Finding Love from hailey bartholomew on Vimeo.

The video is a fantastic piece – but even more fantastic is that Hailey shot and edited it on her iPhone and iPad with apps that cost less than $6.

Best of all – Hailey is going to show us how to create this kind of video on the devices you probably already own at PBEVENT in September. It’s going to be a great session – Hailey is both a gifted film maker as well as a great teacher. I can’t wait to see what creativity comes out of this session!

We still have tickets left on our Eventbrite page but don’t wait too long because they won’t last!

Back in 2010 when we held our first training day I interviewed a great craft blogger by the name of Pip Lincolne. At the time Pip was running a shop in Melbourne called ‘Meet Me at Mikes’ and was writing a blog by the same name. She’d also published a book – one of the first Aussie bloggers to do so.

Pip’s bubbly personality, generous spirit and tell it like it is attitude really impressed a lot of bloggers that day (I still to this day get feedback about it) so we decided it was time to try to get Pip back to speak at another PBEVENT.

We asked and today I can confirm she’ll be at our September event on the Gold Coast.

Pip not only runs the Meet Me at Mikes blog these days but she’s also the editor of lifestyle blog JustB, is a contributor for Frankie Magazine and columnist for UK publication Mollie Makes.

Pip has also published 4 books and has even released her own stationary range with Hardie Grant Books.

There’s lots in the works for Pip also with another book being written and an e-course planned for 2014.

Pip will be involved in a secret part of PBEVENT for 2013 – something that we know will be popular, particularly with those bloggers at the beginning of their journey will get a lot out of! Stay tuned for more details.

Don’t forget – tickets go on sale tomorrow at 1.30pm. Sign up below to make sure you get notified the moment they go on sale!

Today I’m proud to announce another 9 Aussie speakers!

Among them are some familiar faces who have spoken at past PBEVENTs including:

• Phoebe Montague from Lady Melbourne who was one of our most popular speakers at our 2011 event (Phoebe will be running a session on creating Media Kits)
• Nicole Avery from Planning with Kids who always provides amazing value and will be moderating a couple of panels and hopefully running a super secret session (TBA)
• Craig Makepeace from YTravel Blog – returning from 2011 to join one of our panels
• Paul Cunningham from Exchange Server Pro who is also returning from 2011 to join a panel

This year we’re also making a real effort to include some fresh new voices in our event and so today we welcome the following 5 new speakers to PBEVENT:

• Ed Dale from MagCast who will be talking about what the smartphones/tablet revolution means to blogging
• Brooke McClary from Slow Your Home who will be on one of our panels
• Yishan Chan from Beauty Swatch who is also joining us as a panelist
• Jess Van Den who from Epheriell who will run a workshop on using blogging to grow your physical product business
• Katrina Springer from The Organised Housewife who will join one of our panels.

That makes 13 of the 19 speakers that we’ve announced so far first time speakers at PBEVENT – you’re going to hear some new stuff this year!

But Wait… There’s MORE!

While we’re getting close to announcing the full schedule there are still a few finishing touches going on here at PBEVENT HQ and that includes us confirming a few last speakers.

Last Round of Tickets to be Released Tomorrow

Tomorrow (Tuesday 7th May) at 1.30pm we’ll be releasing the final round of tickets for this years event.

To be emailed the moment they go on sale please add your email address below. We saw the 200 Early Bird tickets all snapped up in just a couple of hours so make sure you are on the list to avoid disappointment.

In the lead up to that release of tickets I wanted to share a few more of the speakers we’ve booked in to speak at the event on the Gold Coast in September.

Today I’m pleased to announce the involvement of Hailey Bartholomew.

Hailey is someone that I’ve been watching with great admiration for a couple of years now. She is one of those people whose name just kept popping up for me in quite diverse ways because she’s someone who has projects in a number of different worlds that overlap a little with mine.

Let me run you through a few of the things Hailey has been involved with:

• Hailey is an award winning film-maker and photographer
• Hailey and her husband Andrew are the people behind the 365 Grateful project (a documentary, book and daily photographic challenge)
• They also created a short film for kids called RubyWho

Hailey has written, directed and filmed some amazing short films and is a also a talented communicator. The only real challenge for us was to work out what to get her to speak about as there were many topics to choose from!

