Alt Summit NYC felt very different to me than Alt Summit SLC.
I’m not sure why, but I felt less anxious the second time around. Nervous, yes, but not crazy anxious. Maybe it was because I didn’t have to worry about three days worth of outfit changes or because I wasn’t debuting brand new business cards. Perhaps it was because I’ve had the opportunity to work with a couple of brands I admire since Salt Lake City, validating the work I put into the blog.
Or maybe it was because I knew there’d be friendly faces — hello, Erika, Leslie, Sheri, Sarah, and Haeley! — awaiting me when I arrived at the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia office. This time I wasn’t going in alone.
But the difference wasn’t just me. The energy at Alt NYC was different, too. Its tempo was faster paced than SLC. We attendees were on a one-day mission to mingle, learn, and network.
While Alt SLC virtually had its own wing of a hotel, providing lots of room to break away and roam, Alt NYC was confined to an event space flanked by offices and cubicles of Martha’s worker bees. Although bright and airy, it was crowded and loud; during several conversations, I had trouble hearing the person sitting across from me.
Compared to Alt SLC, which felt like a blogging retreat, Alt NYC felt more like a work conference. The presentations, while interesting, weren’t necessarily about blogging. Rather than sharing tricks of the trade — i.e. growing your readership, collaborating with sponsors, finding your niche — the speakers mainly talked about creativity, entrepreneurship, and social media in more general terms.
That’s not to say I didn’t take anything away from my experience at Alt NYC. I did leave feeling more inspired than when I arrived (albeit without a clear plan of action) and with many new blogging friends — hello, Seema, Ellen, Melanie, and the Obsession Session ladies!
I also had the chance to finally meet Ashley in person. Yay! We’ve been blogging friends since before our sons were born, and she was just as down to earth and engaging as I expected she’d be. We even met up Friday afternoon to toast the start of summer with some Rosé.
(That was a crazy day! I met a high school friend for coffee near Rockefeller Center, Ashley for a drink in the West Village, and a college friend for dinner in Chelsea. Oh! And then she and I wandered back to the West Village for some Big Gay Ice Cream.)
Tomorrow I’ll highlight some of my favorite presenters, so please be sure to come back!
{all photographs by justin hackworth}
Melanie
Awww, thanks for the shout out sweet friend. I’m so glad we got to meet too. I think this is accurate retreat v.s. grande networking event. Looking forward to your follow up post.
If only it were blogging camp 😉
Leslie
I agree, it was very different. I actually really preferred the high level creative content that the speakers presented. I think it’s a better angle for a smaller conference like this and will have people coming back for more. And the one day bonanza in my own back yard is awesome. It was wonderful to see you again! I love that picture of us. xo
You specialize in creativity — writing, photography, art — which is perhaps why the content spoke to you more than it did to me. In all honesty, I sat through many of the presentations worrying that I’m not actually that creative. Perhaps it’s good that the conference got me thinking about creativity — although I wish I left feeling a little more motivated and a little less doubtful about myself!
Joy
I’m so glad you wrote this post because I’d been wondering how the two compared. I decided to commit to just one conference this year, so SLC was it — even though NY was much nearer. But I would love to go to the NYC event down the road so it’s really helpful to have your perspective.
Oh, I’m glad you found my post helpful! Honestly, a one-day event really can’t compare to the balls-out insanity of a three-day one — can it? I think what I enjoyed most about Alt NYC was seeing the friends I had met in SLC 😉 Perhaps next year I’ll just stick to SLC — that is, if I can score a ticket. I’m seriously concerned about how quickly it will sell out again. Do you think you’ll attend again?
Kerri from Happy Tuesday
This was my first Alt, but I definitely agree with your assessment of this event. I definitely would have liked to see more presenters talk about some specifics and to give us some plans of action!
Hi, Kerri — welcome! Would you consider attending another Alt event like SLC next year?
Kerri from Happy Tuesday
I might consider it! I definitely had a blast.
The New Diplomat's Wife
I completely agree with you on the NYC vs SLC observations…I did both last year but didn’t make it to NYC this year – very bummed but enjoyed all of your recaps!
I felt that the SLC event was more about answering the question of what do I “do” differently, and coming up with more tactical work plan ideas, while New York was more about “how do I “think” differently and my head was full of all sorts of avenues and thoughts that I wouldn’t have otherwise considered (and frankly, that I craved to some degree – they don’t necessarily come naturally to me given my day job but I feel like I need to be exposed to out of the box thinking nonetheless). Each event has a unique ring to it – when people asked which I like better, I actually have a hard time deciding!
Thanks for sharing!
I really like how you differentiated the two events. I definitely left NYC with more to think about than with action steps to accomplish. But also made me wonder if I’m even creative enough to be successful in this “business” — the presenters and entrepreneurs and right-brained folk were so darn creative and motivated!
I’m kinda glad to hear that last year’s NYC event was similar in terms of content. Do you think you’ll attend any Alt events in 2014?