Bloggers are now considered as part of the media. We get invites from companies who are holding events because they want us to help them spread the word about their services and products. Some bloggers know how to utilize Search Engine Optimization and thus when someone search for a keyword it really helps their products to be easily searchable on the internet.
I didn’t asked to be treated special in an event whether I went there by a personal invite or I have just personally signed up to be able to go there, I just want to be treated fair and with respect.
Here are some things I consider before attending an event:
1. If the topic, product or service will be a good read on my blog.
2. If the event is near my location, or the organizer will provide a ride to an event because I don’t own a car.
3. If the time will not coincide with family things since they are more important to me than anything else.
Now, that we live in Cavite, I had to decline some invites that are far away and scheduled late in the evening even how nice the events looks like. Compared to traditional media who are compensated to attend events, bloggers are not (unless mentioned in the invitation). Bloggers use their own money for transportation, and it is not being reimbursed.
With this mentioned, I just hope that companies treated us well and with respect. I know that unfortunately there are some bloggers who usually go to events, just copy paste the Press Release, and enjoys the tokens being given by the companies but there are some who make an effort to promote the product, create quality posts using their own words and honest opinion and I think should be given what they deserve.
I am telling this because I had a bad experience with this PR Company who asked bloggers to attend their event and I was not treated with respect. Here are the reasons why I thought of that:
1. We were not advised on the dress code, the reason why some guests asked who we were and what are we doing there.
2. The Press Conference started late and even though it’s already late, no food was being served yet.
3. I did not waited for the food to be served anymore because it was too late, so I left already. I didn’t realized that the PR who invited us went even earlier than me without even informing us (a co-blogger just told me).
These reasons made me realize that there are PRs who look at bloggers as “small people”. As I have said, I am not expecting to be treated like a very special person, but I just want to be treated with respect.
This PR (before he left) thanked me for being there and he said that some bloggers don’t want to go to his events anymore, and with this experience, now I know the reason why. I think this will be the first and last event that I will ever attend for him.
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very bad nmn yan Levy, one of the reasons na din why I stopped attending events parang second citizen lng treatment nila sa bloggers (we pay for our fare and mas lugi pa nga sa mga sa food and goodies d ba, pagod ka pa) Well, maybe because of the doings of other “bloggers” kuno who made attending events their bread and butter.. sad. The mere fact that we can earn much much better through international advertisers w/o leaving the comfort of our homes..
sinabi mo pa mommy Josie. Bad talaga.. pinaka nakakainis kasi yung di man lang nagpaalam na wala na pala sila sa venue. So, parang bahala kami umalis kung gusto namin, ganun yung feeling
How I wish we also get reimbursed for our transportation expenses, especially if the venue is really far from our place. Lugi kasi especially if we have to miss work just to attend events. Nagkagastos na sa pamasahe, nawalan pa ng kita sa work.
sometimes, naiisip ko na swerte yung mga nasa Luzon/Manila area kasi you attend events but then again, kung ganyan lang din ang treatment, nagpapasalamat ako, andito ako sa bundok sa Mindanao.
This is really sad. I always here such things and it makes me feel bad that some PR use bloggers for their gain gagamitin name ng bloggers may listahan pa tapos bubukulan lang nakakabwiset
I agree Earth.
That was not a good experience. Yeah there are really times that a bloggers were set aside without knowing the fact that blogger is indeed a big help when they have to promote their product or simply just delivering some news and all that. But anyway, I hope that concept about blogger would change though.
hay naku naman…isasali nila samarketing strategy nila ang blog advertising tapos ganun trato nila….hay hugs na lang sister….
hug din kita mommy Cie (wala lang hahaha)
Very bad experience nga sis Levy. I also consider the location if it is near and accessible. I honestly choose the events which are relevant and helpful for me and for my readers…. Isa pang practicality na iniisip ko is dapat may transportation allowance man lang.. Na-open ko nga one time yan kay Mommy Peh yung about attending events.. PM mo naman sis kung sino yang PR na yan just in case lang 🙂 ..
Whoa! That’s too bad. This is the reason why I carefully pick the events to attend!
Bloggers are known in the media now and invites are pouring just for their events to be promoted/posted on our site.I hope they practice respect to all, bloggers or important personality.Everybody deserves to be treated fair and well.
I haven’t had the chance to attend blogger events yet. And there are a lot of things I’m hearing from both sides of the fence. Some say blogger events are a win-win situation for the hosting company and bloggers, especially, like you said, if bloggers went out of their way to really help with the promotion. Others, on the other hand, claim that blogger events are avenues to know more about the values and morals of a good number of bloggers, like those who just go to events for the freebies. Then again, event or no event, ethics (or the lack thereof) is deeply seated within each of us. And that goes for representatives of PR companies, too.
that is a sad event to attend Sis 🙁 and so sorry that you were not delighted to attend that blogger event 🙁 I never attend one.
Well said, Levy.
I’ve heard about the PR and the event. It’s a good thing I don’t get invited to this PR’s event.
this will be my first and last event na sa kanila (thanks sa experience)
I just don’t understand why those people can be so ignorant of bloggers. They fail to realize the huge contribution we give to their company. They’re pathetic losers! Yes, they should know better to treat us with the respect we deserve.
ang sama naman niya.. very unprofessional.. dapat kasi siya ang naginvite, he should take care of you there
so sad :-(!
Yeah I am selective too with Invites, if its not in my niche then I won’t go, if it is then I check first if I am ok with what they are promoting or not. Because if I end up not liking the place or whatever they are endorsing then I will surely blog about it.
That was not right. I’ve attended some media/blogger event both as part of media and as a blogger and so far the treatment is just the same.
a very bad experience indeed… it is indeed that people have not realize the power of bloggers.. if i am just a little evil, our capacity to write can really ruin a company ….but we dont because we are moral and doing the right thing… hayyyyy.
That’s too bad but at least you’ll know what to do next time this particular PR company invites you. And to think that legitimate bloggers can do so much to promote a product or service…
oh my! not very professional at all! I guess they need Values 101 refresher course! Lol!
that is just sad. 🙁 i am choosy myself when it comes to events because of distance and products… i hope that you won’t ever get treated that way again.
the ones who organized the event should arrive hours earlier than their guests and they should be the last ones to leave the place. that’s the etiquette to do during such event… among others. Yahweh bless.
Charge it to experience Ms. Levy…
The fact is… people sometimes are
mean and they don’t seem to value
ones effort and time.