Live Blogging At The Blog World & New Media Expo 07

If you plan to attend the Blog World & New Media Expo, are you planning to live blog your experience?  I ask this because I learned something new in the convention and trade show business today.  While discussing a completely non-related convention with its planners and directors, I was trying to find out if I could live blog the event for a client.  “You want to do what?”, was the response as I made my way through the maze of red tape before I was finally told I would probably not be able to cover the event in this way.  It seems that they consider live blogging or posting the experience live through a blog, “siutcasing.” 

Suitcasing refers to businesses or sales people working the show floor selling their services or products without actually purchasing a show booth.  I tried to explain that I wasn’t there as a sales person or there to sell anything on behalf of my client, I was there to report on my client’s blog the experience of attending the show and who was there, what was the buzz, and what were the hot presentations and what was the breaking industry news.  I was a citizen journalist.  Somehow I don’t think they understood the idea behind a blog, or what posting was or how that played into their “No Suitcasing” policy.  I think it is safe to say that the Blog World & New Media Expo welcomes as many bloggers as possible to create a buzz about the show experience.  If you intend to live blog the event let us know and we can do a page of all of those that are posting their experience.  I would love to hear about those that will be podcasting from the show, livecasting the event and reporting on their experience!  I’ll let you know how it turns out with the other conference and whether I actually have to gain press credentials.  Bloggers get no respect!