Austin’s Ileenie Weenie Turns Teeny-Weeny Idea into BlogathonATX
Austin, Texas, graphic designer Ilene Haddad had been neglecting her blog, which she began earlier this year. So one day on Twitter, Haddad—better known in Austin by her Twitter identity, Ileenie Weenie—casually asked whether anyone would be interested in gathering for a day of blogging and eating and chatting.
Haddad’s simple Twitter invitation, born of her desire for more accountability as a blogger, evolved into the first-ever BlogathonATX.
On Aug. 28, about 50 bloggers crammed into an East Austin coworking space for the inaugural BlogathonATX. About 60 people had signed up. In the evening, even more bloggers showed up for a happy hour.
Initially, Haddad feared no one would come to BlogathonATX. But as the BlogathonATX buzz grew in the Austin blogging community, she worried about an overflow of bloggers.
“The response was overwhelmingly positive, so chances are good that there will be another Blogathon in the next six to 12 months. It’s really up to the community, and they seem extremely enthusiastic about doing this again,” Haddad said.
“The only down side was that I actually wound up a little in the red financially. It was totally worth it, but I’m not sure it’s sustainable in this exact form. I really want to keep it as a free event, but that may not be feasible.”
Haddad said she’d like to see Blogathons spring up in other cities.
“I wonder how this would translate somewhere else,” she said. “The thing that made BlogathonATX so special was its organic nature. The extraordinary volunteers, generous sponsors and enthusiastic attendees are really the ones who made it all possible.”
Ironically, Haddad spent so much time planning and executing BlogathonATX that she didn’t post a single word on her blog during the get-together.
“You should see how many new posts were created in 12 hours,” she said. “Oh, how I wish I’d been one of those productive people.”
To watch a video about BlogathonATX, click here.
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