excited as we are to hit Chicago for the fifth anniversary BlogHer Conference!
Elisa
for Jory, Elisa and Lisa
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yay!
Excellent news. Not only because I live in Chicago and know what an awesome city it is, but also because '09 will be my first BlogHer ever. Yay!
How can you be a writer if you don't have a voice? But it's like in junior high when they'd say, "Just be yourself." And I'd always think, "But what ifyourself sucks?" (Lynda Barry)
Oooohhhh...
I love the putting together of BHBiz and the "regular" BH conference! That's going to benefit both programs immensely, I suspect.
Thanks for all of your hard work on this, Elisa and Kristy (and everyone else involved)!
--
Mir Kamin
(BlogHer contributing editor)
Personal: Woulda Coulda Shoulda
Having it all with less: Want Not
Oh, glad you think so about the combo
approach
We're always mixing it up, and this year we thought we'd try this approach to BlogHer Business. Think you're right that it will benefit both events.
Elisa Camahort Page
BlogHer
elisa@blogher.com
My BlogHer profile truly shows you everything I do online...Check it out!!
I hope I Can Meet You!
Woohoo! Never been to Chicago and now I have a reason to go! Hope to met you and all of my other favorite bloggers out there!
Giyen
Bacon Is My Enemy
Lastest Post:
Live Big
I am so cited- A hop skip
I am so cited- A hop skip and a jump away from me!
~Susan
http://lilmomthatcould.com/
So excited
Would have loved my hometown of St Louis to get the nod, but Chicago is a close second. Not only is a great city, but us STL BlogHers can easily take the train or MegaBus if we don't want to pay for relatively-cheap flights. I can't wait for my very first BlogHer! Great job, ladies!
Great info re: trains and busses!
Thanks for reminding us all that planes are not the only way :)
Elisa Camahort Page
BlogHer
elisa@blogher.com
My BlogHer profile truly shows you everything I do online...Check it out!!
I AM SO EXCITED!!!!
This will be my first BlogHer and Chicago is one of my favorite places of all time!! SO PUMPED!!!!!!!!
(And wow, thanks for giving everyone PLENTY of advanced notice!)
Miss Britt
http://www.miss-britt.com
"Dignity is Overrated"
I can't believe it's your first time!
Miss Britt I feel like I've met you already :)
Elisa Camahort Page
BlogHer
elisa@blogher.com
My BlogHer profile truly shows you everything I do online...Check it out!!
Sweet Home...
Wow, this is a pleasant surprise! Since I grew up in the Chicago area and my parents still live out there, they'll be delighted to hear that I'll be in town for the conference. My only wish is that it was at the end of June instead of July so that I could also go to the Taste of Chicago, but so it goes. I can hardly wait!
Suzanne Reisman, Contributing Editor - Feminism & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants
We're there!
Just told the boy about it and his response was "I've never been to Chicago - we'll make a week out of it!" (I still don't think I'll be able to get him to go to the conference as he's convinced it's all over his head.)
Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
My Kind of Town
Chicago! Is so doable! Now if I can get the sisters to join me it will be doubly awesome!
I'm excited
#1 because BlogHer '07 *edited to reflect it was actually 07*
we failed to EAT everywhere in Chicago I wanted to EAT at
#2 It's near Detroit, and I can see family!!!!
#3 It's bloghercon and it will be fun regardless of the location
Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain
Chicago eats
"because Blogher '06 we failed to EAT everywhere in Chicago I wanted to EAT at"
Three days is not a lot of time to eat everything, but it's do-able. I will begin working on a list of suggestions, organized by category. Starting with hot dogs.
How can you be a writer if you don't have a voice? But it's like in junior high when they'd say, "Just be yourself." And I'd always think, "But what ifyourself sucks?" (Lynda Barry)
Gotta try Chicago Diner
Speaking of Chicago eats, that's supposed to be one of the premier vegetarian restaurants in a town with a surprising number of them.
Elisa Camahort Page
BlogHer
elisa@blogher.com
My BlogHer profile truly shows you everything I do online...Check it out!!
YES!
I'm in Chicago so this is the best news ever!
Jamie
http://ohhowlovely.net
Whoohoooo!