In the end we’ve asked Hailey to share on the topic of Creating and Editing great videos for your blog – on a shoestring.

Her session will teach you how to make video content on your iphone/ipad and the key ingredients to making something people want to watch! From filming tips to editing you can make something moving and informative with the devices you already own.

Update on Ticket Sales

When we announced PBEVENT 2013 we anticipated an event for around 300 people (around the same size as last year). However when we released Early Bird tickets several weeks ago and saw 200 of them sell out in just a couple of hours we released that we’d need to find more room.

We’ve since talked with our venue and have changed how we’ll configure the event a little to be able to accomodate more than our expected 300 people so when tickets go on sale next Tuesday (7th May) we hope to be able to have plenty of tickets (although we still are only guessing at the demand)

I can’t guarantee everyone will get a ticket but we’ll do our best!

To be notified of the exact time when the final round of tickets will go on sale make sure you’re subscribed to our email notification list as it will be this list who gets the first go at whatever tickets we release. Add your name and email below to be notified.

I tend to agree – we’re particularly lucky this year… but you don’t think we’ve finished yet do you?!?

I’m really excited today to announce another international keynote speaker for this year’s ProBlogger Training Day.

It is… Trey Ratcliff.

I first came across Trey in my research for an article I was writing on Digital Photography School because Trey is an one of the most amazing photographers – particularly known for his HDR photography (one of his photos was the first HDR photo to hang in the Smithsonian) – but it quickly became obvious to me that Trey was someone to watch not only for his photography but for the way in which he built his online brand and business.

Trey’s website – Stuck in Customs – has over half a million monthly page views, he’s launched the highly successful Flatbooks site (which sells eBooks from a large number of authors), has created numerous apps and speaks regularly around the world at amazing events.

Oh… and then there’s his social media presence!

SocialStatistics.com ranks Trey Ratcliff as the 6th most followed person on Google+ (with over 4.6 million followers) (behind Britney Spears, Lada Gaga and David Beckham but ahead of Madonna, Usher and Richard Branson). Add to that his 4.8 million Pinterest followers and you’re starting to get a picture of what he’s built. I particularly love the way that Trey has used G+ and have asked him to speak at our event on some of what he’s learned about that platform.

On top of all Trey has achieved (and I’m just scratching the surface here) I’m pleased to say that he is one of the most genuinely nice people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in the online world.

He’s genuinely interested in connecting with and helping those he meets and I’m certain that many of those who attend this year’s ProBlogger Training Event are going to come away better off for listening to and meeting Trey.

Update on Ticket Sales

When we announced PBEVENT 2013 we anticipated an event for around 300 people (around the same size as last year). However when we released Early Bird tickets two weeks ago and saw 200 of them sell out in just a couple of hours we released that we’d need to find more room.

I know a lot of you are worried you won’t be able to get a spot when we release the final round of tickets early in May but I want to let you know that in talking with QT Gold Coast (our venue) that we’ll be able to fit more than 300 attendees (with a bit of a change to how we were going to set things up).

I can’t guarantee everyone will get a ticket but we’ll do our best to accommodate the demand.

To be notified of when the final round of tickets will go on sale make sure you’re subscribed to our email notification list as it will be this list who gets the first go at whatever tickets we release. Add your name and email below to be notified.

Pack your sunnies and get ready, because Tourism & Events Queensland is about to show you the Gold Coast!

TEQ have created an extraordinary range of one day popup events to run the day before and the day after the ProBlogger Event. There are mini popups aimed at foodies, fabulous tours for fashionistas, zippy trips for thrill seekers and even a morning out for wannabe surfers.

The TEQ Blogger Popups are exclusive to ProBlogger Event attendees and your invitation to apply will be sent directly to those who purchase a ticket. If you have a Blogger ticket to the event and do not received this email shortly, please contact Liz Pulo.

If you don’t have a PBEVENT Ticket Yet

If you were not one of the 200 people to snap up a PBEVENT early bird ticket please note that we will be releasing more full priced tickets in May. Once you have a ticket you’ll then be given the chance to apply for one of these popups in May. Just make sure you’re on the notification list to be told when tickets go on sale .

