A few weekends ago, I was lucky enough to attend a virtual blogging conference online called Haven. It was supposed to be held in Atlanta, Georgia, but of course due to COVID, plans had to change. This was the very first time they had a virtual conference so I figured I would share a complete Haven conference recap with you all and why you should attend a blogging conference sometime, whether it be virtual or in person!
What is the Haven Conference?
I figured the first thing I would do is share a little background information about Haven conference and what it is exactly. Haven is all about celebrating your DIY spirit and teaching you how you can use your skills and build your own business!
They have picked the best entrepreneurs, influencers, and bloggers to teach and mentor you during the whole conference so that you can learn from the best of the best!
Haven also really focus on building your community and finding your tribe. They allow you to have time to ask questions and interact and form lifelong connections. Which is so beneficial and helpful when you are first starting out at blogging, like myself.
So Much Information
I think the best part of the conference obviously was learning so much new information about blogging and social media. I am a very new blogger and I do not know too much about it all. So I was very grateful and appreciative to all of the speakers sharing their wealth of knowledge with us!
For the Haven Conference, all the speakers hosted live webinars on various blogging and social media courses. There were several offered at the same time, but the cool thing about it being virtual is that they were all recorded!
So now, we can all go back and watch the classes we missed, which we would not have gotten the chance to do so had it been in person. So I guess there is a silver lining to the in person event being cancelled after all.
So Much Fun
The Haven team really went above and beyond to make sure that this conference was still incredible, even though it had to be virtual.
They sent us all a swag bag full of goodies before the conference which included super cute gifts from all the sponsors as well. We were also able to sign up for a few live DIY classes, which hopefully I will be able to share more in detail about those soon too!
I took a painting class with Behr and they provided us all with a wooden tray and jewelry box as well as paint. And we were all able to do a fun painting project while watching the class too. It was such a great way to try out some new paint and learn from the best.
They even did a virtual disco themed goodbye party at the end of the event as well so I was very impressed with all of the thought that went behind everything to make it an incredible experience for us.
Meeting New Friends
I was able to connect with so many new friends and “see” some of my older friends I have met throughout the past years of being an influencer/blogger too. I just wish for this part it was an actual live event because it is always so nice to hang out and catch up!
We were also all divided into different groups with different mentors, that way we could have more time to talk and chat within our particular group. We were able to do a few live Zoom calls during the conference which was really fun and informative too.
I was also able to join several other newbie blogging groups where we are starting to keep up with our goals and dreams more so and holding each other accountable to achieve them! It was so nice to collaborate and chat with so many like minded people and gain from their knowledge and perspective.
Meeting Brands To Collaborate With
Another huge perk to this Haven conference was “meeting” brands to collaborate with. Haven has a huge list of brands who sponsor them, so that means you are able to meet them too and chat about a few of your upcoming projects and ideas.
They even had a thing called the “Haven Hustle” where you would sign up to pitch an idea to a particular brand you wanted to work with.
Due to my work schedule, I had to pitch to one brand via a Zoom call before the conference and I was SO NERVOUS. Especially since I hadn’t taken any of the course yet and this was my very first time ever pitching to a brand “in person”.
But, I am happy to report that I think it went very well and you may just see a project on the blog here soon in a few months from it!
Here is a list of just some of the brands that have partnered with Haven this year:
- The Home Depot
- Behr Paint
- Woodgrain
- Engaged Media LLC
- Frogtape
- Sinkology
- Ryobi
Conclusion
I learned so much from this Haven conference and it has really lit my fire to get my blog up and running more like a business.
I still have so much more to learn, but I feel way more confident after attending this and I still have more webinars to watch too! So if there is ever a blogging conference like this near you, you should definitely consider attending it!
“Treat your blog as a hobby and it will reward you as just a hobby, but if you treat your blog as a business, it will reward you as a business!”
Haven Conference 2020
It did cost some money, but honestly the cost was not bad at all seeing as how it was virtual and we did not have to buy a hotel room for the weekend.
This was the first big investment I have made towards my blog and I am so excited and pumped to start seeing some results from it later this year!
And, if you’re attending your first ever blogging conference in person, be sure to check out my post, what to bring to a blogging conference. I’ve given you all the expert tips and tricks there!
Thanks for reading all about my Haven Conference Recap and I would love to know if you all have ever been to a conference like this before?? And if so, what were some of your key takeaways from it?? Let me know below!
I am so glad to hear about this great conference you were able to attend. It is my goal to be there next year!!!! Maybe I will see you:)
Awe I would love that! Yes, I definitely hope it is in person next year too!
Great post! Thank you for sharing this! I think this will be useful to me as well!
Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed it.
It’s amazing how brands and events have diversified during this time and taken things online. I’ve heard great things about all the online events that have been held recently! This sounds great and sound like you took a lot from it too ๐ Hopefully I can attend a virtual event soon!
Yes it really is! I was very impressed with how quickly they were able to adapt.
That’s really cool that the conference was able to be held virtually. It sounds like it was such a great experience and a great way to learn lots, as well as meeting with brands. I’d love to attend a blogging conference one day
Yes! It was very useful and I learned so much from it!
Itโs great how they still managed to pull off something that was good in the current circumstances. The idea of pitching to a brand fills me with absolute dread ๐
Lol it was very nerve wrecking for sure! I am glad that part is over with!
It sounds a great virtual conference, I think any way to meet fellow bloggers is great! Thank you for sharing
Sarah
Yes it’s always nice to meet a community of like minded people!
It sounds like a lot of fun + informative at the same time. It was neat how Behr provided the art supplies for your class. It’s a good reminder for me to attend at least one conference this year. Thank you for sharing your experiences! x
No problem! It was so much fun! And yes, I am glad they supplied all the materials for the DIY projects. It was a lot of fun to test out the paint!
It’s really an awesome post
Whatever things we want from our blog, it gets reflected from the work we put in……
Thank you for sharing this post ๐
It’s really useful
JENISH | https://knowafactfromj.blogspot.com
Yes! It makes all the hard work worth it for sure!
Wow I love diy, sounds so enriching. Great idea to send
you you goodies before starting..
Thank you! Yes, it was so nice to have all the materials ready to go!
This sounds so cool! I didn’t even know conferences like this were a thing! I love the quote you shared at the end. I can definitely feel myself putting more thought and effort into my blog now that I’m hoping to monetize it. It’s a big difference from when I simply thought of it as a way to help pass the time, a hobby. Great post!
Yes I totally agree. I feel the same way! And glad you enjoyed it!
What a wonderful idea! This convention sounds so beautiful. I still feel like i struggle to fully know my niche and find my audience. I guess Iโm still just blogging for me and just running with it haha. But this convention sounds so positive and hopeful! Hmm, maybe next year I should look into this ๐.
Quinn x
Haha I feel like that too still. I am just going with it, but this definitely helped me focus in on it more. It was a great experience!
This sounds like a great conference – congratulation on a very successful blog!
Thank you so much. I appreciate that.
How incredible fun and useful!! I love the idea of working with newer bloggers and influencers specifically to build your brand. I think anyone of any skill level, no matter how big or small you are, can learn from this! Great recap!
I totally agree. Everyone can definitely learn from something like this for sure!
Super cool! Glad you had an awesome Haven experience. Iโve heard blogging conferences were awesome but wasnโt sure how theyโd be these days with Co-vid.
Yes! I wish it was still in person, but given the circumstances, this was pretty great too!
Wow great idea to boost your motivation, experiences
and creativity. What an amazing place to learn so much..
Yes it was a very amazing experience for sure!