BlogWorld & New Media Expo Announces Purchase of TBEX, the World's Largest Travel Blogger Event

SAN DIEGO, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's largest new media conference and tradeshow, BlogWorld & New Media Expo, today announced its acquisition of TBEX, (Travel Blog Exchange), the world's largest travel blogging conference. TBEX '12 presented by BlogWorld will take place at the Keystone Resort & Convention Center in Keystone, Colorado, June 15-17. TBEX is an interactive event where travel bloggers can meet each other, learn more about the art of travel writing, blogging as a business, cross connect on other platforms, and locate new audiences and vendors for their blogs.

While the educational content, networking, energy and enthusiasm TBEX attendees have come to love will remain the same, BlogWorld will take over production and operations immediately and use its experience producing large scale, bi-annual, tradeshows and conferences to help TBEX manage the explosive growth it has experienced over the past few years. Kim Mance, founder of TBEX and editor of GoGalavanting.com, will maintain her role as an advisor and TBEX evangelist.

"It was my passion for travel in the new media space that brought an ever-growing grassroots group together, but as a writer and Web TV person, event planning has never been a strong point," said Mance. "Being acquired by a fantastic organization like BlogWorld allows the TBEX events to be taken to the next level, and to something the attendees and I always envisioned the event could be. I could not be more pleased."

Rick Calvert, CEO and co-founder of BlogWorld & New Media Expo said, "BlogWorld's mission has always been to help all bloggers, podcasters and WebTV producers succeed and grow their businesses. We approached Kim about making TBEX a part of the BlogWorld family because it's the largest and best travel blogging event in the world. We think it is a perfect fit and we think we can help TBEX continue on its amazing growth path here in the United States and around the world."

Both TBEX and BlogWorld share a similar focus, of bringing together bloggers, podcasters and WebTV producers to learn how to better create, distribute and monetize their content, network with peers and introduce brands and bloggers to each other. There has also been a crossover between the audiences and content of BlogWorld and TBEX in the past. BlogWorld, which regularly features a Travel Blogging Track, has hosted several travel bloggers that have also attended or presented at TBEX, including Gary Arndt, creator and blogger at Everything-Everywhere; Andy Hayes, founder and blogger at Sharing Travel Experiences and Hayes Media Group; Jennifer Miner, co-creator and editor of The Vacation Gals, creator and co-chair of the Los Angeles Consortium of Online Travel and creator and partner at Best Family Travel Experts; Sheila Scarborough, blogger at Perceptive Travel and co-founder of TourismCurrents, and Beth Whitman, founder and editor of Wanderlust and Lipstick and WanderTours.

Jennifer Miner, one of the industry's most followed travel bloggers, and a past speaker at both BlogWorld and TBEX said, "It's wonderful news that BlogWorld has bought TBEX and will now run the annual travel bloggers' conference. It's not often that two companies I enjoy so greatly come together like this. As an organized person, I've often thought that TBEX could benefit from a more precise approach to conference-running. As a travel blogger, I've often thought that BlogWorld could benefit from, well, more travel bloggers! We're a lively bunch, after all. The synergy of the two groups is exciting. We travel bloggers are about to see what it's like to have an internationally respected, well-run, and important conference all our own. The new ownership ensures that travel bloggers and bloggers of other niches can learn from each other, enhance our professional skills, and continue to grow."

The fourth annual TBEX conference takes place June 15-17, 2012 at Keystone Resort & Convention Center in the beautiful town of Keystone in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. TBEX registration is close to selling out, but limited passes are still available online by visiting, http://tbex12.com/register.html.

About TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) Events

The TBEX conference has grown into the most popular annual gathering of bloggers, writers and new media content creators in the travel and lifestyle sphere today. TBEX also attracts some of the world's best-known brands, as well as various tourism bureaus as sponsors who are eager to connect with bloggers and web writers. American Express, TripAdvisor, Vail Resorts, Expedia, Hyatt and HomeAway support the conferences alongside tourism offices such as those of Canada, Australia, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Denver, Virginia, British Columbia, and worldwide resorts and hospitality companies.

TBEX's goal is to mobilize and assist bloggers with promoting, monetizing, improving their work and influence, as well as helping PR and Industry professionals to connect with the right content creators to benefit their brands and destinations.

TBEX '12 will take place June 15-17 at Keystone Resort & Convention Center in the beautiful town of Keystone in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. To register for TBEX '12 please visit, http://tbex12.com/register.html and follow @TBEXEvents on Twitter for updates.

About BlogWorld & New Media Expo

BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of new media.  Thousands of attendees learn about Content Creation, Distribution, Monetization and Social Media Marketing strategies, including step-by-step techniques and leading-edge tools from the most successful and influential Bloggers, Podcasters, Vloggers, Web TV & Radio Broadcasters, Social Influencers, New Media Pros and Online Journalists.

BlogWorld & New Media Expo's eastern U.S. event will take place at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, June 5-7, 2012.

For upcoming event info and announcements, subscribe to e-news at http://www.blogworldexpo.com and get the latest new media industry news at http://www.blogworld.com.

Media Contact:
Katherine Randall
Katalyst Public Relations
(858) 366-2962 / [email protected]

SOURCE BlogWorld