Month: September 2008

Passion @ Blogworld Expo

The recurring theme throughout everything from the Citizen Journalism sessions on Thursday through the Sunday morning keynotes was PASSION. Passion is key to any form of success, but is especially vital in industries or movements that are somewhere between their infant and toddler stages. The speakers at this event were full of passion. You could hear the passion in the questions raised by the audience members.

I'd been to the Comdex trade shows for the computer industry previously, and there was a lot of loitering, a lot of lemme outta heres, a lot of “where we going tonight?” Sure there was passion. Occasionally. I don't exclude myself from this mix. I was just happy to be there. An East Coast marketing guy who wasn't sure what he was doing at the time, but knew sure enough that he was going to Vegas and it wasn't on his credit card. I worked my tail off, but the passion wasn't there.

It's different when you go to Las Vegas over ten years later, knowing full well next month's MasterCard statement will be a good deal higher than the last, attend every session, hit every event, party into the wee hours with folks who spent their day the same exact way, and wake up again at 7:00 to start the whole thing again. And not use an alarm clock for the entirety of the trip. It means you felt the passion as well. I think nearly all the people I met at the event felt the same way.

What Happens In Vegas…

Join Me at Blog World Expo…Stays in Vegas. Probably not this weekend though.

After all, this weekend Vegas plays host to the BlogWorld Expo. If there's one thing bloggers are completely incapable of, it's keeping their mouths shut. Well, their mouths aren't the problem (unless of course their podcasting or vlogging, of course), it's those fingers, because first they'll twitter, then they'll post, and the diggs will follow. So gentlemen, try to remain as such at those gentlemen's clubs, and ladies, keep count of those cosmopolitans.

I was wavering about attending this conference or not, since I'd abandoned blogging and writing for awhile, because of many of life's constant distractions and sometimes derailments, but since I've got a few ideas up my sleeve, and am working with a new magazine on their blog. So here I am in Vegas.

Hell, maybe I'll even find some content while I'm here. Actually I found some already.

Tyra Banks was on my plane. Just saying her name in my head conjures up those old Nike commercials with Lil' Penny, which is kind of interesting since I once shared an elevator with Chris Rock.

I had to stare like an idiot while whatever facial recognition that came installed with my cerebrum confirmed it was indeed Ms. Banks. So like any smooth character would, I saunter through first class on the way to my seat in row 79 which is just a seatbelt strapped onto the rudder, in case you were wondering. But yeah, I lean over and casually say, “Hi Beyonce, I love your music,” and continue my stroll to my seat in untouchable class.

Nah, I didn't do that. I didn't think of that until I was hanging onto that rudder for my dear life. I had no reason to mess with her. But pretending to mistake one celebrity for another when approaching them seems like it could be a fun thing. I'm trying to think if I ever did this before, but probably not since my obliviousness would normally kick in.

Tyra looks great in person, by the way, the television does not deceive. One of my rowmates in solitary class, also noted the presence of Ms. Banks, so I consider this celebrity sighting confirmed, and blogworthy. Most of the time I'm oblivious to this sort of thing, until another member of my party tells me afterwards. Actually I was too drunk to realize that Chris Rock was on the elevator with me.

You think Tyra is here for BlogWorld?