Those chosen to attend a popup will be notified the first week of June.

Please note: while we have made every effort to ensure the information below is correct, events may be added, withdrawn or substituted according to demand and availability. There are no refunds, swaps or rainchecks for participants selected to attend these events.

Fashionably Fun

Aimed at the fashion or lifestyle blogger, this day trip will take you under the skin of Australia’s new world city, Brisbane, and the nation’s favourite resort playground, Gold Coast. In conjunction with Shop In Style Escape, we will visit local Queensland designers, fossick around vintage stores, duck in to hidden coffee shops, and perhaps even have a high tea.  The tour will be hosted by Amanda Kruse.

Brisbane on Thursday 12^th September

Tour through the hidden gems of New Farm, the Valley and Paddington, perhaps popping in to inhale the aroma of Brisbane’s only parfumerie before catching up with Brisbane’s King of Chocolate (who has his own secret) and indulging in what we – and Ashton Kutcher – think are the world’s best brownies. We may brush up with Brisbane’s own cosmetic specialist and then meet some of the state’s leading designers.

• Pick up from Brisbane Airport at 9.00am and again outside the Sixes & Sevens, 67 James Street, New Farm at 09:30 am.
• Your transfer from Brisbane to the Gold Coast departs around 4.00pm and will be arranged by Tourism & Events Queensland
• Lunch provided.
• Please note some activities may change.
• See:  Visit Brisbane
• See: Shop in Style Escape

 Gold Coast on Sunday 15^th September 

It’s known for glitz and glamour, but there’s also a distinctly fashionable edge to the Gold Coast. We’ll meet some of the young designers, check out laid-back cafes, have high tea at Versace, and mix it up with the coolest bar tender in town.

• Pick up from  QT Gold Coast at 9.00am and drop off at 5.00pm;
• Lunch provided.
• Please note some activities such as markets may change due to the day
• See: Queensland Holidays
• See Shop in Style Escape
• See: The Village Markets Gold Coast

Find your Chakra (and Hugh knows what else)

Two hundred hectares of calming retreat. Cool.
Superb organic cuisine. Wow.
Thirty-three custom-designed and themed treatment rooms. Count me in.
Hugh Jackman’s fave place to hang out. Where do I sign up?

Welcome to Gwinganna, a health and wellness resort high in the Gold Coast hills and renowned for taking in the world’s tired and frazzled and turning them into pillars of happiness and zen. Normally only available for paying guests, this exclusive pop up will be extended to a strictly limited number of health and lifestyle bloggers. Could that be you?

Gold Coast, Thursday 12^th September

• Strictly limited spaces
• Pick up from Gold Coast Airport at 9.00am. Drop off at QT Hotel by 4.30pm
• Spa treatment, yoga and nutrition class included
• Spa brunch provided.
• See: Gwinganna Website

Memorable Fun

Are you a budding photographer or big on Instagram?
Then this half-day pop up will take you to one of the most gob-smackingly beautiful spots on the Gold Coast to capture the mood of the location.

We will have a top photographer with us to help run a session on getting the best out of landscape and people photography.

Gold Coast, Sunday 15^th September

• Pick up from  QT Gold Coast at 9.30am and drop off at 2.00pm;
• Lunch provided.
• See:  Queensland Holidays

Travel Bloggers Beware…

Covering adventure? Then join us as we take you on an action-packed day trip.
Start by the beach and learn to surf then scoot up the mountains, jump on a bike and cycle through World Heritage listed rainforests in the afternoon. There should also be time for a spot of beer and cheese tasting before coming back to the coast. Effort reaps reward, right?

Gold Coast, Sunday 15^th September

• Pick up from  QT Gold Coast at 8.00am and drop off at 5.00pm;
• Lunch provided.
• Please note activities and times may change
• See:  Queensland Holidays

Health and Lifestyle Bloggers

Blogging about health? Then we’ve got a calming pop-up treat for you. Start the morning with gentle exercise by the beach, try your hand at stand-up paddling, and refuel with a healthy vegetarian/organic meal. This one also screams massage!

