2012 Travel Writing Conferences
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 02.06.12 | 2:22 AM ET
Spring and summer are fast approaching, and that means warmer days, Major League Baseball and, yes, travel writing conferences. Gadling recently noted several upcoming conferences. Among them:
Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX)
The annual travel blogger gathering created by Kim Mance lays claim to being “the world’s premiere and largest conference of travel bloggers, writers, and new media creators.” Discussions and workshops explore the art and business of travel blogging, including ethical considerations and social media best practices. For many, it’s a reunion, of sorts: Bloggers who’ve been tweeting at one another for the last year can finally catch up in person. This year’s conference takes place June 15-17 in Keystone, Colorado. (Luasanne, Switzerland will also host a TBEX gathering in October.)
The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference
Co-founded by veteran travel editor Don George, the four-day Book Passage conference just north of San Francisco has focused on great writing and photography for 20 years. It features panel discussions, specialized learning tracks, readings, dinners and convivial nightly gatherings. Faculty members in recent years have included Tim Cahill, Spud Hilton, David Farley and yours truly. This year, Susan Orlean will be on hand. It takes place Aug. 9-12 in Corte Madera, California.
Also worth noting:
Travel Classics Writers Conferences
These conferences are open only to professional writers and feature editors from a number of glossy magazines. Writers must submit an application to attend and show they’ve been published in at least three magazines in the last year-and-a-half. The next conference takes place June 7-12 in Cardiff, Wales.
Wondering which conference is right for you? Vagabondish has a useful guide.
Finally, if you want to hone your writing skills but don’t want to travel to a conference, consider taking a travel writing class at a local bookstore or university.
Spots are open now in David Farley’s two upcoming classes in New York City—one beginning Feb. 10 at Idlewild Books, and the other beginning Feb. 9 at NYU.