Blogher12- Postmortem

5 days, 4 sessions, 3 strikes you're out,

 2 vibrators, 1 router 

Let me start with: Cool Things I Saw and Did!

Lots of freebies, for sure. Cleaning products, vitamins, cold/allergy/flu/pain relief pills, food, beauty products, craft products

Here's a shot of some of my swag:

Coming to Best Buy for $29.  I want the amazing tin container.

Courtesy of Martha - LOVE this elastic band!

Manicure courtesy Logitech.

Hair chalking, make-up, massage courtesy Pfizer.

Got milk?

Another day in my Martha Stewart Craft Room.

The wonderful Marcia of Shur-Tec Brands.  

Me giving up on trying to use my iPad for productivity.

Pathfinder Day

Train stop going to NYC

My trip to New York City was interesting. The train ride was a great way to go and I'm glad we decided to travel that way.  

Cynthia charging at me to stop taking pictures of her

Many attendees have chosen to write about 'the good, the bad, and the ugly' about Blogher and I think it's the best way to approach this because it forces me to come up with good things to say.

5000 FEMALE (mostly) bloggers = 

too many women in one place 

Have I ever told you about the one where Bad and Ugly walk into a bar...?

The organizers of the conference should be fired. Period. From venue choice to complete lack of communication with attendees during the conference, it was my first and last Blogher (unless someone wants to pay me a lot of money to attend the next one).

The Hilton was woefully ill-prepared to handle the number of attendees.  The WI-Fi was non-existent or sporadic at best, for the duration of the conference. Frustration ran high. The catered food was repetitive and awful at times. Food was not replenished at meals. The hot foods served at the official parties were COLD and/or inedible.

Parties/Meals did not start on time resulting in HUGE line-ups. 

But did I mention that when Cynthia and I arrived at the hotel around 11 pm, after our 14 hour train ride, we were informed that they had given away our room because "...some people decided to extend their stay..."  WHAT? You are kidding!

I have been in hotels where I wanted to extend my stay and was politely informed that the room was already booked.

After sufficient negotiation with the Manager we got an upgraded room at 1/2 the conference cost for the first night and we could order whatever we liked from Room Service that night. We had to change rooms the second day, as we agreed, and they provided a bellman to take all of our belongings to our new room.

Cynthia contemplates which of the cheeses she wants to start with in her 4-cheese baked macaroni.

Delicious and HUGE chicken club sandwich. ( and it SHOULD be for $22).

The support staff at the Hilton is INCREDIBLE., however the Hotel and it's numerous shortcomings convinced me that I will never stay at a Hilton again.

I have also learned that when you check out a facility/resort and there are hundreds of complaints about that resort, there is usually a reason.

Theft #1 - I know I left my iPod in the first room. Security said no iPod was found.  Bullshit - I KNOW it was by my bed.

Theft #2 - albeit a smaller one.  I know that housekeeping helped themselves to some of my 'swag'. At that point I was so fed up and indifferent I did not file a complaint.

What was good?

The Paris

• Meeting some really great people and making wonderful connections.
• Learning new things about Social Media
• Getting some wonderful creative inspiration from sponsors and attendees.
• Martha Stewart at lunch.
• The cab drivers we chatted/ I interrogated :)
• The cruise to The Statue of Liberty
• Dinner at Paris Cafe 
• Announcing I am a Toronto Blue Jays fan in the New York Yankees Store.
• The Official Canadian Party! Thank you Mom Central for a lovely party and for giving me a new router!!! 
• McDonald's for the CheeseburgHer Party! And they had a CRAFT TABLE!!! WOOT!
• Talking and laughing the whole way down with BFF Cynthia.
• Not talking and laughing the whole way home with BFF Cynthia ( I needed sleep!)
• Trojan booth
• Eden's Fantasy booth
• Rickland's booth --- DEElicious granola bars!
• My wonderful husband/chauffeur schlepping all the way down to Union Station to take us and pick us up from our odyssey. 

My wonderful husband

Train home - big storm

~Roberta  

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