Various brands sponsored BlogHer '09, held in Chicago, July 24 – 25, and used the opportunity to introduce new and familiar products to the nearly 1,500 attending bloggers. Some brands brought celebrities to lure attendees to their expo booths including appearances by Project Runway's Tim Gunn and celebrity chef Paula Deen. Check out which celebrities made a splash at the blogging conference.
BlogHer '09: Celebrity Chefs Paula Deen and Dave Lieberman for Walmart
Paula Deen was late for her BlogHer appearance but following a sales pitch for her new Walmart baked goods line was a question and answer session followed by a meet and greet with bloggers. Chef Dave Lieberman wooed attendees, especially the mommy bloggers, during his cooking demonstrations of quick and affordable meals.
BlogHer '09: Making it Work with Tim Gunn in the Tide & Bounce Laundry Lounge
The best-dressed conference attendee was found in the Tide & Bounce Laundry Lounge and he stars on Bravo’s Project Runway. Tim Gunn, the leading fashion authority, met with bloggers during a meet and greet. When asked his favorite word in his robust vocabulary, he replied, “preposterous.”
BlogHer '09: Carson Kressley Looking Good with Nikon
Style guru Carson Kressley of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and How to Look Good Naked attended compliments of Nikon. Kressley taking off his shirt to bare his chest and put on a RipTFusion undershirt garnered the most screams from attending bloggers.
BlogHer '09: Cooking the Other White Meat with Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless
Chicago restaurateur, host of Mexico, One Plate at a Time and Top Chef judge Chef Rick Bayless made cooking look a breeze in The National Pork Board booth. His tasty pork creations were shared with bloggers.
BlogHer '09: Late Night for Nina
The Velveteen Mind People's Party featured a variety of sponsors and Sprout brought along favorite storyteller Nina from The Good Night Show who met with bloggers and signed autographs.
BlogHer '09: Brilliant Minds of Media
Not all the celebrities were pitching brands. The blogging conference's Saturday keynote was titled “Traditional Media Chops Meet a New Media Calling” with BlogHer founder Lisa Stone moderating a panel with Donna Byrd, publisher of the TheRoot.com, Tina Brown, founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast and Ilene Chaiken, creator, executive producer and writer of The L Word television series. Discussion ranged from covering the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on the TheRoot.com since he’s the site’s editor-in-chief, to the brand loyalty of the LGBT market, to proposed disclosure requirements for bloggers by the Federal Trade Commission. The L Word fans will be happy to learn when Ilene Chaiken was asked “Who killed Jenny?” she responded it “will be addressed” in The L Word movie she’s in the process of scripting.
Lee Woodruff, bestselling author and wife of ABC’s Bob Woodruff, moderated the "PepsiCo Live With Purpose Panel" to learn what motivates women to add purpose to their busy lives. The hour-long dialogue was broadcast live on BlogTalk radio and the most emotional moment was when military wife and mother of five, Anita Tedaldi Doberman, brought the panel and onlookers to tears when sharing her struggles of having a husband deployed on his fifth tour.
Celebrities Added Sparkle to BlogHer ‘09
Not all attending celebrities were human. Mrs. Potato Head made the rounds for Playskool and the Michelin Man hugged bloggers whenever he could. In most cases, conference attendees had to choose between rubbing elbows with special guests and attending informational sessions. The most organized bloggers were able to find a balance without missing out on the entire BlogHer experience.
Jennifer Huber - A 20-year veteran of the tourism industry, Jennifer's career path began during college when she followed the hiking path in Yellowstone ...
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