In the fun and excitement of TBEX 12 in Keystone we heard rumblings of someone trash talking us.  We heard this travel bloggers had made a list of 5 things he’d rather be doing than be at TBEX.  We heard he was blasting travel bloggers, poking fun at people he thought were getting too big for their britches, and saying that he’d rather be traveling than sitting in a conference room.  It seemed like travel bloggers were afraid to mention him to us – hey, we are not that thin skinned.  If you don’t like what we’re doing we want to hear why.  It’s how we change, and grow, and continue to provide a quality conference to travel bloggers and the travel industry.

So who was this smack-talking travel blogger?  We had to find out.  Turns out it’s the Gonzo Traveler, Will Peach.  We read his post about TBEX and started clicking through to read more.  We weren’t offended – how can you be offended by someone who says, “I’m poor and have no friends”  and “I’d rather be at a conference than read what I have to say” – we laughed and were entertained by his original writing, strong voice, and edgy irreverent nature.  We decided we needed to get this guy to be a speaker at the next TBEX.

And we did.

It turns out that Will has writing cred behind his edgy persona.  And we like that.  So we paired him up with an equally strong writing voice, albeit of a different nature, Pam Mandel.  The two of them are creating a workshop designed to help travel bloggers tell a better travel story.  Regardless of your voice, style, or travel blogging niche, we think How to Tell a Creative Travel Story will help you create better work.

And hey – let’s talk to Will after the conference and see if he still “has no friends.”

Photo credit:  Provided by Will Peach