When you ask successful travel bloggers what has helped to make them successful, one of the things often mentioned is becoming aware of the industry – learning about the business side of travel.  Doing so has helped them create their business plan and approach in a way that makes sense to the industry, and that makes it easy to get favorable answers.

Here are the sessions and speakers for this track:  Beyond the Blog:  The Business of Travel

The Branding of You:  As bloggers begin to understand the travel industry, they’re finding increasing ways to use not only their blog, but their other skills and talents, to create a brand that other brands want to work with.  In this session you’ll learn about how to create the brand of You, and how to market it to prospective clients and partners.  Speakers:  Chris Gray Faust, Janice Waugh.

How to Work with Brands:  There are many ways that bloggers can work with brands, from the obvious to the more creatively obscure.  This session will share real life examples of how to research, plan, create, and pitch a blogger-brand partnership.  Speakers:  Gary Arndt, Dave Bouskill and Deb Corbeil.

Creating a Business with Your Blog:  In this session you’ll ways to leverage your travel blog into other opportunities, learn the importance of having a business plan, and how to be aware of trends and concepts that you can turn into success.  Speakers:  Matt Kepnes, Tracey Friley, Audrey Scott & Dan Noll.

And one more session that we’re not quite ready to announce yet.