Industry conferences are one of the best avenues for professional development for influencers. Attending conferences offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in a specific topic, meet and hear from leaders in a variety of industries, build your brand (corporate or personal) and network with other like-minded individuals. And when it comes to blogger conferences and social media events specifically, we’re seeing more and more crop up every year. As pioneers in the industry, we couldn’t be more excited about that because it validates just how powerful this movement, our voices and these technologies are!

While conferences offer a valuable experience, it’s usually a significant investment to attend — both financially and time-wise. We surveyed our network of amazing influencers and asked if they were making such investments to attend any conferences this year, and their thoughts on these events. Take a look at what they have to say here!

Benefits of Attending Blogger Conferences

According to our survey, the top benefit of attending blogger-specific conferences is networking with brands and agencies! The feeling is mutual: from an agency perspective, we absolutely love the opportunity to meet influencers face-to-face, especially since so much of our work is done online.

Other top reasons for influencers to attend include networking with other bloggers, attending workshops to learn about new trends and techniques, and hearing a keynote speaker.

Popular Influencer Marketing + Social Media Conferences

Many of the influencers we surveyed will be attending Mom 2.0 May 2-4 (for their 10-year anniversary!). BlogHer, Type-A, Women in Travel Summit, and SNAP! Conference, of which we were a proud sponsor last year, were among other popular events that respondents are planning to attend.

Another common theme? Attending niche conferences — whether it’s a soap-making conference like Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild’s, or a pet-focused one like BlogPaws.

Sponsorship to Attend Conferences

Many of the bloggers we surveyed are conference veterans, and only plan on attending if their attendance is sponsored by a brand. Sponsoring bloggers to attend events is a great way for both brands and bloggers to have a presence at conferences. For the brand, it guarantees exposure of their message. For bloggers, it helps offset the expense of the trip and allows them to build a stronger partnership with the brand. A handful of the bloggers we heard from have confirmed on-site ambassadorships at conferences this year, where they will be extensions of the brand team at the event.

Others we heard from have brand partnerships that will result in post-conference coverage, demonstrating just a few of the multiple ways brands and bloggers can work together during these events!

Additional Thoughts on Blogger Conferences from our Influencers

Some of the hurdles that preclude bloggers from attending events include proximity and timing. Others, as individuals who have attended dozens of conferences in their careers, mentioned they don’t see a huge return on their investment since the events aren’t always geared toward what they’re looking to learn.

While continued online education opportunities are certainly not lacking — with webinars, digital downloads and more — it’s always refreshing to have these opportunities to connect in person.

If you didn’t have a chance to take our survey, tell us in the comments if you plan on attending any blogger conferences this year!