Gold Coast, Sunday 15^th September

• Pick up from  QT Gold Coast at 8.00am (TBC)s and drop off at 5.00pm;
• Lunch provided.
• See:  Queensland Holidays
• See: Gwinganna Website
• See: Byron Vegetarian Cafe

Fanatical about food?

Forget the glitter strip and the meter maids, if food is your number on love you’ll be pleased to discover the Gold Coast is all grown up and we want to showcase the change. Bring your appetite for this day of grazing and indulging from new restaurants and local producers up and down the coast.

Gold Coast, Sunday 15^th September 

• Pick up from  QT Gold Coast at 9.30am and drop off at 4.30pm
• Lunch provided.
• See:  Queensland Holidays

 Discover the heart of Brisbane: Southbank

Go from the surf to the city and explore Brisbane’s most popular cultural precinct.
Start by checking out the latest blockbuster exhibition at the locally-loved and internationally-renowned Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA to friends) and then hop on a Brisbane City Cycle and ride through the beautiful Southbank Parklands.

Stop at the newest Southbank hotspot, Rivergreen, for a picnic lunch and a wine while watching the world go by on the busy Brisbane River. This one is perfect for anyone departing from Brisbane that night.

Brisbane, Sunday 15^th September

• Check out and pick up from QT Gold Coast at 9.30am. Transfers to Brisbane Airport start from 5.00pm. Note, there will be no return transfers to the Gold Coast.
• Lunch provided.
• See:  Queensland Holidays
• See: Visit Brisbane

 High Rolling at Jupiters

Live like a high-roller for a day with an all-access pass to the extravagant Jupiters Casino on the Gold Coast.

Ride in style to the casino in a VIP car and learn the secrets to culinary success from Uday Huja, the chef who has tantalised top tastebuds across the world, including those of President Obama.

End the day with a glass of wine and a chance to hit the tables.

Gold Coast, Sunday 15^th September

• Pick up from QT Gold Coast at 9.30am and return by 3.00pm.
• Lunch provided.
• See:  Queensland Holidays
• See: Jupiters Gold Coast

Learn to Surf

Dude! Get out on the water with Get Wet Surf School and find out why surfing creates die-hard fans the world over.

Think you are too old? Get over that. Get Wet Surf School’s friendly instructors guarantee everyone – from age six to 66 – will have a gnarly good time AND get to stand up.

So grab the girls or the guys and get ready to feel the rush of the waves. After working up an appetite, Kerry and the gang will take you to the local surf club for a hearty brunch. Now that’s slamming!

Gold Coast, Sunday 15^th September

• Pick up from QT Gold Coast at 8.30am and return by 1.00pm.
• Brunch provided.
• See:  Queensland Holidays
• See: Get Wet Surf

 Pedal your way to greater heights

Calling all adrenalin junkies! Grab the sunscreen and helmet up for an easy cycle along the spiffy new Gold Coast foreshore, all the way to the highest residential tower in the Southern Hemisphere.

Look up! That’s our target. Yep, at 77 storeys above sea level, you’re going to suit up for the climb of your life – right to the tip of Skypoint in the Q1 Building.

Here, there are views to die for (No chance of that, tho. You will be tightly tethered to the rails). And for this group only, mobile devices will be allowed! Fancy an instagram, anyone?

 Gold Coast, Thursday 12^th September.

• Pick up from QT Gold Coast at 1:00pm and return by 6.30pm.
• Light refreshments provided.
• See:  Queensland Holidays
• See: Get Wet Surf

Gold Coast,  Sunday 15^th September 

• Pick up from QT Gold Coast at 08:00 and return by 1.00pm.
• Light refreshments provided.
• See:  Queensland Holidays
• See: Get Wet Surf

Beer and Beach

Come on. It’s Sunday. What more could you want? Start the day on the southern end of the coast with our Burleigh Brewmaster (try saying that after a few beers) for a tasting tour through the Burleigh Brewing Co.

There are more beers than you can poke a surfboard at including Fanny Gertrude’s Bickie Beer, My Wife’s Bitter and Black Giraffe.

