TravelCon is Back! Come Join Us! Skip to main content

The Best Website for House Swaps? My HomeExchange Review

Accommodation will always be one of your biggest travel expenses…but what if it wasn’t? What if you could reduce the cost of your accommodation to zero while still enjoying the comforts of home? That’s what house swaps promise. House swaps have been around for decades. It was the entire premise of the movie The Holiday (starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet). They became all the rage but then were soon eclipsed by sites like Airbnb. But as travel prices skyrocketed post-COVID, more and more people have turned back to house swaps as a means of saving money while they travel while still getting a local experience (but without the hassle of an Airbnb). House swaps are exactly what they sound like. You sign up, list your home, and then swap with someone else in another city. They stay in your place and you stay in their place. The biggest and most popular platform for swaps is HomeExchange . And, in this post, I’ll go over everything you need to know to get started with a house swa...
Post a Comment

TravelCon is Back! Come Join Us!

A screenshot of the TravelCon 2024 homepage for the conference in Portland, OR
Posted: 4/8/2024 | April 8th, 2024

TravelCon is back! In 2022, after five years (through a pandemic), I ended TravelCon. However, my friends at FinCon offered to run it (thus reducing my workload) so we brought it back! If you’re media or PR in the travel industry, this is the best industry event for you to attend!

TravelCon is a three-day travel media event that focuses on helping you improve your craft, learn new business skills, network with your peers, and connect you with all the awesome brands and tourism boards that attend!

This year, TravelCon will be May 15-17th in Portland, Oregon and will feature pre- and post-event trips; meet-ups; dinner parties; and in-depth, actionable talks. The goal is to help travel creators go pro by turning their passion into a profession and then scale their online business.

At TravelCon, you can:

  • Improve your craft in the four major areas of travel: video, photography, writing, and blogging
  • Learn what’s hot, what works, and what doesn’t in the industry
  • Keep current on the best practices in digital travel publishing
  • Learn about new products and services in the industry
  • Meet destinations and travel brands
  • Learn from experts outside the travel industry
  • Make connections with other travel lovers
  • Have a ton of fun!!!

 

What can you expect this year?

TravelCon is the business event for travel creators. The TravelCon sessions this year are going to focus on two things: going pro and scaling.

“Go Pro” sessions will empower part-time creators to go full-time with topics such as:

  • Expanding your reach using advanced SEO, ads, & email marketing.
  • Discovering creator tools and services to streamline your workflow.
  • Diversifying how you monetize your content, including affiliate marketing and collaborations.
  • Building effective partnerships with CVBs, DMOs, travel boards, travel brands, and local agencies.

“Scale” sessions are for full-time creators who are ready to scale their brand, reach, content, and profit, with topics such as:

  • Equipping your brand with the right team members, tools, and services.
  • Diversifying your revenue streams, including product development, courses, or membership communities.
  • Maintaining balance to avoiding burnout as a full-time creator and digital nomad.
  • Leveraging AI & other emerging tech for content creation & business growth.

 

Networking Opportunities

Connecting brands and creators is at the core of our event. We provide lots of opportunities to “find your people” and do business in a way that feels natural and organic.

  • Expo – Featuring Travel Boards, Brands, CVBs, DMOs, creator service providers, and more — many with specially-curated offers, partnerships, and products to discuss with attendees. Over 40 brands and DMOs are attending this year!
  • 1:1 Meetings – Schedule one-on-one meetings with brands, sponsors, and travel boards using our event software. All attendees can participate!
  • Meetups – Find your people in meetups tailored to your platform or niches. Our goal is to connect you with as many creators as possible!
  • Creator Conversations – These are a hybrid between a session and mini masterminds led by creators and focused on topics that are more niche than general. They provide an opportunity to connect with other like-minded travel creators and to learn from each other.
  • Evening Events – Who doesn’t love letting loose with your travel friends? Have fun at the Welcome Reception, Dinner Clubs, Late Night Meetups, and more.

 

Speakers

Like in previous years, we’re going to have a lot of incredible speakers. You can see a full list on the website, but some confirmed speakers are:

  • Me!
  • Jeff Jenkins, Chubby Diaries
  • Raime Iacofano, Raimee’s Travel
  • Rand Fishkin, SEO guru
  • Preethi Chandrasekhar, The Eager Traveler
  • Jessica Serna, My Curly Adventures
  • Katherine Fan, Badass freelance writer
  • Kemoy Martin, Travel & lifestyle creator
  • Kristin and Siya, Hopscotch the Globe
  • Rachel Rudwell, Rachel Roams

Come join me for the best travel show out there. Of course, I’m biased because I started it, but I made this the kind of event that I’d want to attend. One that focuses on business, networking, and improving your skills while having a good time doing it.

Tickets are $499 and you can purchase them here.

It’s going to be a blast! I hope to see you there!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

Want to Travel for Free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip?
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

The post TravelCon is Back! Come Join Us! appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

https://ift.tt/QKu6JcC April 08, 2024 at 06:38PM
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Best Walking Tours in Lisbon

Posted : 6/26/2003 | June 23rd, 2023 Lisbon is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s home to impressive museums, historic buildings, picturesque plazas, chilled-out cafes, and a lively mix of clubs and candlelit music venues where people go to listen to traditional fado music. I fell in love with the city as soon as I arrived — and it was even better the second time! Today, Lisbon is one of the most popular cities on the continent. From cruisers to digital nomads, everyone loves this sunny city. I’ve visited a few times over the years and always look forward to going back. The warm weather, inviting colors, and laid-back vibe really make people feel welcome. The best way to see the city, though (especially if it’s your first time) is to take a walking tour. It’s the first thing I do when I visit a new city as it’s the best way to connect with a local guide, get insider info, and see the main sights. These days, there are a ton of walking tours available to ensure you make...
Post a Comment
Read more

Where to Stay in Bogotá: The Best Neighborhoods for Your Visit

Posted : 2/24/2023 | February 24th, 2023 Located on a high Andean plateau at 2,640 meters (8,660 feet) above sea level, Bogotá is the third-highest capital city in the world (after Quito and La Paz). Most travelers usually bypass it in favor of the popular digital nomad hot spot of Medellín or the coastal city of Cartegena. Most travelers think that Bogotá is only worth spending a few days in. I think that’s a shame and does this vibrant destination a disservice. I loved my time in Bogotá and ended up extending my visit here! This city just feels more Colombian than some of the other bigger cities that have developed a larger expat and tourist population. There is a lot to do and see here from museums, parks, walking tours, amazing street art, great nightlife, and an incredible gastronomic scene. With that in mind, you’ll want to choose where to stay in Bogotá carefully. It’s a huge city, divided into different estratos , or zones, and there are a few “no-go” areas that you’l...
4 comments
Read more

10 Travel Hacking Mistakes to Avoid

Posted : I’m a huge fan of travel hacking . It’s transformed my travels and saved me thousands of dollars over the years. Travel hacking is the art of signing up for travel credit cards and collecting points and miles that you can cash in for free flights, flight upgrades, hotel stays, and more — all without any extra spending. In short, it’s a way to get more for less. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed countless free upgrades, free flights, free hotel stays, and other perks — all without any extra spending. Travel hacking has helped open the world to me, so I’m a huge advocate for it, as I’ve seen what a difference it’s made in my travels. And, while the best cards and perks are in the US, travel hacking is available all around the world too (Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe all have travel hacking options these days). Since I’ve been travel hacking for years, I’ve talked with countless people about playing the points-and-miles game. I’ve also seen tons of newbies m...
2 comments
Read more