I just got back from #FinCon14, and it was a BLAST. I met a ton of bloggers I haven’t met yet, and I reconnected with bloggers I met at FinCon13.
The sessions are always great at FinCon, but I have to say that the networking and relationships you can create can’t be beat.
FinCon is nothing like your average conference. I used to attend conferences all the time when I had my day job, and they were the worst “events” ever. Which is kind of funny because those were financial-related conferences as well. They were horrible though and I cannot even describe how miserable they were. Most of them would even keep attendance because they know no one wants to be there (but you have to go anyways because your employer paid for it…).
FinCon is completely different though.
You WANT to be there.
You don’t want to sleep because you are afraid of missing out. FOMO at its best.
In fact, I already bought my ticket for next year.
Thursday at FinCon14.
On Thursday, there wasn’t much going on for FinCon14 if you just had the base ticket, but there was the welcome reception which you never want to miss. It’s a great spot for networking and meeting everyone. There are usually free drinks and snack foods, and it’s a lot of fun too!
After the welcome reception was over, I went down to the hotel bar with a bunch of other bloggers. After that, I went out to Frenchman’s Street with a bunch of different bloggers and we danced and talked the night away.
Friday at FinCon14.
I went to a few sessions on Friday, and I went to the Expo Hall to see what companies were at the conference.
After that, I went to a dinner with a bunch of awesome bloggers, such as J.D. Roth and Farnoosh (I love them both!), that was set up by Melanie from DearDebt and Tonya from MyFabFinance. There was a fun trolley ride and a dinner thanks to A Perfect Circle Jewelry Insurance at NOLA Restaurant, which was delicious (and free!).
Saturday at FinCon14.
On Saturday, I went to a few sessions but my main focus during the day was my mentoring session and listening to the keynote by Farnoosh.
I was a mentor to Leah and I won’t lie, I was extremely nervous. Mentoring someone in person for some reason always scares me! Luckily, she was great and the mentoring session was great. We talked for the whole session and I was able to help her out in a few areas. She has an awesome blog and she writes for some big name websites, so I would definitely check her out if you haven’t yet!
After the keynote from Farnoosh, the Plutus Awards started. I didn’t win anything, but other awesome blogs did! It was fun, and I was the drink ticket girl for the Plutus Awards after party. This was a fun event, and it was nice talking to a bunch of bloggers on the last night.
The last event for FinCon14 was the after party/closing party at the Beach on Bourbon Street. It was a lot of fun and there was a lot of dancing.
Sorry to anyone who saw my sad dancing skills because I was dancing for a good four hours!
Networking.
I met so many amazing bloggers, and it would probably take days for me to list out all of their names (around 600 people attended FinCon14!).
I will say I loved everyone I met. There wasn’t a single person I didn’t like, and everyone is extremely approachable and fun.
How much did FinCon14 cost me?
FinCon14 wasn’t too bad for me. I spent around $630 on it. We stayed in a rental house about 1.5 miles away from the French Quarter so that we could bring our dogs (yup, I’m a crazy dog lady).
- FinCon14 ticket – $150. I bought the Super Early Bird ticket.
- VRBO home rental – $275 for three nights. We brought our dogs with us 🙂
- Gas – $100. Gas is cheap in our new car!
- Taxis – $30. I ended up taking a taxi to the conference on Friday and Saturday (and back from the bars) so that I didn’t have to pay the ridiculous $40 parking fee that the conference hotel charges PER DAY. I split a cab a few times with Stephanie at TheBrokeandBeautifulLife which also saved me some money because her rental was next to mine).
- Food and drinks – $75. This is probably higher than what I actually spent. Breakfast and lunch is provided by FinCon on some of the days (for my ticket it was provided on Friday and Saturday), so that helps bring the cost of food down.
Did you attend FinCon? Would you attend in the future?
P.S. For some of you who do not know, this is Michelle from MakingSenseofCents.com, in case any of you are wondering who the heck DiversifiedFinances.com was at the conference 🙂
That’s not bad at all for a conference – $630 is good! I love that you’re a crazy dog lady, cause you know I am a crazy cat lady.
