TBEX ’10 Speakers & Schedule Announced

by Mike Barish on

Gadling is a proud Media Partner of this year’s Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX). And we’re stoked that the schedule and speakers list has been announced for the June 25-27 event. Not only will some of the sharpest, most well-traveled and entertaining travel bloggers from around the world be attending, but some of the best and brightest writers in the industry will be speaking on the various panels. And, lest we all run out of things to talk about, there are two night of parties to keep the conversations flowing.

After a kick-off party on Friday night that attendees will find via clues tweeted by speakers, the event begins in earnest on Saturday. The big names are rolled out early, as World Hum founders Jim Benning and Mike Yessis join Gadling’s David Farley, travel writing legend (and Gadling team member) Don George and Alison Stein Wellner in leading a session on improving your travel writing skills.

From there, topics include shooting video for the web, how to work with public relations firms, branding, travel writing ethics (a can’t miss session with Mary Engle of the Federal Trade Commision, Kim Mance, Spud Hilton of The San Francisco Chronicle and others), search engine optimization and podcasting. The event wraps up with the Community Keynote, which will feature Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View and yours truly reading some of the best travel blog posts submitted by writers (the deadline to submit a post is June 1, so send yours in now).

In between the business, there will be parties hosted by American Express Gold Rewards, BootsnAll and Eurocheapo and Diamond PR. All that talking will surely make us thirsty.

TBEX ’10 is going to be a fantastic event for travel bloggers, writers and all lovers of travel. We can’t wait to see everyone, talk shop and, yes, have a few cocktails. Hope you’ll be there!

Submit your travel writing to TBEX ’10 Community Keynote

by Mike Barish on

TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) is preparing for its second annual event after a successful gathering of travel bloggers and writers in 2009. This year’s event, TBEX ’10, will be held in New York on June 26-27 and will include a new session focused on highlighting the best in independent travel blogging. The Community Keynote will feature readings of some of the best travel blog posts in nine categories and aims to honor the amazing writers who write about travel not for money but to share their stories and passions.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Hey, I have a travel blog. How can I submit one of my posts for consideration?,” you should head over to the TBEX ’10 Community Keynote page for all of the details. Even if you’re not able to attend TBEX ’10, your writing could be featured. So, no matter where in the world you are located, you could be honored at this fantastic session.

The nine categories that will be featured at the Community Keynote are:

1. Twinkle in a Traveler’s Eye – The Ideas That Inspire the Trips

2. In Transit – The Perils (and Joys) of Transportation

3. Talking to Strangers – The People You Meet

4. Spit or Swallow – Culinary Conundrums

5. The Power of Places – Inspiring Destinations

6. You Did What? – Adrenaline Rushes and Adventures

7. Love at First Flight – Tales of Romance on the Road

8. Trips & Falls – Embarrassing Tales & Travel Fails

9. Home, Bittersweet Home – Reverse Culture Shock & Many Happy Returns

The session will be hosted by the talented Seattle-based writer Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View and Gadling’s own Mike Barish (hey, that’s me) who also blogs at his own site (and apparently strays into third-person writing from time to time).

So, what are you waiting for? Look through your archives, find your best, most unique and awe-inspiring blog posts and submit them for consideration today! Your work could be featured at the TBEX ’10 Community Keynote (and that’s pretty damn cool).

Make your early bird reservation for Travel Blog Exchange before January 1!

by Grant Martin on

Time is running out to pick up an early bird registration for the 2010 TBEX, slated for June 26th and June 27th in New York City.

Last year’s event in Chicago was a wild success (at which our own Heather Poole spoke!) and you can expect more of the same for next year. The event should be great for travel bloggers from all corners of the community, with panels, workshops and plenty of hobknobbing to satiate your time. Heck, you might even run into another Gadling blogger or two.

Early bird registration costs $40 for bloggers and $80 for PR and industry folk. After January 1, that price will rise up to $80 and $125 respectively. Book early and get your blogging mittens ready — it’ll be a blast.

The Galavanting Girls help the children of Roatan

by Katie Hammel on

Travel writer, founder of The Galavanting Girls, and creator of the Travel Blog Exchange conference, Kim Mance will soon be setting off on a cruise to visit, among other places, the island of Roatan in Honduras. Rather than spend her time in port sunning on the beautiful West Bay or browsing the new shops at the Port of Roatan, Kim and her crew decided to do something a little more constructive with their time.

While their Princess Cruises ship is in port on November 11, Kim and the other Galavanting Girls will head to Elfrida Brooks School in the area’s capital city of Coxen Hole. Honduras is the second-poorest Caribbean nation (behind only Haiti) and the school, which educates 180 children, is desperately in need of funding.

The Galavanting Girls will be spending the day at the school and dropping off supplies they’ve rounded up. They’re also taking online donations, as little as $5 per person, through the Roatan Children’s Fund on the secure First Giving website. The Girls have already raised $550 for the project, more than double the goal. They’ll be videotaping their visit to the school and will post the footage on their website after November 11.