See Full Article Here: http://www.weblogtheworld.com/formats/featured/the-best-of-tbex-2012-my-offic...
"ScotteVest gave out free vests, which come in gray, black, navy, red and hunter green, to travel bloggers. Below I’m hanging with CEO Scott Jordan after I picked up my vest. It turns out that Steve Wozniak aka Woz, is on their board – nice job guys!"-Renee Blodgett
See Full Article Here: http://www.aspenreallife.com/2012/06/24/tbex12-conference-travel-bloggers/com...
"Another sponsor who gets the value of travel bloggers, Scottevest, doled out to all the attendees a lightweight, breathable travel vest designed with 22 pockets allowing for you to take everything with you without the need of a heavy carry along bag. I love that concept, “give and you shall receive,” for what travel writer wouldn’t want to write about a free vest that they received that has so many pockets it eliminates the need to carry an extra bag while traveling?"-Jilly3
See Full Article Here:http://trailsnet.com/2012/06/19/scottevest-trail-vest/#comment-1289
I still remember the first time someone told me about TBEX. I was confused and asked them a bit shockingly, “What in the world is the teabag conference?”
We shared a laugh and then I learned that it was the conference focused on travel writing. As this is something I want to do more of, it instantly went on my radar and I thought about going last year in Vancouver.
Last week when I was asked to give the opening keynote speech at this years TBEX12 in Keystone, Colorado I jumped at the chance.
It was a bit of a whirlwind trip on top of all the other recent traveling I’ve been doing.
Landing at the airport and rushing to make a shuttle to the resort and then battling car sickness on the almost two hour drive to the resort wasn’t the best way to start out. It didn’t get better when I got there and was told to get off at the wrong location and then walked over to the right location where I had the “fun” of feeling my first effects of being at such a high altitude.
The Keystone Resort is nothing short of gorgeous. With over 3,100 acres making up the resort and beutiful views in every direction I quickly forgot the troubles and focused on the beauty around me. I mean how can you be frustrated when this is what it looks like around you?
Once I picked up my badge and checked in with the team so they knew I safely arrived, I took some time to check out the conference center.
I wanted to get a feel for the room I’d be speaking in and see how everything else was set up. Vendors were just starting to set up in the expo hall, but I got a chance to finally meet Scott from ScottEVest. They did a very smart thing and were giving out free vests to all the attendees. Speakers like myself also got a couple of other goodies from them and I’m looking forward to trying out their products in the field to see if they live up to the hype or not.
Everyone was talking about how backed up the gondolas might get to take us up to the evening festivities, so I headed over early. I got right on and began making my way up the mountain. I took time to get off and enjoy the scenery which was even more breathtaking at this altitude. Being at over 11,000 feet at the time really took my breath away.
I stopped to enjoy a band playing and people watch some visitors to the resort who were not there for the conference. As I boarded the last of the gondolas to take me to my final destination I was handed a glass of champagne and a warm chocolate chip cookie. Not a combination I had ever thought about consuming, but somehow it worked.
The night was filled with a taste of the Vail Resorts.
The variety and quality of the food was top notch. While it was hard to pick a favorite, I have to go with the suckling berkshire pig ragout over house made pappardelle pasta with peach preserves from Beano’s Cabin. It was nothing short of amazing. So was the wild board shoulder from Alpenglow Stube and the corned buffalo sliders from Keystone Ranch.
Of course all of these might have been slightly overshadowed by the chocolate creations that filled the dessert tent. Everything from brownie hamburgers to chocolate coffee cup cappuccinos were awaiting everyone. Best part was I talked to the pastry chef for a bit and found out he was from Cape Cod.
I had hoped to stay and chat with more people for longer, but my altitude induced headache was not going to let it happen. Knowing I had to get up and rock the stage in the morning meant I had to get off the mountain and hope that I felt better in the morning. It was extremely peaceful to descend on the gondolas as the sun was setting and by the time I arrived at the bottom to be blanketed in darkness.
I awoke the next morning feeling better than the night before. Coffee, a granola bar and one final check of my slide deck meant that I was ready to go.
I packed up everything into my GORUCK GR2 since I’d be leaving directly from the conference center and headed on over.
