The CyberMummy Honeymoon!!

Tickets have only been on sale for a week and since then Twitter has been a buzz of excitement as people start to plan for next years conference.
Susanna even announced on Twitter last night that she had found the dress she was going to wear. Now that's planning!

Then today I came across something even more amazing....

Kez from Life Through A Sippy Cup threw caution to the wind when she bought her ticket on Monday (in much the same way as I did when I decided on a total whim to go to BlogHer in Chicago two years ago and without that trip CyberMummy would never have happened!).

And good on her too - because after ten years and four beautiful children together Kez and her partner Drew have decided to take advantage of their first ever child free night by getting married!

So you could really say that this is the first CyberMummy wedding! 

Kerry and drew will be tying the knot on 24th June and then heading to London to spend their honeymoon with all of us!

Congratulations!!

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Why go to CyberMummy?

For the scores of folks out there who missed out on CyberMummy this past year - either because of schedule clashes or because they weren't yet entrenched in blogging - one question you might be debating is "Why go?".

Potty Mummy, who writes the Potty Diaries was there last year and spoke at the Crowdsourced Keynote. She has this to say about why she's already bought her ticket for CyberMummy11 and planning to come all the way from Russia to attend:

Why I'm going to CyberMummy

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How to get sponsored to attend CyberMummy

Some bloggers would like to come to CyberMummy (who doesn't?) but just don't have the resources to fund the ticket as well as possibly the travel and overnight accommodation if necessary.

The good news is that more and more brands want to work with bloggers and you don't have to wait for one to come to you.

CyberMummy Sian has posted some great tips on her site about how to target, pitch and secure a sponsor. (Hint: Don't offer to get their logo tattooed on your arm...or elsewhere.)

Get Sian's step-by-step advice on getting sponsored for CyberMummy.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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So what's the schedule like for CyberMummy?

Everyone is already asking about the sessions we have in store. Right now we're still putting them together and we'll be announcing them as soon as we can.

In the meantime, we've listened to the feedback everyone has given us on the last conference. More workshops, more advice that you can put into practice with your blogs, more nuts and bolts info, you said, and that's what we're planning.

In addition, there will be ways for more bloggers to get involved in the program on the day. We'll have experts, yes, but we also want more opportunities for the community to learn from each other.

You can expect sessions on:
* Finding your blogging voice
* Sharpening your technical skills
* Successfully working with brands
* Blogging for a charitable cause

and much more!

Do you have feedback or thoughts? We want to hear.

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Can I bring my baby to CyberMummy 2011?

There are no dumb questions. In fact, we think some are so important and pertinent that we'll be posting answers here on the blog. Here's one that we heard alot with CyberMummy 2010 so we wanted to answer it as you make your arrangements to attend on Jun 25, 2011.

Can I bring my baby and/or children to CyberMummy?

Babes in arms are absolutely welcome at the conference. We'll be setting up a baby changing area as well a comfortable place to breastfeed. Unfortunately we won't be able to offer a bottle- or food-warming area.

As for older children, we recommend you leave them at home with a willing (or even unwilling) partner, grandparent or friend. We'd love to be able to provide diversions for the miniature bloggers-to-be but we just won't have the facilities or capacity. They would be bored, you wouldn't be able to cruise the exhibition space talking to bloggers and brands, and chloroforming the children is frowned on these days, I can tell ya.

(Picture by Blottedcopybook.co.uk)

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Getting Individual Sponsorship

Wow what a buzz our announcement made on Twitter last night - it is great to know that so many of you are as excited as we are. We have seen a bit of chatter about how to go about getting a brand to sponsor you - so here are the guidelines that we put together for last years conference.

How do I get a sponsored to attend CyberMummy?

One way to get your attendance paid for is to ask a company to sponsor your trip to CyberMummy. This can be mutually beneficial in many ways – you get your costs covered to attend to this fab conference where you meet other bloggers and further your skills, and the sponsor gets a blogger to help them engage with mum bloggers. It doesn't have to be complicated. Yet while this is a relationship between you and your sponsor and unconnected to the organisers of CyberMummy, we do have guidelines for what you can do for your sponsor on the day, as well as some tips. To find out more, read on.

Q: What can I offer a sponsor?

A: You will be the company’s representative at CyberMummy. You can be their eyes and ears at the event, act as their main networker and help them to develop ways to engage with other mummy bloggers. There are many services you can provide. It is important to clarify to your sponsor that they are sponsoring you individually, and  that they are not official sponsors of CyberMummy 2011.

On the day: 

• You can wear sponsored-branded clothing or badges to the event ("Ask me about my CyberMummy sponsor!" will probably elicit queries).
• If someone directly requests information about your sponsor, you can provide it (please read the question about brochures and samples for our guidelines).
• You can include your sponsor's name and/or logo on your regular business card

On your blog: 

• You may want to offer your sponsor your consulting services on a project or for a period of time
• You can provide ad space on your blog
• You can create content on your blog in conjunction with your sponsor - a post, competition, review, a video of you dancing a jig while reciting a limerick about the brand. Whatever the two of you agree.

Q: Can I bring company brochures and samples?

A: You are only allowed to give brochures, business cards and samples to other delegates who request these from you. You are not allowed to leave any company materials around the conference anywhere (on tables or chairs or in goody bags). Any materials found lying around will be removed, and the cost for removal will charged to the responsible party.

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Get ready: CyberMummy on June 25, 2011!

It’s coming! It’s official! Prepare yourself for CyberMummy 2011!

We’re thrilled to announce the CyberMummy conference for next year. We’ll be posting more details as they are available but for now mark your calendar and grab your early-bird ticket at the special £80 rate:

Saturday 25 June 2011
The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London
Early-bird rate until 31 Dec 2010: £80

You’re going to love the venue. (And no, not just because it’s a former brewery.) One of the reasons we picked it is because we’ll be taking over the building. It’s going to be wall-to-wall bloggers, along with the brands and social media experts who want to get to know you and speakers who will rock your blogging world. CyberMummy 2011 is going to be bigger, better and more exciting than ever.

One difference with the venue is that there is not a hotel attached. Never fear – we have scouted a few nearby. We haven’t tested these by staying overnight but a little Internet research shows they get good reviews.

Travelodge London City Road
A part of the budget chain of hotels. Great prices, no frills, and just around the corner from the Brewery. We searched for a room via the “sale” tab on the site and found a room for £59 that you can book now.

Hotel Ibis London City
A two-star hotel just outside Aldgate East station, a short walk or two tube stops away. We have a special place in our heart for Ibis Earls Court, which hosted us last year. Again, good prices, no frills. Book now for prices ranging from £74 to £99.99, depending on package and ability to cancel.

The Hoxton Hotel
A very groovy affordable hotel on Great Eastern Street, has free Wifi and a Lite Pret Breakfast is delivered to your room (yoghurt pot, fresh OJ and a banana). The hotel is still finalising prices for next year, so rooms won’t be available for booking until Dec/Jan (bummer, we know but what can ya do?). A sample rate from February 21, 2011 is £89 per night.

What to do now - your checklist:

• Book your ticket now to take advantage of the reduced rate
• Nail down a cheap hotel room at Travelodge or Ibis
• Let us know you’re going by posting on your blog or leaving a comment here
• Spread the word by Tweeting a message with #cybermummy11 hashtag
• Got a great idea for the conference - topic for a session, suggested speaker, what you’d like to happen on the day? Send us an email on info@cybermummy.com

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