Conferences and workshops for bloggers

As your writing career progresses, consider attending conferences and seminars. Poynter is highly renowned for media training. The Florida-based institute offers a backpack journalism workshop, yet hasn't embraced bloggers fully. The institute also hosts regional National Writers Workshops around America. These $85, two-day seminars emphasize narrative and are hands-down the best bang for your buck.

As media converges, consider mingling with the mainstream reporters. The Society of Professional Journalists hosts a yearly meeting, as well as awards, open to members. Its informal pub mixers are an excellent place to network, as are Mediabistro cocktail parties in major cities.

The Blog World Expo remains the largest trade show, meeting each autumn in the States. Keep an eye on indie web trends at SXSW and social media at SobCon. Subgenre conferences are springing up now like Foodbuzz Blogger Festival and the Travel Blogger Exchange, even Wine Bloggers symposia. Blogher celebrates all things geek chic and chick each July in Chicago. Others to consider include Wordcamp for WordPressers and the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers Conference.

Sorry these options are so US-centric, but, um, that's the way the cookie's crumbling at the moment. As Neal Stephenson jokes in his awesome novel Snow Crash, Americans still do four things better than anyone: music, movies, microcode and pizza delivery...