Vidcon is an amazing, immersive learning experience (Plus, the parties are fun)!
In this post I’ll be covering:
- How I got to Vidcon and where I stayed
- Badge types
- Parties
- Disney Day
- My recommendations and advice for creators traveling to Vidcon
I was so invigorated and inspired after attending Vidcon that I spent the following month making a video every single day! It was insanity, but also one of the most productive and creative periods in my YouTube career so far!
For a quick overview of my experience at Vidcon 2016, check out my Vidcon vlog!
How I got to Vidcon and Where I stayed:
I flew from Chicago to Los Angeles, LAX, and I took an Uber from the airport to my hotel in Anaheim! If you’re planning a trip to Vidcon this upcoming year, I recommend connecting with other YouTubers on Facebook beforehand (Check out the Vidcon Loneworlves Facebook group or the Vidcon Creators Facebook group) and organize a carpool so that you can split the cost of the trip from LAX to Vidcon! There may be other transportation options available, but I am a last minute person and Uber is my best friend when traveling! In my post about my latest trip to New York, I talk about that more 🙂
I stayed at the Red Lion Hotel in Anaheim with a couple of ladies I met off a Vidcon Facebook group and they were perfect roommates! The Red Lion is a quick walk away from the convention center (less than 10 minutes) and near a bunch of restaurants, so I thought it was really convenient.
Badges on badges!!! I got the Vidcon creator badge!
There’s three badge options for Vidcon:
- Community: The community badge gives you access to most of the events, panels, and q&a’s. Personally, I call this the fan-girl badge, since most of the people wearing it were screaming 14 year old fangirls.
- Creator: The creator badge is designed for content creators aiming to meet other content creators and learn how to improve their content. This is the badge type that I got. It gives you access to a bunch of creator panels, lectures, and q&a’s.
- Industry: The industry badge is for those who work with online video professionally. This is the top tier and most expensive badge. To be honest, throughout Vidcon I found myself wishing I had this level of badge (the industry track panels covered topics like marketing on other platforms and did not fill up, unlike the creator-level panel on analytics).
Plus, there are parties!
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of Vidcon was being able to meet up with other content creators IRL! I met so many creators that I only knew through their videos and online content! And, we got to PARTY! 🙂
Next time I go to Vidcon I’ll work a little harder to get into the swanky, private parties. That said, there are some pretty cool parties open to all convention participants, including the Astronaut Party!
Here’s the Facebook Live video I took at the Astronaut Party at the Anaheim Convention Center!
Vidcon Disney Day:
The Sunday after Vidcon is Disney Day! If you register for Vidcon you have the option of purchasing discounted tickets for Disney on this day. I had fun during Disney Day, but most likely wouldn’t do it if I go to Vidcon again. The discount isn’t that much and most of the creators I hung out with during Vidcon did not go.
I did, however, get to make a cool vlog while I was there! Check it out:
My recommendations and advice if you’re a content creator heading to vidcon:
If you’re a content creator/ YouTuber heading to Vidcon, I highly recommend you do the following things:
- Connect with and get to know other creators before the convention! The more people you know, the more comfortable you will be, the more fun you will have, and the more benefit you will get out of the experience!
- Reach out to other creators to arrange and split costs for transportation and lodging!
- Schedule and plan collaborations before you get there! I made the mistake of assuming I would arrive at Vidcon and be inspired to do a bunch of collabs. Collabs happen through intention. Unless you are planing on simply vlogging the experience and only involving other collaborators by featuring them in your vlog, it’s best to reach out to other creators that you want to create with before you go and actually plan out the videos you want to create. Most importantly, set a time during the convention when you will meet with whoever you want to collaborate with!
- Save enough money for food and drinks! Once you’re at Vidcon, you probably don’t want to be stuck in the room eating ramen. You’ll want to go out to eat and drink with other creators! Make sure that you set aside enough money to enjoy yourself and socialize with other creators!
- Scope out the expo floor for potential brand sponsors! The convention floor is filled with brands that are into online video and understand its potential. Know your channel’s brand, who your audience is, and which brands might make good partners for your content. Then, woo them! If I go to Vidcon again, I will definitely be working this angle 🙂
The coolest thing about attending Vidcon as a creator is that you will never be around a higher concentration of people obsessed with online video. Wherever you go people will be filming, live streaming, and snapchatting. It’s like a weird version of the future in Anaheim. It’s fascinating.
If you have any questions, want to share your own experience, or want to talk about plans for Vidcon next year, leave a comment!