The walk was beautiful with just enough chill in the morning. I chatted with a woman from the Loudoun County Tourism Board. I guess I never thought about Viginia having a wine country until that morning. Adding it to my long list of places to visit someday.
There is nothing like the rush you get just before taking the stage in front of a packed room of people.
My keynote went off without a hitch and the audience seemed to be really into it. I had lots of people approach me after the fact to thank me for coming to the conference. I kept thanking them for having me!
While my presentation style depends on me talking and not on the slides themselves, I thought I’d share what my slide deck looked like for the keynote.
Thankfully I had a few hours to check out the other sessions going on at TBEX. I popped around to check out several so I could get a feel for what the vibe was. Happy to report that it was one of learning on all levels. The conference organizers had done a really nice job of mixing up the sessions so that there was something for everyone.
While I would have loved to stay for the second nights cowboy themed party and the whole second day of the conference, I had to leave early in the afternoon in order to get home for Father’s Day. I wish I had been able to talk with more people and make more contacts there for paid writing and speaking engagements, but family always comes first.
The next TBEX happens in Costa Brava, Spain this September and will be back in the States next year. If you have any desire to get involved with creating media around travel and tourism this is the conference for you to attend. Thank you to the entire team behind the show for putting on a great job. I’m hoping the next one is not at such a high altitude since I know I wasn’t the only one who ran into problems with such a short stay.
If we didn’t get a chance to talk one-on-one at the event and you would to hire me to create something for you, speak at your event or invite me on a press trip, I’m only an e-mail away and I look forward to talking to you.
Thank you to everyone at TBEX for letting me become part of your community.
Photo Credit of me speaking – Dave Cynkin
See full article here:http://www.suitcasesandsippycups.com/2012/06/review-of-scottevest-womens-travel-vest-you-made-me-love-you.html#comment-6440
There is a palpable buzz and twitter(not the social media kind, although the tweets are flying) energizing the dimly lit room as 700 travel bloggers and travel industry representatives gather for the opening address of TBEX (Travel Bloggers Exchange) 2012. When you gather that many adventurers and globe trotters in one place there is a guaranteed enthusiasm that percolates through the air, but the excitement about the opportunity to collaborate with other travelers is just part of the story. If we are all honest, everyone is also just a little bit excited by the promise of conference swag.
Scottevest ponied up with some of the best swag of the conference by offering attendees a free Scottevest to review at registration. While this line of “obsessively engineered” clothing has a strong following among serious travelers, I was unimpressed. Any garment that has umpteen pockets specified to carry every wired gadget in existence is certainly any tech geek’s idea of a good contraption, but could it be functional, or fashionable?
~Scottevest Women's Travel Vest in Red~
I almost changed my mind when I learned that the vest was available in neutral gray and black, but also kicky red. Still, I remained resolute! Pockets for gear were good for backpackers and photogs, but would never work for me. I know that I will probably never be mistaken for a fashionista, but with four kids I am already pushing the limits of frump-dom and I can’t afford any fashion missteps. If I am going to wear something when I am traveling, it has to be comfortable, and let’s face it-cute!
~Scottevest Pockets are labeled with pictures to show the function of each pocket~
While I was still skeptical about the aesthetics, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the engineering. There was a pocket for everything-a pocket for sunglasses, a pocket for my I-Phone, a pocket for my camera, even a pocket to fold and store the vest. Surprisingly ,I started to get a little geeked out at the possibilities for all those pockets, but I still wasn’t certain I wanted to wear it. Then I noticed that of all those pockets, only two showed from the outside, and the rest of the vest was fashionably designed with a waist slimming cut and a design that skims the hips for a figure flattering fit. So, I tried it on and…it was cute! Cute from the front, cute from the back, super cute with boots and a scarf. It was a garment that I would actually want to add to my wardrobe, but with all the added functionality of the pockets galore.