Short flight and two conferences in one - nicely done, ladies!
Visit my blogs at ThreeSeven (all that's irrelevant and amusing) and
ecochick (all that's green, cool and Canadian).
We're going to drive
We're going to head down early and visit people and see the city. Make a vacation of it.
Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
Jealous
After taking a quick look at travelocity for this, I know I won't be going - and I hope that you'll doing another Reach Out Tour for those of us who simply can't spend this kind of money.
CHICAGO here we come! Congrats to the
conference team!
I'm so excited we're returning to Chicago! Wonderful job, Elisa and Kristy, on working your magic so that this conference is as affordable and accessible as possible.
I agree with you, KBestOliver, those are all great ways to get to Chicago.
Sassy, I think the boy will love the Windy City. Miss Britt, Jasmine, can't wait to meet you in person.
Mir, you nailed it: Pulling BlogHer Business and BlogHer '09 together will make it easier (and more economical) for all of us who want to do both.
Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette
BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.
Woohoo! I am happy that if
Woohoo! I am happy that if you had to choose to deviate from the three, that it is Chicago! Airfare will be cheap.
Now, I need to find some roommates!
Suzanne
www.suzannesez.blogspot.com
Chicago is a great city!
I was sorry I hadn't booked more time to spend there at BlogHer 07. And from a traveler's perspective, though yeah, O'Hare is a ZOO, it's an easy hub to get nonstop flights in and out of.
w00t.
Pam
Nerd's Eye View
Don't forget Midway!
A lot of the bargain airlines fly into Midway. It's just as easy to get to downtown Chicago from Midway as it is from O'Hare and the airport can be less nuts.
Suzanne Reisman, Contributing Editor - Feminism & Gender
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants
WOOT!
You just made this Ohio girl VERY happy, only a 4 hour drive!!!!!!
www.barefootfoodie.com
Ditto on the Ohio excitement
Loving Chicago - weird tidbit: I have spent more time watching traders on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange than at just about any other site I've ever visited - I thought it was incredible to watch!
Great choice. :) Thank you!
Jill
Writes Like She Talks
I'm Dancing!!!
I was thinking my hometown of STL would have been great, but Chicago? My current town? FAN-FLIPPIN-TASTIC!!!!
Notions of Identity
BlogHer Widowers...
Eeeek! I'm so excited! BlogHer will be in my home town! I hope my apartment building is ready for a party!
On that note, I'm sure there are a lot of BlogHer spouses/boyfriends/girlfriends/pets/anyone! who will be coming to Chicago with their significant other for the BlogHer event...we should organize a meet up for them...I hear that the Cubs are in town that weekend and Wrigleyville is a great place to grab a beer.
Sign mine up
Right after "I've never been there!" and "We can visit friends!" came "CUBS GAME!"
Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
CUBBIES!
I would be completely in for a Cubs game! Can we make one of our "cocktail" parties happen at Wrigley?
YES!!! Oh Yes, Oh Yes, Such Excellence in
Decision-Making!
While either coast is fun and cool, the middle of the continent seems much more fair to the majority; this way, nobody has to fly ALL the way across the nation; therefore, flights for most of us should be a little cheaper. Having everything in one venue is fantastic, and makes it all so much easier and convenient. Chicago is a beautiful city.
All logic aside, YES, I'M GOING TO CHICAGO NEXT SUMMER! Excellent decision!!! Way to go! Awesome! Majestically wise!
I plan to have even more fun than last year, and last year was, as everybody now knows, more fun than. . . well, yeah, that.
I ain't joshin' y'all.
Can't wait! It's going to be more wonderful than wonderful.
"Don't be content with being average. Average is as close to the bottom as it is to the top."
WOOHOO
I'm so excited for this!! Can't wait!
*******************
My Wooden Spoon
A Cowboy's Wife
Chicago is a good choice.
Chicago is a good choice. You might want to note for folks that not only is Chicago a major airline hub, it's also a major train hub, with most points in the country connecting either directly, or with only one connection, to the city.
Good reminder
I know at least one attendee took the train *all the way from NJ to SF* this year (I'm looking at you Fausta) so it's a great point for those of you who hate flying that the train is a real alternative.
