Portland Head Lighthouse on Cape Elizabeth. (Photo by Mercedes Mehling on Unsplash.)

What are you doing next May? If you’re a travel writer, a blogger (especially of the travel variety), or you want to be part of the travel industry, I’ve got your answer: going to the 2019 Women in Travel Summit, aka WITS19, in Portland, Maine, May 3 through 5. Hands-down, WITS is the best conference for women who check one or more of the above boxes, and who want to meet an incredible group of like-minded travel junkies who are serious about being the best at their work.

For the third consecutive year, I’ll be speaking at WITS, which has quickly become one of my favorite conferences, both for the quality of educational resources and for the diversity of people I get to interact with. My session, “Speak Up, Speak Out Loud: How to Create a Memorable Voice” is scheduled for the morning of May 3, and you can get your ticket now, with special early-bird pricing through February 2, 2019.

In my work with bloggers over the past eight years, I’ve discovered that while some writers find it easy to charge out of the gate with a distinctive voice that demands attention and encourages reader loyalty, many others start out with a great idea or angle, but struggle to differentiate themselves. And some, especially those who come to long-form blogging from microblogging on social media platforms like Instagram, have laser-focused on developing gorgeous visuals, only to find that their copy sounds, well, a bit generic. Taking a step back to craft a voice that’s distinctive, memorable, and wholly authentic to you and your experiences can make all the difference.

Even though my WITS19 session takes place on Blogger 101 day, it has lots of practical takeaways for bloggers of all levels of experience. If you feel like you’ve hit a wall and are having a tough time taking your blog to the next level or attracting partnerships and sponsors, I invite you to join me for a deep dive into how you can use your voice to communicate your unique perspective and stand out from the overcrowded blogosphere. I guarantee you’ll walk away with tips you can start implementing right away.

Oh, and those other, non-me sessions? They’ll be great, too, and will feature a wealth of information from women who are full-time travelers, experienced business owners, podcasters, journalists, ethical travelers, travel-industry pros, teachers, and more. Add in a culturally rich and stunningly beautiful seaside destination, a bunch of friendly sponsors, affordable pricing, networking lunches and a decked-out party or two, and some fun pre- and post-conference excursions, and you really don’t have any excuse to sign up. So get to it, and reserve your spot before tickets sell out.

Got a question about the WITS experience? Hit me up.