~So cute, right? This is Scott, the creator of Scottevest.~
After a day of wearing the vest just to feel fancy, I wanted to try it out for functionality. For my plane trip home, I loaded the pockets with my I-Phone, headphones, tickets, glasses, granola bars, and a notepad and paper. I admit I felt a little like Inspector Gadget when I reached into one of the pockets for my gear, but I loved having everything right at my fingertips. With the weight management system, I didn’t feel at all like a pack mule, although I was certainly carrying enough. I especially appreciated being able to have everything accessible to check in for my flight, but then keep in all intact and just slip off the vest to go through security. No need to cram everything into my bag and then spend time digging it all back out. This vest is my new (free) carryon bag.
~Extra Cuteness when worn by a baby, but I won't be sharing any time soon. It's mine, all mine!~
After wearing this vest for just one weekend, I feel like I am just beginning to really understand the value of the oodles of pockets( did I tell you there was a lipstick pocket?) One thing I do know is that this vest will be a regular part of my traveling wardrobe, and I will be looking cute while I wear it. Go, go gadget Scottevest!
~I know that I already mentioned that I received the Scottevest Ladies Travel Vest for free, but just because I love the FTC, so much, I’ll say it one more time. The vest was free. I wanted to hate it, but I love it!~
See full article here: http://thegermanbrazilianlondoner.blogspot.com/2012/06/excess-baggage-rescue-...
Being a traveller for many years, I have always been daunted with the prospect of having to pack my suitcase (and hand luggage for that matter), even after thoroughly investigating each individual airline's baggage regulations...
But recently, I stumbled over a travel clothing brand which holds the promise of avoiding such agonies in the future:It's called SCOTTEVEST Travel Clothing and sells the most gorgeous Women's Trench Coat (18 pockets!!!) I have ever seen. Must have had me in mind when they designed this ;-)
Oh and for hot weather, they even have trousers and dresses or shirts for my Brazilian summer adventures!
See Full Article Here: http://www.macon.com/2012/06/11/2056073/the-frugal-traveler-extreme-packing.html
Published: June 11, 2012
With budget airlines beginning to charge for carry-on bags, the need to pack light has reached critical mass. Factor in technical gear such as laptops, camera lenses and power packs, and it becomes obvious that more extreme packing strategies are in order. A three-pronged approach generally serves me well.
Clothing: Items that store flat and suit a variety of situations make my personal short list. Pack a pashmina scarf, for example, and you've also got a colorful belt, stylish head covering and a dressy wrap. For men, swim trunks styled like cargo shorts create wardrobe flexibility. Tilley makes a smart-casual pub cap suitable for both genders that's space efficient and looks great with a variety of outfits. My recent purchase of a specialized women's trench coat from a company called Scottevest was strategic. The $150 price might seem steep, but the piece's 18 pockets hold everything from my touch-screen phone and passport to my sunglasses and a small tablet device, providing valuable additional room in my under-the-seat baggage.
See full article here:http://stylus.batescommunications.net/productreviews.htm#scottevest
I had been looking for a multi-pocketed vest that I could use for my photography gewgaws when I went on shoots, or to simply traveled with my gear. The last time I went on a shoot I had to ask my friend to carry my gadgets for me, so I wouldn't be fumbling with my equipment. The SCOTTEVEST Men's Travel Vest appears to be the solution. It has 24 pockets. Wearing it means means I can easily a flash, a flash bounce card, a notepad, an extra lens, model releases, and remote trigger on every shoot. I don't ever have to dig into a camera bag for them. One of the pockets even has a lint-less cloth attached to a small cord so it doesn't get lost while I use it for wiping lenses and glasses.
To my delight, a minimum of the vest's pockets use Velcro. This annoying and noisy substance is used in only three small locations: two translucent polyethylene iPod pockets and the wire groove surrounding the collar. (It is designed for winding earphone cords the wearer's neck.) Otherwise, the vest's zippers are so silent the average nature photographer will not scare off any wildlife.
I particularly like the magnetic latches on the two main side pockets. They flop into action instantly, automatically holding any contents safely in place. Of course, you can always choose to zip up the pockets as well, for double security. The jacket itself is not particularly hot in the summer months, yet it kept me warm in the chilliest of air-conditioned rooms, such as a movie theater. About the only caution I would cite for this vest is don't give into the temptation to fill it too much. Heavy is still heavy, whether it applies to a vest or a backpack.
Note that SCOTTEVEST is having a Father's Day sale that includes this vest.
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