Last Sunday Daddy spent the day at the annual America's Family Pet Expo at the Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Ca.
I've spent the last 3 days taking initial stock of my Stack of Stuff, and organizing it for future study, in preperation for adding links in the sidebar, and blogging.
There are DVD's, business cards, flyers, brochures, pamphlets, magazines, catalogs, and stickers up the wazoo!
Daddy put on his "Ask Me About My Pussy!" Shirt, and stuck a card with "OFFICIAL ASSISTANT TO: Nikita Cat - Offishul Repurrter for The Cat Blogosphere!!" on the front of his Fedora. ;-D
He took 3 stacks of my card along, intending to pass them out, but was prevented by a fairgrounds representative who told him he could not publicize my blog by passing out the card, and would have to leave them at the gate until he was ready to leave.
To show you how silly this idea was you must know that when Daddy pointed to his shirt, with the name of the Blog, and its URL, there for all to see, and ask about, and asked if it was OK for him to wear it, or did he have to take IT off, and leave it at the gate as well, the man said no the shirt was fine.
The man apparently saw no contradiction in not allowing the cards, but allowing Daddy to be a walking advertisement for my blog. ;-D
Sometimes I wonder about Humans, I swear! ;-D
When Daddy explained that he was there to take notes about the Expo, and get info on all the vendors, so I could do a story for my blog, the man, figured that since he was a Journalist that Daddy needed an escort, and someone to give him a Press Kit of some sort.
Daddy told him he didn't need either one, and preferred to wander about on his own. ;-D
As the day proceeded Daddy learned a few things that gave him a better understanding of the delicate balancing act that the Fair Folks enforce with their rules.
Daddy talked up my blog with many people, and still more asked him first, and to each person he tore off a piece of paper from his notepad, wrote down the blog name, and URL, and gave it to the person.
Who needs fancy business cards when either you, or the person you are talking to, have a pen, and paper? ;-D
It turns out that even the venders were not allowed to walk around passing out business cards, and that if Daddy had known he could have done so he could have contacted the Fair Folks ahead of time for that Press Kit.
Bloggers are the foot soldiers of a New Journalism, and 10 years after we took the internet by storm, and within a few years got everyone's attention with the exposing of Dan Rather, we have "Arrived" as respected coverers of the news, and events, in every field, and hobby, you can think of, and some you would never have imagined.
There was even a first ever Pet Bloggers Convention this month, and it has an organization, and ongoing website, and Blog (Blog Paws).
If they have one next year Daddy hopes to attend as he knows he could learn so much that would help us both.
I've added a link to Blog Paws in the Journalism section of the sidebar (I'd add a Badge instead, but didn't see one not associated with attending the event).
We are now treated just like the big boys, and girls, in the Mainstream Media, in many ways, and we need to educate ourselves, and be better prepared when we venture forth to cover some event, or story.
My human was going to go to the Pet Expo this past weekend, but she never made it, and I am kind of annoyed.
She has one advantage over yours, and that is she is a woman with a purse and she could have gone in with lots of business cards, and postcards for my books and no one would have been the wiser!
And she would totally have passed them around at the cat show part of the Expo and probably gotten away with it for a good, long while.
The Pet Expo is not that cool anyway because they charge a fortune for the vending booths - and they try to restrict your ability to hand out business cards, etc.!
They are all about money and profit and not really about pets.
If you want a friendlier situation, try visiting some cat shows and talking with people there.
My human has gone to them and talked to loads of people, and handed out cards and not been bothered.
Posted by: Sparkle | April 22, 2010 at 03:18 AM
Well WE know that we have important stuff to report too - you know, the stuff that happens in our crazy house!
Looks like you got LOTS of great stuff!
Posted by: The Meezers | April 22, 2010 at 06:38 AM