Derek Semmler dot com - money, motorcycles and cars (with a little bit of everything else)

When I mentioned that I would be attending the BlogWorld & New Media Expo in September, many people indicated that they really wanted to attend but due to financial constraints would not be able to join me in Las Vegas.

Take a minute to imagine the following scenario…

You’re dying to attend BlogWorld as you know that it is one of the premier events of the year to rub elbows with some outstanding bloggers. Unfortunately, you’re short a few dollars of what you need to swing the cost of the ticket.

Just then you check your email and see a new message from the CEO of the BlogWorld & New Media Expo. You anxiously open the email and read that there has been a last minute cancellation and they need to find a new speaker. They are offering you a free pass to the conference but first you need to knock their socks off with an outline of why you would make a great speaker.

Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it?

While I cannot help you with the act of actually speaking at the conference, I can help you with the free pass to BlogWorld!

Yeah baby!

While most bloggers will have to pay $300 or more for the opportunity to learn from and network with some of the most influential people on the Interweb, I’ve managed to arrange an opportunity for you to win a free full access pass courtesy of the fine people at BlogWorld.

As if a free pass to the BlogWorld conference was not enticing enough, you will also win a 30-minute blog consultation with yours truly.

Ooh…I Love Contests, Tell Me More

While I will give you more details in a moment, I know that some of you will want to jump right into the specifics of the contest and worry about the details later. In a nutshell, here is the contest:

• Win a pass to BlogWorld and a blog consultation
• Write a post about why you should speak at BlogWorld
• Include a link to BlogWorld and this blog
• Publish your post by 11:59PM CST on August 6, 2008
• Winner selected by panel of judges

Since you don’t want to miss any of the specific details, I recommend you read the following explanation before frantically running off to write your post. The last thing you want to do is write a killer post and not follow the rules of the contest.

How Do I Enter The Contest?

To enter the contest you have to write a post about why you should be a speaker at BlogWorld, explaining your area of expertise and what you can teach your fellow bloggers. Get creative and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

Your post can be as long or short as you like, although keep in mind that entries will be judged. The only rules for your post are to provide a link to BlogWorld and a link back to this blog using any anchor text you like, even tattoed, pierced, Harley-riding, blogging husband and dad of two boys.

Once you have written your post, be sure to send a trackback to this post or leave a comment with a link to your post so I know that you entered.

When Is The Deadline?

The contest will be open for two weeks, meaning all entries must be posted before 11:59pm CST on August 6, 2008.

How Will You Decide Who Wins?

Rather than leave a contest like this to random chance, we wanted to be sure that the prize goes to someone that really does knock our socks off with why they should be a speaker at BlogWorld.

Therefore the contest winner will be selected by a panel of judges, including a representative from BlogWorld, Wendy Piersall from Sparkplugging, and me.

What Was The Prize Again?

Should you be the person that writes the best post about why you would make a great speaker at BlogWorld, you will win a free 30-minute consultation with Derek Semmler and a free full access pass to the BlogWorld & New Media Expo being held in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 20-21, 2008.

The prize package does not include any travel, lodging, or meal accommodations. Therefore, we would appreciate that you only enter the contest if you are certain you will be able to attend the conference.

What Are You Waiting For?

Start working on your post now, as you only have two weeks until the contest closes. You only need to read a few of the recaps from the conference last year to know that this is a conference that you do not want to miss!

I look forward to meeting you in Las Vegas!