After returning from the Women in Travel Summit in Chattanooga, Tennessee, one question I kept getting was: “What has been your favorite travel creator conference so far?”
And honestly? That question made me sit back and really think about how much attending conferences has impacted my journey as a travel creator, blogger, and business owner.
Because when people hear “travel conference,” they often think the only goal is to walk away with a paid brand deal, a tourism board partnership, or a hotel collaboration.
And yes, let’s be clear — we absolutely want those opportunities. I am speaking and working mine into existence right now.
But I also want to be transparent: I have not walked away from every travel conference with an immediate paid partnership with a hotel, airline, or tourism board.
However, I have walked away with something just as important: knowledge, community, confidence, new skills, podcast opportunities, stronger pitches, media kit inspiration, and a creator network I can actually reach back out to.
And for me, that has been worth it.
Why I Started Attending Travel Conferences
When I first started learning more about monetizing as a creator and blogger, I kept hearing other travel creators talk about conferences. People would say that some of their first brand deals, tourism board connections, and paid collaborations came from attending events, networking in person, and simply being in the right rooms.
So naturally, I went down the rabbit hole.
- Which conferences are worth it?
- Which ones are best for travel creators?
- Which ones are best for bloggers?
- Which ones help you actually grow your business?
My first real conference in this space was FinCon in the fall of 2024. Since my brand also touches finance, points, miles, credit cards, and travel rewards, it made sense. One of my affiliate partners was there and invited us out, so I decided to attend.
While at FinCon, I learned about TravelCon and secured a discounted ticket for $99.
From there, TravelCon led me to learn more about TBEX, and thanks to being a part of Black Travel Alliance, I was able to secure a last-minute complimentary ticket to attend TBEX in Québec.
That conference ended up being one of my favorite experiences so far.
The Conferences I’ve Attended So Far
So far, I’ve attended:
- FinCon
- TravelCon
- TBEX
- Black Travel Summit
- Women in Travel Summit
- CardCon
CardCon was actually a sponsored opportunity through Capital One. Another reminder that these spaces can open doors in unexpected ways.
There are still a few conferences on my bucket list, including Cannes Lions and the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. Cannes, in particular, has my attention because I love the South of France, and I can absolutely see myself attending in the future as a creator, blogger, and business owner.
But among the conferences I’ve attended so far, the biggest value has not been just the sessions. It has been the people.
What Usually Happens at Travel Creator Conferences?
If you have never attended a travel creator conference before, the format can vary, but most include a mix of educational sessions, networking, brand meetings, marketplace opportunities, and destination experiences. Many conferences offer sessions on topics such as blogging, SEO, social media, pitching to brands, monetization, affiliate marketing, photography, video, storytelling, and working with tourism boards.
Some conferences also give creators the opportunity to schedule one-on-one meetings with brands, tourism boards, media, and industry professionals. Others have an open marketplace or expo-style setup where you can walk up to brands, destinations, creator tools, hotels, tourism boards, and other partners to introduce yourself and learn about opportunities.
Another major benefit is the opportunity to experience the host destination in ways you might not otherwise experience it, while also supporting local businesses. Depending on the conference, this may include food tours, walking tours, cultural experiences, outdoor activities, drone workshops, pre-conference tours, or hosted experiences with local tourism partners.
Some conferences also offer FAM trips, which stand for familiarization trips. These are curated hosted experiences designed to introduce creators or media to a destination, and they may include lodging, meals, tours, transportation, and exclusive experiences. But let’s be clear: FAM trips are not just free vacations. They are work opportunities, and creators are often expected to create content, share coverage, or provide agreed-upon deliverables after the trip.
For creators, these opportunities can be valuable because they allow you to build relationships with tourism boards, hotels, local businesses, and destination partners while creating content in real time. Even when an opportunity does not immediately turn into a paid partnership, it can help you build your portfolio, gain exposure, and better understand how to work with destinations and brands.
At conferences so far, I have also had the opportunity to connect with brands, tourism boards, and destination partners, including American Airlines, Visit Puerto Rico, Downtown Manhattan, Visit Panama, Hyatt, Visit Brasil, and more.
The Biggest Benefit: Community and Creator Network
One of the most valuable parts of attending travel conferences has been building a real network of creators.
Not just people with large followings. Not just people who are “ahead” of me.
But people I can actually reach out to and say:
- “Hey, I applied for a FAM trip. What deliverables are typically expected?”
- “What rates are you charging for this type of campaign?”
- “How would you pitch this hotel or tourism board?”
That kind of access matters.
In corporate America, salary ranges, job responsibilities, and career paths are often easier to research. You can look up job titles, compensation ranges, promotion paths, and interview tips.
But in the creator world, especially as a travel creator, so much of the information is still not openly discussed.
How much do you charge? How do you pitch? What goes in a media kit? What deliverables make sense? How often do you follow up with a tourism board? How do you turn a hosted trip into long-term business?
These are the conversations that often happen in the community. And that is why being in the room matters.
What I Took Away From Each Conference
Every conference has given me something different.
At TravelCon, one of the most helpful moments was sitting down with WordPress for a website audit. That conversation helped me better understand the backend of my blog, Google Search Console, indexing, and how to ensure my content was actually being found.
As someone growing a blog and working toward monetization, that was huge.
I also met Stay22 at TravelCon and later signed up for their affiliate program, which is another example of how these conferences can lead to real monetization opportunities beyond just sponsored trips.
At TBEX, one of the biggest highlights was the drone workshop. That experience helped push me toward becoming a Part 107 licensed drone pilot. Now, that is something I can leverage in my pitches when reaching out to hotels, tourism boards, and brands.
