MimaiScribbles

CDO BlogCon 2019, the first of its kind to happen here in Cagayan de Oro, opened last Thursday, April 11 at the Limketkai Rotunda. It’s not even the end of the 3-day event yet, but I can confidently say that it is an absolute success.

What is CDO BlogCon 2019?

The CDO Blog Convention is a gathering of bloggers, vloggers, and influencers for three days of fun and learning. It is not only a venue for participants to learn more about blogging, vlogging, and influencer marketing; it is also an opportunity to meet and mingle with like-minded individuals; people who share the same passion and interests.

Well-respected and experienced speakers took the spotlight to talk about blogging and vlogging essentials like how to start a blog, how to keep it interesting, and how to make it earn. Other interesting topics included YouTube content creation, photography, videography, and search engine optimization (a.k.a. how to make your blog/vlog rank high in Google).

Co-presented by Starpod and The Explorer’s Channel, CDO BlogCon 2019 is also intended to highlight the new media (i.e. blogging, vlogging, and influencer marketing). The convention’s theme is, in fact, “Shaping the Era of the New Media”. It is the goal of the organizers (and the participants as well) to make people realize the importance and power of the new media.

This and many more highlights make the CDO BlogCon a remarkable experience and a success.

The CDO BlogCon is an Absolute Success: 5 Reasons Why

The success of the 1st CDO Blog Convention is a sign that good things await bloggers, vloggers, and influencers.

On my part, I see it as a validation that I am going towards the right path, that I am doing something worthwhile, and that the sacrifices I made to get to where I am now have all been rewarded.

The CDO BlogCon, for me, is a success because of this – and because of the following reasons.

1. The Speakers

I’ve been to several conventions but for me, this blogcon, so far, has the most interesting lineup of speakers.

Chuckie Dreyfus, former child star who is now a well-respected and popular blogger/vlogger, shared his experiences on and some tips about blogging.

My favorite takeaways from his talk are: “Be the blogger you want to be” and “Do not use complicated words”. He actually shared a lot, but these two statements have the most effect on me. I’ve always believed in being true to yourself and to others. And if you really want your readers or audience to understand your message, you have to use the simplest words possible.

Richard Paglicawan of LionhearTV shared some tips and trade secrets for vloggers. He specifically focused on YouTube content creation. Although I’m not really into vlogging, I found his discussion interesting because I’ve always wondered how vlogs (and vloggers) generate viewership. And, yes, I follow quite a lot of YouTubers.

Kaycee Enerva of The Macho Mom and KikaySikat helped us better understand what a blogger is and what differentiates one from an influencer.

I especially liked how Kaycee explained SEO (search engine optimization) without being too technical. I have a love and hate relationship with SEO because although I write SEO articles for a living, I haven’t really been able to successfully apply it to my blog.

I also like the fact that she gave us visual tips, particularly on how to make a blogger’s media kit.

CDO’s very own Clement Dampal (bestspotsph) and Atoy Martinez of atoymartinez.com also shared their experiences and knowledge on photography and videography respectively.

I found Clement’s discussion on the rule of thirds and other stuff related to photo composition really interesting and helpful, especially since he showed visually pleasing examples.

For his discussion on videography, Atoy showed his videos, including short films he did when he was still starting. I also liked it that he brought a lot of his stuff and did his best to introduce each one to us.

Overall, I got a lot of insights that I’m sure will be really helpful not just for me but for my co-bloggers as well.

2. The Brands

One of the advantages of joining a blog convention is the opportunity to connect with brands and companies. CDO  BlogCon invited a lot of brands, which is really cool because we got a chance to try out some of their products when we visited their booths.

Check out some of the brands that set up their booths during the convention:

Other brands that displayed and handed out brochures during the convention included Seda Centrio Hotel, FOPANORMIN, Double Bubble Cafe, Crystal White, and Limketkai Luxe.

Everybody’s favorite, Jollibee, kept the participants in high spirits by giving out free burgers and Chickenjoys. Jollibee and friends even entertained the crowd with their cool dances.

Here’s a photo that shows all the brands supporting the event:

Apple Tree Resort Hotel in Opol, Misamis Oriental provided comfortable accommodations for the guest speakers. Invited bloggers from outside CDO enjoyed the hospitality and convenience of Marianne Suites, which is located at the corner of Tiano  Brothers and Antonio Luna streets.

One Mindanao (GMA Network) is the main (TV) media partner for the blogcon.

3. The Participants

CDO BlogCon 2019 gathered bloggers, vloggers, and influencers from Cagayan de Oro and its neighboring cities and towns. This is one of the things I love about it. The event gave us the chance to meet new people; like-minded individuals who are as passionate as I am in blogging and sharing stories.

4. The Venue

Limketkai Mall, the blogcon venue, is one of CDO’s best. It’s where the people go if they want to get the best of everything.

5. The Opportunities

CDO BlogCon is the best venue for getting opportunities to work with brands and to strike partnerships with other bloggers.

In addition, CDO BlogCon paved the way for Cagayan de Oro and Kagay-anons to showcase the city’s culture, riches, and people.

On my part, it gave me the chance to learn – and relearn – a lot of things about blogging. I also got fresh insights about photography and videography, two things I’m really interested in but haven’t had the chance to explore.

The blogcon also somehow told me that I am doing good (despite some challenges and setbacks) and moving in the right direction.

Activities and Contests

Aside from the workshops, CDO BlogCon participants were also hyped up when they found out that they can win in one of the contests prepared by the organizers in partnership with some brands.

Among the activities were: a blogging and vlogging contest where six participants can win awesome prizes from Cebu Pacific, Seda Centrio Hotel, World Traveller bags and luggages, and other prominent brands.

Winners of the Vivo photo/selfie contest will win the newest Vivo baby, the V15 Pro.

Cebu Pacific, on the other hand, is giving away a round trip ticket to their vlogging winner.

Good Things are Up Ahead

The CDO BlogCon, I hope, is just the first of many events for bloggers and vloggers here in the city and the Northern Mindanao region. Hopefully, we’ll also get more participants and guests from other parts of the country.

I’m sure though that the event clearly proved the new media is slowly hogging the limelight. Bloggers, vloggers, and influencers are slowly making a mark in the world. And I’m proud to be a part of it.