Up until this weekend I said I would attend FinCon next year, but honestly I am not so sure in the long run. I am not sure what it offers me because I keep flipping back and forth from wanting to make a run at online money making, and then just deeming my blog a hobby for accountability. I dunno!
Yeah it’s hard to say. I’d love to meet you one day though 🙂
Thanks for your FINCON update Michelle! Great that your husband was able to go to mind the dogs. Who’s all in the picture? Are you allowed to say?
I’m not sure if I can share everyone, but some include Stephanie from TheBrokeandBeautifulLife, Erin from BrokeMillenial, and Lauren from LBeeandthemoneytree 🙂
Killer price on the early bird ticket!
I’m going next year FOR SURE! That way your dance skills will look phenomenal!
Haha yes come next year!
Such a blast! I’m ready for next year already 🙂
Same here!
That’s awesome that you were able to take the hubs and the dogs, and still only spend $600! It sounds like you had tons of fun for that amount of money too! I can’t tell you how many people have asked if I’m going (or went) to FinCon, and it makes me wish I would have gone! Instead we went on family vacation!
I bet your family vacation was still a blast though! We need to have a coffee date one day – you live so close to me.
Sounds like an awesome experience!
Out of curiosity, what’s the diversity like at these sorts of conferences? Do you find it’s mostly young bloggers, or is there a big range of backgrounds and experience?
I would say it’s very diverse. Mostly everyone is related to the financial world in some sort, and I would say that’s really the only similarity. There are young bloggers, old bloggers (LOL I don’t know how else to say that), company bloggers, full-time bloggers, podcasters, vloggers, and more.
It was very nice to have met you and we had a great time over supper with the other ladies! See you next year 🙂
Yes, it was great meeting you! I’m glad we were able to meet on the last night 🙂
It sounds like you had a great time! 🙂
I did! 🙂
I am definitely planning on going to Fincon next year! It sounds like everyone had a blast! I can’t wait to meet everyone and hear the amazing speakers!
Yes, you should go next year!
$630 is a great price for a conference. I wasn’t able to go this year but I plan on going next year.
Yes, it was very affordable!
Again, I’m so glad we got to meet! I wish I had stayed in a rental, but getting a comped hotel room offset how much we paid for parking. Honestly, I kind of wish I stayed in the Marriott, because it seems like I missed out on a few bar gatherings! I already purchased my ticket for next year. =)
Where did you stay? I didn’t know you weren’t at the Marriott. I didn’t stay there and I did just fine 🙂 The only problem I had was that I had to deal with sketchy cab drivers – I’ve taken plenty of cabs and have never had problems before New Orleans!
Hey Michelle! Thanks for the shout-out 🙂
You may have been nervous about mentoring, but it didn’t show! Also, I started using PicMonkey to build some blog graphics. See? One tiny tip can change everything for a lowly newbie like me!
I’m glad you didn’t notice! I am generally just a very nervous person haha.
Good job on using PicMonkey, it can go a long way!
It was so awesome to meet you in person! It cracks me up that you already bought your ticket for next year, but I probably should have too. This recap honestly jogged my memory about certain things because it was all such a blur. Was Frenchman really on Thursday?! haha.
Haha of course I already bought it! It said in the email that it’s refundable if the date ends up not working, but I’m hoping I can go.
And yes, I think Frenchman was on Thursday? Haha it’s all a blur now!
Thank you for the FinCon update, Michelle! I am SO excited to go next year, and I can’t wait to meet you! It really does seem like an interesting event, and the networking sounds like one of the best parts 🙂
I feel you on boring finance conferences – I went to one not long ago and I was like ughhhhhh. I had to play I Spy in one of the sessions so I wouldn’t fall asleep. Sad!
Haha yes I used to play games like that too in order to stay awake. It was near impossible!
So glad we could meet and that you came to the dinner! What fun! I can’t wait for next year.
Thanks again for the invite. It was a blast!
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I had no idea you had more than one blog, glad I stopped over just to see what kind of money you spent on Fincon, I am brainstorming on the plant to get there in 2015!
I hope you can go next year! 🙂
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