One of my favorite destination experiences during TBEX Québec was visiting Onhwa’ Lumina in Wendake. It was an immersive night walk through the forest that highlighted Indigenous culture, storytelling, lights, sound, and projections. Experiences like that are exactly why I appreciate conferences that partner with local tourism boards and businesses. You get to see the destination in a way you may not have planned on your own, while also supporting local tourism.
At Black Travel Summit, I made connections that continued beyond the event itself. Less than a year after attending the Black Travel Summit in Brazil, I am now speaking on a panel in Chicago, in collaboration with Visit Brazil, about my experience as a creator and blogger.
I also had the opportunity to meet Malik Yoba during Black Travel Summit, and he was very kind and down-to-earth. We had a genuine conversation about education, Chicago politics, and the travel industry, which was another reminder that these spaces can lead to conversations and connections you may never expect.
Through my connection with Black Travel Alliance, I was also selected as the first Chicago Ambassador for their first ambassador cohort. That opportunity means a lot to me because it allows me to help build community locally while continuing to grow my presence in the larger travel industry.
That is exactly why I say the opportunity is not always immediate. Sometimes the seed is planted months before the door opens.
At CardCon, I was sponsored by Capital One. I was also able to have conversations with other potential partners. Even though I did not move forward with every opportunity at the time, I still left with new contacts, insight, and perspective.
At the Women in Travel Summit, I left inspired and reminded of how powerful it is to be around other women in this space who are building, pitching, creating, and figuring it out in real time.
Why I Think TBEX Has Been One of My Favorites
If I had to choose one of my favorite travel creator conferences so far, TBEX would be high on the list.
The workshops were valuable, the community was strong, and the event felt very aligned with travel creators who are serious about building their brands.
It was also where I started to see how my brand could grow beyond just posting travel content. I started thinking more about licensing content, pitching tourism boards, using my drone license as a differentiator, and positioning Journey with Reese J as a real travel media brand.
For me, that is the real value of a good conference. You do not just leave with notes. You leave with a bigger vision.
It’s Not Always About the Immediate Brand Deal
I think this part is important to say because social media can make it seem like every creator walks into a conference and leaves with a fully paid brand trip, a five-figure contract, and a champagne toast by checkout.
That is not always how it works. While I haven’t walked away from every conference with an immediate paid brand deal, I have walked away with relationships, podcast opportunities, pitch ideas, website audits, media kit inspiration, and conversations that are still developing behind the scenes. And those things matter!
Both podcast interviews I have done came from people I met at conferences. Those interviews gave me the opportunity to talk about my brand, my travel journey, points and miles, and the work I am building through Journey with Reese J. That may not be a direct brand deal, but it is still brand visibility, and visibility creates opportunity.
I also received a virtual speaking opportunity after someone I connected with through the travel conference space spoke my name in a room I was not in. That opportunity gave me the chance to share my expertise, receive amazing feedback, more than double my new email signups, and generate income through my digital products and services.
That is why I do not take these rooms lightly. Sometimes the opportunity is not just who you meet directly, but who remembers you, refers you, and speaks your name in rooms you haven’t even stepped in!
Being a Points and Miles Girly Makes Conferences Even More Worth It
One of the reasons I have been able to attend more conferences is because I use points and miles to reduce my travel costs.
For example, when I attended the Black Travel Summit in Brazil, I paid around $36 round-trip for business-class flights using American Airlines miles, and my hotel stay was fully covered on points as well.
That is the power of knowing how to use points and miles strategically. It allows me to show up in rooms that might otherwise have felt financially out of reach.
And now, less than a year later, that same Brazil trip has led to an opportunity to speak on a panel hosted by Visit Brazil. That is full-circle.
My Advice for Travel Creators
If you’re trying to figure out whether travel conferences are worth the investment or which ones to attend, my advice is this: do not measure the return solely by whether you immediately land a brand deal.
Measure it by what you learn, who you meet, what ideas you bring home, and how it helps you move your business forward.
Before attending, think about what you want to get out of the experience.
- What do you want to learn?
- Who do you want to connect with?
- What brands or tourism boards will be there?
- What skill or strategy do you want to bring back to your business?
I would also think beyond the conference itself and look at the destination as a whole. If you know you are traveling somewhere for a conference, that can also be a good time to reach out to hotels, tourism boards, restaurants, local businesses, or experiences in advance to explore a gifted stay, a media rate, a hosted experience, or a collaboration. Not only can that help make the trip more affordable, but it can also create new relationships, content opportunities, and potential partnerships in the destination.
For me, if I leave a conference with even one thing that helps me grow, Journey with Reese J, it was worth it. That one thing could be a connection. It could be a strategy. It could be a new partnership opportunity. It could be a conversation that shifts how I see my business.
Final Thoughts: Are Travel Creator Conferences Worth It?
For me, yes! Travel creator conferences have been worth it because they have helped me grow in ways I could not have done sitting at home trying to figure everything out alone.
They have helped me build community, improve my blog, strengthen my pitches, learn new skills, and connect with other creators who understand this space.
I am still working toward my bigger goals, including paid tourism board partnerships, hotel collaborations, airline partnerships, and more hosted travel opportunities.
But I can clearly see how the rooms I have been in are helping me get closer.
So if you are a creator wondering whether you should attend a travel conference, my answer is:
- Go in with realistic expectations.
- Go in ready to learn.
- Go in ready to connect.
- Go in ready to follow up.
And most importantly, go in knowing that sometimes the opportunity does not happen in the room. Sometimes the room prepares you for the opportunity that comes later.
