Americans are addicted to free stuff. That’s a given. Wherever there is free swag handed out, there will be throngs of eager people mindlessly pushing each other and holding out their greedy little paws, regardless of whether they really even want the product itself. Sometimes, getting swag is a great chance to try out something new. But all too often, it ends up unused and thrown away.
At this year’s BlogHer conference in Chicago, some participants felt that not only was the swag totally out of control, with tons of cheap plastic junk unloaded on attendees, but it got in the way of what BlogHer is supposed to be about in the first place: community, camaraderie and empowerment.
A number of green bloggers, from Beth at Fake Plastic Fish to Diane at Big Green Purse, were really excited to attend the conference. It was a chance to meet their fellow bloggers in real life, build deeper connections, learn how to develop their blogging skills, share tips and have a lot of fun. Some had misgivings about the amount of waste that the conference would generate (there were 1400 attendees), but were pleased when BlogHer organizers asked them to participate in a ‘Green Team’ tasked with helping to make the conference as eco-friendly as possible.
And, BlogHer ’09 did have its green qualities as a result. Paperless conference guides, a recycling suite, carbon offsetting, water cisterns and free BPA-free reusable water bottles, and real dinnerware complete with cloth napkins were just a few of the commendable ways in which the conference sought to have a smaller impact on the earth.
Too bad all the swag and corporate sponsorship eclipsed these efforts. Green bloggers got to BlogHer only to find that ‘stuff’ had seemingly become more important than fostering connections between a diverse community of (mostly) female bloggers.
CV Harquail of Authentic Organizations noted some of the swag-related problems she saw at BlogHer:
- Efforts to acquire swag changed the participation patterns of many attendees. People went to exhibits instead of community keynotes to get the Walmart cookies or the Disney Ice Creams (which were, btw, very tasty).
- People went to and stayed at parties only until the swag bags were handed out.
- The minute it was announced that the swag was being distributed, the whole physical shape of the room would change, from clusters of women talking to a line of women waiting.
- The energy dynamic shifted from meeting & greeting other bloggers to getting & vetting the swag.
No kidding. One attendee, blogger Chef’s Widow, almost left just 6 hours into the conference because of the swag-crazed atmosphere.
I noticed a herd of women squeezing together so tight it looked like they were in an imaginary corral. Jill and I were standing at the outskirts when we noticed the bags of swag on a table in front of corralled women. It was hot and smelly. Women were pushing and I immediately lost Jill in the madness. I left the debauchery. On my way out I ran into some chicks by the bar and we chatted about the insanity & greed of the women in front of us. It was so odd. All of these women were here for the conference however they were acting as though the $12 dildo in the swag bag would grant them eternal life.
Chef’s Widow was far from alone. Coming home from a conference where women practically bum-rushed each other to grab free crap, where corporate sponsors made them sit through 15-minute spiels before they could discuss what they went there to discuss, many environmental bloggers wrote about their disappointment.
From Lynn at Organic Mania:
The notion of feting women bloggers, of celebrating their achievements, and of giving gifts to women who may not treat themselves to much in life (especially the Moms) – was heartwarming. But with so many extravagant parties and suites, the evening scene at BlogHer turned into a combination of Halloween trick-or-treating and Mardi Gras. And with so many sponsored bloggers interrupting others conversations to give a product pitch, heck, at times BlogHer seemed like a crazy reality TV show that was interrupted by sponsored programming! Don’t get me wrong…a lot of it was fun. Who doesn’t like parties? But somewhere, somehow, things seemed to become a bit…excessive.
From Beth at Fake Plastic Fish:
As bloggers, we have incredible power! We have a voice that people listen to. We have a platform. And the fact that so many big companies are willing to sponsor an event like BlogHer and court bloggers at such an event proves it. So why are we willing to give up this tremendous power that we have — power to help create a better world — to sell out for a few trinkets?
Why aren’t we using the power that we have to demand BETTER products for ourselves and our children? Why do we accept the PR pitches at face value? Why aren’t we questioning every single promotion we receive and challenging the status quo?
From Diane at Big Green Purse:
As a member of the team BlogHer put together to help green the conference, I felt a bit cheated. The Green Team worked hard to collaborate with conference organizers and develop a list of items that would have low eco-impact but still satisfy attendees and conference sponsors alike.
But I can’t help but wonder if the environmental gains we secured through Green Team negotiations were neutralized by all the free bags of Fritos, throwaway plastic pouches of applesauce, and other disposables that were dispensed over the course of the event.
No one forced attendees to take the junk being handed out there. And BlogHer evidently had no control over independent parties held in private suites to attract select conference goers.
However, I do take issue with the argument that because BlogHer09 was not a “green” conference, the conference sponsors did not have to adhere to principles of sustainability in what they offered to attendees.
“Green” is not a niche. It’s not even a lifestyle choice. It’s a matter of survival. We need to start treating it that way, including at events like BlogHer09.
There’s no question that sponsors are necessary to make BlogHer affordable for both the organizers and the attendees. But it seems that perhaps they’ve taken it a bit too far, over-commercializing a function that is supposed to be about human connection.
As Harquail eloquently summarized on her blog, “Sponsorship, and thus swag, makes the conference run. But too much swag perverts the conference purpose.”
And it makes for an awful lot of trash.
Link [Authentic Organizations] + [Fake Plastic Fish] + [Big Green Purse]
Photo credit: Flickr user Average Jane
About This Article
The article Swagtastic BlogHer Conference Disappoints Green Bloggers is syndicated for use on EcoFunctional. The original content in it’s entirety can be found here.
