Thursday, March 31, 2011

Sydney Book Blogger Meet up

I mentioned a couple of times over the last couple of weeks that I was off to Sydney for a couple of days last weekend. I actually flew up on Thursday morning even though the convention I was going to (Australian Romance Readers Convention) didn't start until Friday night. The main reason for going up early ... to attend the inaugural Sydney Book Blogger Meet Up! I had an awesome time so I was really glad that I made the effort to go up early!

I know there are a few people who are waiting to hear about the meet up so I will share a little bit!

We met up in the Arthouse Hotel. Not being from Sydney I had no idea that it was such a large venue and really quite busy for a Thursday night, so I was a bit worried when I got there. I had met a couple of people who were going to be attending before, but couldn't find them so I hovered around the door looking for people who looked like they might be looking for other people.

After a few minutes I thought I should probably try and give some clue that I was waiting for people, so I sat right near the door waving my book around (Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson in case you were wondering) hoping that might catch the attention of the right people, and it wasn't long before that strategy started to work!

All up, I think we had around about 18 people attend, which I have to say was an awesome turnout for the first time. I was also really happy that we had a good mix of Twitter peeps, blogging peeps, some publishing peeps, and several of those were new to me too which is awesome! The best thing though is meeting people who you have interacted with online and putting faces to names, and talking books with other people who you know share your passion!

Here is the list of people who attended (I haven't got the list of everyone who attended, but as soon as I get it, I will add anyone that I missed!)

Becky from Page Turners
Kat from BookThingo/@bookthingo
Decadence from BookThingo/@my_lheage
Nyssa @awritingjourney
Vassiliki from Shallowreader @VaVeros
Maria
Jacq from Book Bites/@obsidiantears
Beth @bethflatley
Gabby from Mills and Boon @MillsandBookAUS
Lina from Shallowreader @infogenium
Ali and Rosie @fangbooks
Sarah @hesitent_sarah
Wade @staticsan
Karin and Ashlea from Murdoch Books @murdochbooks and @pier9books respectively
Wandergurl @tsinelas

If I have forgotten anyone, I apologise sincerely! Let me know and I will add you to the list.

Here's some pics. You can see more here. Thanks to Kat for sharing her pics. I thought I had left my camera in the hotel room so didn't get any myself.





Sydney Book Blogger/Tweeter Meet-up @ The Arthouse



Vassiliki makes a point to Decadence, Ali, Wandergurl and Rosie



Sydney Book Blogger/Tweeter Meet-up @ The Arthouse



Kat, Karin, Ashlea and Becky



Sydney Book Blogger/Tweeter Meet-up @ The Arthouse


Lena, Vassiliki, Nyssa, Jacq, Maria



Sydney Book Blogger/Tweeter Meet-up @ The Arthouse


Maria, Beth, Marg (looking a little sunburnt I must say!), Wade

For the Melbourne folks, I am intending to organise a meet up here early in May, but I just need to come up with a venue. One thing we learnt from the Arthouse was that a popular bar is too noisy! I started losing my voice on Thursday night and I am only just getting it back now!

Finally special thanks to Kat and Jacq who did most of the organising! I hope this is the first of many Sydney book blogger meetups.

11 comments:

  1. Thanks for manning the door, Marg! All the Sydney organisers were LATE. :( Good lessons learned regarding venue, timing, etc. Luckily it was manageable for a small crowd.

    A few people seem interested in meeting up on a regular basis every few months, so this is something I think the Sydneysiders will need to organise. Hopefully I'll have a chance to meet up with other Melbourne bloggers on my next visit there (whenever that may be).

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  2. Sounds like a great time was had by everyone! Definitely count me in for the Melb one, whenever you find a decent venue :)

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  3. Oh, how fun! Looks like everyone had a great time!

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  4. this is an awesome post. looks like you guys all had a great time. glad you got your voice back!

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  5. Great! It looks like you all had a great time.

    It's so nice to meet up with book bloggers. I met up with (5) other Dutch book bloggers just a few months ago and we just carried on the conversations we had had on twitter or on our blogs.

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  6. Wow!!! Everyone looks like they are having a fabulous time! Super turnout for the first Tweet-up. I love your ploy of using your novel to get people's attention! Fun, fun, fun!

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  7. Oh, how wonderful! It's always so fun when I get the chance t meet another blogger, and I can imagine that I would be in heaven with a whole room full of them! Glad you had such a nice time, and great pictures!

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  8. Love it! Actual meet-ups of bloggers always look like such fun!

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  9. Marg, it look like you had awesome times! Thanks for sharing your pictures :)

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  10. It was a great night and I am really pleased to have met so many new people. Great photo's too. I am off to become a follower of everyone. I hope we can do it again one day

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  11. Looks like you had a lovely time! Hope to attend one of these one day!

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