Hi, everyone. So now that I have this gorgeous new blog site, I suppose I’ll have to start blogging. What better time to start than following my return from GCLS?
When I’m preparing to attend a conference or other event where I will be gathering with others in a particular field or industry, I always wonder 2 things:
- Will it be worth my time and money?
- Will I enjoy it?
The first question is more complex because what defines worth? Is it about learning something about your craft or business? Is it about making contacts/networking? Is it about gaining some kind of experience? Is it about seeing old friends, making new friends, or visiting a new city?
It’s all of the above, and qualifying an event as “worth it” or not is all about your perspective and what’s most important to you. I’ve gone to events that were a bit over my budget, but I felt that they were important to attend. And there have been events that I would have loved to go to, but the cost outweighed what I thought would be the benefits. Or I had to make a decision about how to spend my precious few vacation days from work.
In the case of GCLS, it was definitely worth it. I got some of all of the above, and some in unexpected ways.
I learned a thing or two about being on a panel, as well as some specifics about setting up conferences.
I networked and made contacts and have a few marketing leads for the near future.
I got a triple-dose experience of speaking in front of an audience.
I said hello to old friends, made new ones, and guess what? I’d never been to Dallas. Score! Not that I got to see that much of the city, but I got out of the hotel a little bit and even got to visit the famous lesbian bar Sue Ellen’s. Another score.
AND I had a blast. While I don’t do karaoke myself, I enjoyed watching others belt out tunes. I even did a Motown-esque dance routine, along with Andi Marquette and R R Rose, to accompany Penney’s soul-wrenching rendition of some Al Green song (not on stage, though). Things got a little funky with the virgin ducks—see the full saga on my FB page HERE (click on the first photo for the slideshow). The dance was a great ending to the whole thing.The DJ played good music and I got to dance, which I haven’t done in quite some time. I’m not sure if I’ve lost my rhythm or not, but I sure did have fun.
For a broader report of the con, check out my Women & Words blog HERE:
So, that’s my first blog on my sexy new blog site. I hope you keep coming back.
R.G. Emanuelle 
One thought on “Personal Notes From GCLS 2013”