Greetings from Boston! I’m here for three days attending the 2nd annual TravelCon a travel conference hosted by Matthew Kepnis of the popular travel blog, Nomadic Matt.
I attended the first TravelCon last fall in Austin. It was my very first conference and I had such a great time! I met some amazing people who I’m still friends with today and learned a TON from some of the best in the business.
This year has been no exception. It’s only day 2 of he conference and I’ve already learned so much! Here are my top takeaways from day 1 of TravelCon:
Clay Hebert kicked off the day with tips for introducing yourself. The main takeaway, throw away your elevator pitch and replace it with an intro that is short, intriguing and vague! It should include who you help and how you help them. So instead of, “I’m a travel blogger” you might say “I help people see more of the world”. Your answer should spark interest and invite further questions!
The second speaker was Cheryl Strayed, best selling author of the book Wild, which was adapted into a movie of the same name. She discussed how her mother’s passing led her to backpack the Pacific Coast Trail solo.
In the lead up to her trip, she was met with a paradox. She physically could not lift her pack and yet she had to. In the same way she could not bare the loss of her mother and yet she had no choice.
Years later, she recognized that those conflicting realities didn’t just apply to her life, but the human experience and she decided to write her story.
The main takeaway that she inadvertently passed on to her own children was articulated by her son years later on a family trip to France when he insisted on paragliding off the side of a mountain. When Cheryl doubted her son’s courage to take the leap he said, “I don’t want to be the type of person who doesn’t do things just because they scare me.”
The final speaker of the day was the creator of the Lonely Planet series, Tony Wheeler. He offered several anecdotes that were both funny and practical, but I had a few favorites.
- Walking is the best way to explore any destination
- Walk 5 blocks in any direction and you’ll likely escape other tourists
- Things are always safer out there in the world than we’re told they’re going to be
There were so many good nugets to take away from the first day of TravelCon. It was was such a fun and inspiring day and I can’t wait for the final two days of the event!
Have you ever attended a travel conference? What were some of your main takeaways. Never attended a conference? What would you most like to get out of such an event? Share your comments below!
No Comments