Speaking of surf, you’ll also get to check out the history of the Gold Coast’s favourite sport at Surf World, before hitting the beach for a swim and a lunch over a hearty fisherman’s basket.

Gold Coast, Sunday 15^th September

• Pick up from QT Gold Coast at 09:00 and return by 3.30pm.
• Note: anyone looking to depart from Gold Coast Airport this day should do so from Burleigh Heads.
• Light lunch provided.
• Burleigh Brewing
• Surf World Gold Coast

Mums (and Dads) Who Blog

Coming with the kids (and maybe hubby) and have a couple of days spare before or after the conference?

Then let us know if you want to go to a theme park plus how you will cover that location, and we can help arrange tickets. Here’s the lowdown of theme parks:

Gold Coast, available between September 15 – 22 

Little bits of Fun – Targeting mums-who-blog with kids aged between 0-7 years, your best parks are Sea World (think penguins, dolphins, crazy water rides), and Dreamworld (Wiggles World, Shrek,)

Teen Tumbles – Aimed at mums with ‘teens and tweenagers’ between 7-16, the coast’s coolest theme parks are Dreamworld (for the Big 8 white knuckle rides), White Water World and Movieworld (Batman, Justice League 3D etc)

Nature Loving Families – Have your kids ever cuddled a koala? Fed a lorikeet? Taken an adventure trail? No? Then, the southern part of the Gold Coast is home to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary where they can experience all this and more. Take them out for a day where the wild things live.

Maximum 2 adults and 2 children.

Tickets must be arranged in advance through Tourism & Events Queensland.

• Park operating hours are generally from 10.00am through to 5.00pm.
• Transfers to be arranged independently (local bus or car hire)
• See:  Queensland Holidays
• See: Dreamworld
• See: Movie World
• See: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Once again – The TEQ Blogger Popups are exclusive to ProBlogger Event attendees and your invitation to apply will be sent directly to those who have an early bird ticket via email shortly. If you have a Blogger ticket to the event and have not received this email, please contact Liz Pulo.

Those chosen to attend a popup will be notified the first week of June.

After a frenzy of activity they are now all gone (at the time of writing this there are a handful of ‘brand’ tickets still available for those coming from brands, agencies, and other corporate organisations).

Thanks to everyone for your interest in the event – sorry to those who missed out on securing an Early Bird ticket – however please note we’ll be releasing our next round of tickets in the weeks ahead.

If you’d like to be notified when the next release of tickets goes on sale please add your details below and we’ll email you the moment they are released.

You can grab your ticket while they last here.

The price for these Early Bird Tickets is $299.99 (a saving of $50 on full priced tickets) which will get you:

• 2 full days of training (20+ sessions to choose from)
• Digital Pass – audio recordings and PDFs of presenters presentations – so if you miss a session you’ll get to hear it later
• a standup networking breakfast on the first morning
• lunch on both days
• morning and afternoon tea on both days
• networking event in the evening of Day 1 (including drinks and some food)
• an opportunity to network with hundreds of other Aussie bloggers

We’re still locking on our schedule but you can see the announced speakers on our Speaker page. This year’s event will include a mix of keynote/single speaker sessions, a handful of panels, a few workshops and we’ll also be doing a few short case studies where you’ll hear from bloggers on interesting successes they’ve had in the last 12 months.

Topics that we’ve got in our soon to be released schedule include:

• Building Community and Deepen Reader Engagement on Your Blog
• Facebook Marketing for Bloggers
• How to Create Your First eBook
• How to Create an Effective Media Kits
• Search Engine Optimization
• The Keys to Telling your Brand Story and Building an Iconic Brand
• Blog Design and User Experience
• How to Build an Editorial Strategy for your Blog
• Advertising Models – from AdSense to Your own Ad Network
• What Product to Sell from Your Blog
• Using Video on Your Blog – Creating, Editing and Publishing
• The Nuts and Bolts of Selling Products From Your Blog
• Google Analytics – Understanding Metrics

Plus much more – we’ll have 20 sessions in total!

Get more details and secure yourself a ticket at our Eventbrite page – but don’t leave it too long, these tickets generally sell out pretty quick!