Elisa Camahort Page
BlogHer
elisa@blogher.com
My BlogHer profile truly shows you everything I do online...Check it out!!
CARPOOL!
I would LURV to carpool with some So. Cal. peeps.
Anyone?
I'm so excited to see
I'm so excited to see that it will be in my backyard, but holding my breath and hoping that it doesn't coincide with my annual Leadership workshop for Hands & Voices which is what prevented me from going all the years before. Crossing fingers...
Karen Putz
"Life is too short to pout all the time."
A Deaf Mom Shares Her World
Hands & Voices
This is great
I am from the Indianapolis originally but live in NYC, I think that this is great that it will be in Chicago! I haven't been in awhile - see you guys there!
Kimmie
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sikara Designs Group ~ Social Media Firm http://www.sikara.com
Kitten Lounge ~ Editor in Chief http://kittenlounge.typepad.com
Great choice!
I love Chicago, and, in fact, have stayed in that hotel!
As written above, it is in a *great* location in the city. I probably won't make it to the conference unless I plan an entire trip from Italy to there...although...hmm...there's still lots of time to plan, right?
Great work ladies :)
--
Michelle Fabio of Bleeding Espresso
Oh Baby...HOT DAMN!
Oh shoot! Oh Shoot! Let me get my jar out and start throwing my change in!
Oh Man this is going to be FABULOUS! When I heard about Blogher the conference was in Chicago and I couldn't attend...had to go and retire to the country for 29 days (federal prison camp) and I vowed I would make the next conference I DID in San Francisco ...that was the BEST time EVER! So now imagine my heart knowing that the 09 conference will be in Chicago! WWOO WHOOO! Full Circle!
Hot DAMN!
Love,
Babz
Fantastic Choice!
Hi Ladies,
This just made my week! A nice central spot. I will say, get the Anti Frizz ready for your hair - July can get humid in these parts:)
Yay!
Blagica (blah-gee-tsa) Bottigliero Chief GuideLink Text
I'm going
I live outside of Chicago, so this it totally convient for me, even if I don't stay downtown and go home each night.
I'm excited!
Wooooooo!!
- Maria
http://immoralmatriarch.com
Chicago is THE place to be!
I'm thrilled! Maybe Oprah will pay a visit??????
merlotmom
BlogHer Virgin
Do you realize it's just eight months from today??
I'm really going to have to pace myself. I'm a BlogHer virgin and I can't wait!
Christine
Manic Mommy
http://shesjustanothermanicmommy.blogspot.com/
Well, I'll admit to being a
Well, I'll admit to being a *little* disappointed, because one of my favorite things about BlogHer is the chance to visit a new city every year! However, since I live a little less than four hours away, I can also drive or possibly take Amtrak like I did last year, which is WAY cheaper. And this year? I am going to Uno's for pizza even if I have to go alone! SEE YOU IN CHICAGO!!!!!
Elizabeth blogs at:
You won't have to go
You won't have to go alone-Uno's is on my list. And Ed Debeviks and Navy Pier and a half dozen other places.
Suzanne
www.suzannesez.blogspot.com
Conference choice
Well, okay. I just can't understand why you didn't want to come to Vegas seeing as how it's only about 120 degrees in July. Guess I'd better get myself a ticket to Chicago. Love that city.
I will be
I will be there!!
Steph
Steph
Link TextAdventures In Babywearing
Fabulous news!!!
This is fantastic!!!
Chicago is flooding with tech-savvy ladies (as you all probably know).
I can't wait! :)
Stacy Jill Jacobs
http://www.stacyjillontheweb.com
http://www.twitter.com/stacyjill
A little disappointed.
I'm also a little disappointed that Chicago is the location for the conference again so soon (although I'm glad Navy Pier doesn't seem to be in the cards). I went in '07 and like Elizabeth, I look at the BlogHer conference as a means for travelling to new cities.
That being said, I didn't see a lot of the city last time so maybe this will be a good opportunity to see more of it!
Assertagirl
Crossing fingers and toes
I used to live in Chicago and haven't been back in eons. I'd love to go but we're on one income now after the layoff. I'll be putting my thinking cap on and hope I can make it this year!