The hustle and bustle that was… Blogpaws!
April 14th, 2010
People, pets, laptops and smart phones everywhere!
By now most viewers of this blog, especially if also on Twitter, have heard of Blogpaws. This event was the first ever pet blogger’s conference. I was honored to be part of the planning committee, and enjoyed seeing the events unfold. Would people attend? Would we have enough sponsors? Who should speak, and on what topic? So many decisions!
First things first
I was excited to learn that the conference was to be held in the same city, Columbus Ohio, as The Ohio State University Greyhound Health and Wellness program. I rearranged my flight to accommodate a visit there, and it was an amazing time meeting the veterinarians there and learning more about Greyhounds, their outreach programs and the animal blood bank that is part of the program. More about this visit later.
Got a swag bag workout!
Behind the scenes – getting ready
We had a small organizational meeting on Friday morning. First up, filling the swag bags. This was no small task. First, the bags were huge. Second, there were many, many items to go in the bags. (wow) and third, we had many bags to fill. We had several people helping, and it took all morning. It was a feeling of accomplishment as all bags were filled just before registration time. We had a busy blogpaws schedule ahead.
Friday night
People (and pets!) began showing up early Friday afternoon. The great opening keynote address and social event began promptly at 6pm. The silent art auction also kicked off Blogpaws. Snacks, refreshments, and lots of visiting and aha! moments had the place buzzing. The party continued on after the planned social event for many, despite the early morning schedule for Saturday. <g>
Saturday seminars
The day began early, with a light breakfast and vendor floor open for browsing. Conversations, like the day before, were lively and animated. The day was a mix of awesome keynote speakers and breakout sessions. Attendees could choose one of 3 options for each session, and they were all well-attended.
My official “duty” was to attend and report on the “Be The Change” seminar, moderated by Jane Harrell of Petfinder. Panelists were DrV of Pawcurious, Dorian Wagner of Your Daily Cute and Lynn Haigh of PawPawty.com. Their session, and their challenge to pet lovers everywhere, will be the topic of a future post, but here it is in a nutshell:
Saturday closed with a huge social event, and I think everyone had a great time. No one wanted the weekend to end. The feelings of change for the better, community like never before, and being a part of something huge was everywhere. The weekend ended too soon, but we have Blogpaws 2011 to look forward to!
What Blogpaws is really about
While all of the above sounds like a party, the real focus here was affecting a positive change for animals. How we can help shelters, rescues, promote adoptions, and provide information to keep those fortunate animals that already have homes, healthy too. At the closing ceremony, 3 shelters that were suggested by attendees each received a check for $2800.00 (almost 10K total) from conference proceeds. Beds donated for pet attendees were given to a local shelter Pets Without Parents after the conference to make their shelter stay a little more comfortable.
Attendees brainstormed not only about new ways to help animals, but also each other. Working together to reach more people to help more animals, one person at a time.
Footnote
I met so many wonderful people at blogpaws. Some of them I have known for months or even years online. It was especially cool to meet Anthony Holloway and his lovely wife Kate, owners of K9Cuisine, and Roxanne Hawn, fellow blogger here over at the Dog Food Dish.
Let’s hear YOUR thoughts!
I am part of the planning committee for future Blogpaws events, and your opinion counts! We are seeking your thoughts on this year’s event – likes/dislikes and suggestions for future events. Don’t be shy – please post a comment or email me with what’s on your mind.
Related: Blogpaws Recap and a Challenge for YOU. Yes, you.
What about you? Have you been inspired to share your talents and voice to help animals in some way? Tell us how you are Being the Change
Update: April 16, 2010 is Be The Change Day!
- Being The Change You Want To See – on my About.com site
- Be The Change: For Pet Rescue – By Anthony Hollaway K9Cuisine CEO
- Dog Food Action Day – by Roxanne Hawn
- Be The Change … it isn’t just one day – on my AboutVetMed blog
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2 Responses to “The hustle and bustle that was… Blogpaws!”
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Janet Tobiassen Crosby DVM never planned to be a writer. She wanted to be a veterinarian from the moment she learned such a job existed - sometime during the first grade, when she accompanied her mom to the vet with a sick cat. Janet "adopted" all the neighborhood cats, and at age 11 she started training her first dog, a newly adopted rescue Collie. At age 12, she joined a dog obedience 4-H club and was active through high school as a member and as a junior leader.
- DrJTC: Sorry for the delay – just now saw your comment. Good point. I am lucky to live in a relatively bug-free...
- Kathleen Winn: Great tips! We live in the country so our dog is a regular “wilderness adventurer.” Our...
- AboutVetMed: Thanks, Deb! I was relieved we ended up with something to submit.
- Deb: Loved this story. Your “HairBear” turned out really cute.
- Jenni Meyer: Dave, Millions of dogs in this country are killed every day. I applaud what you are doing and had no...
[...] of the goodness that was Blogpaws settle in, I wrote up a more formal recap on my K9Cuisine blog: The Hustle and Bustle That Was Blogpaws and have some photos and a challenge(!) to share [...]
[...] you have been inspired by the Blogpaws Be The Change movement or have been doing this for years, we’d love to hear your Be The Change [...]