Welcoming Virgin Australia as Event Partner

We’re also excited today to welcome Virgin Australia as an event partner for our training event for 2013.

Thanks to everyone at Virgin Australia!

Watch this space for an exciting opportunity to win flights with Virgin Australia!

Introducing – Clare Bowditch

Clare Bowditch appears regularly on the stereos and TVs of many PBEVENT attendees as a singer and actor – so we thought we might invite her along this year to our event so we can see and hear her in person.

Clare is an Aria Award-winning songwriter, has had Top Ten albums, is a Logie nominated actor for her role as Rosanna Harding on the hit show Offspring but she’s also a sought after speaker, writer and creative business coach through her recently launched ‘Big Hearted Business’ enterprise.

Clare and I recently connected via Twitter after the now sold out ‘Big Hearted Business Conference’ launched – I loved the idea of it running a conference for creative business people who wanted to make a positive contribution to the world.

I was over the moon to be invited to speak at the event and eventually summoned up the courage to ask Clare to speak at our event too.

She said yes!

Clare will be one of our keynote speakers and I’m sure will bring some wonderful creativity, insight and inspiration to attendees.

Remember – a limited number of early bird tickets go on sale shortly. Sign up below to be notified the moment that they become available.

I’ll share with you 3 today before we release our Early Bird Tickets later this week.

Bernadette Jiwa

Flying in from WA – Bernadette Jiwa is a first time speaker at a ProBlogger but is someone that has no shortage of experience at communicating. She’s an accomplished business author, award winning blogger, brand story strategist and speaker (including at TED Perth).

Bernadette works with entrepreneurs, leaders and companies to help them to bake meaning into their brand. She helps them stand out in a noisy and crowded marketplace by showing them how to communicate their difference through their brand story – something that I think bloggers could learn a lot from.

As a result we have invited Bernadette to come and share with us on the topic of brand storytelling – something we think will be a valuable addition to our event. Her session is titled:

The Fortune Cookie Principle. – The keys to telling your brand story and building an iconic brand.

Shayne Tilley

Shayne Tilley will be no stranger to previous years PBEVENT attendees as he’s spoken at the last two. Shayne is always among our most highly rated session presenters in the feedback we get and is one of the best people I know on helping bloggers to create income through their blogs through creating their own products.

This year we’ve asked Shayne to share a session on some of the logistics of getting a product (like an eBook, course etc) to market.

His session is titled: Collecting the Cash – The Selling Secrets Of Big Business eCommerce

It will cover everything from choosing a good shopping cart solution through to collecting payments.

Without this information all that hard work you do in creating your product could be wasted so we expect it to be a really useful session.

Justine Bloome

Justine Bloome was an integral part of last year’s PBEVENT behind the scenes – she put together our virtual ticket and managed our social media strategy for the event.

This year I’ve asked her to step up the front and run some training because she’s got a lot of good wisdom to share!

Justine is founder of the Village Agency – a virtual digital agency of marketing and communication experts. Justine has been involved with working for some major corporations (like Coca Cola, Ford, Optus, ING and NAB) but also has worked with individuals and smaller companies on their online strategy – people like celebrity chef Shane Delia (from Maha).

Justine has helped me a lot over the last few years in thinking strategically about my business and I’ve found her to be particularly helpful in thinking about my blogs design and the user experience on my sites – so that’s what I’ve asked her to share on at this years event.

This is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

In the coming weeks we’ll continue to announce more speakers for this year’s ProBlogger Training Event. What you’ve seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg! All in all there will be at least 22 sessions offered this year on topics including:

• Developing an Editorial Strategy for your Blog
• Search Engine Optimization
• How to Create Your First eBook
• Building Community and Deepening Reader Engagement
• Advertising Models
• Using Video on Your Blog – Creating, Editing and Publishing on a Shoestring
• Google Analytics
• Social Media Strategy – Making it WORK for you
• Media Kits – what to include to make them effective

We hope to release a full schedule in the coming month but you can be assured it’ll be packed with loads of useful training from some great speakers.

Remember – a limited number of early bird tickets go on sale later this week. Sign up below to be notified the moment that they become available.