Latin American Bloggers Conference

Rubber tree leaf from Alberto's
Close-up, simplicity, eliminating the unnecessary

Search engine optimization, tight focus, 1-2-3 photography, "work the scene", editing software, monetizing. We spent an entire day of our brief and valuable time in Mérida at the 4th Annual Latin American Bloggers Conference. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Not only did we receive useful information and tips on a variety of topics related to blogging, the icing on the cake was the opportunity to meet many wonderful fellow bloggers from Yucatán and at least one other state ( Mazatlán, Sinaloa).  I can say in all sincerity that it was a pleasure to meet everyone. Newcomers were warmly welcomed into this diverse community of bloggers and lovers of Mexico.

The day began with a few of the attendees meeting for the breakfast buffet at Cafe Chocolate, a popular eatery for expats and locals. As soon as we sat down at our table we met Debbie and Malcom from Virginia Beach, who are now living out at the beach near Progresso. It is indeed a small world.  There are a few other expats from our corner of Virginia and we hope to meet them as well.

The morning session consisted of Marc's presentation on enhancing your blog site with great photography, a presentation by Barry on a useful editing software that can be used to set up the post and  directly publish to the blog site, and a panel of eight or so bloggers who answered questions and offered advice.

After lunch we divided into two groups, Blogger and Wordpress, then shared information and received tips from some of the more experienced bloggers. The day passed quickly and, truth be told, we were a little tired after absorbing so much information. The evening was pleasant, a couple of friends dropped by for a brief visit, and we ended our day with a walk to Gran Plaza for our favorite sorbete.

Latin American Bloggers in Mérida en masse

Little did I know that the day we purchased tickets for the next trip to our home in Mérida, the announcement and date for the 4th Annual Latin American Bloggers Conference would be forthcoming. I was surprised and delighted when I saw that the event would be held on Saturday, November 5th. We will be arriving on 1 November for a 10-day visit. Not only will we finally get to meet many of the "seasoned" bloggers, but it looks as though several of us newcomers will be in town as well. This could not have worked out more perfectly.

There will be presentations on Blogger and Wordpress formats, as well as moderated discussions on various other topics of interest. I'm looking forward to a fun and instructive conference.