Family Travel for Real Life Conference

As I’ve said before (probably over and over and over again), one of the reasons that I started out blogging is to provide more of a focus on real life travel. Most of the travel blogs out there seem to focus on single folks, or others with no kids. And while aspirational trips of caviar in suites on airplanes before being whisked away in your limo to your penthouse suite are fun to read (I like them as much as the next guy!), the truth is that most families just don’t travel like that.

I will continue to preach this from the rooftops but when we travel, my kids don’t care anything about the hotel other than if there is a swimming pool and a waffle maker for breakfast (ironically, this would make them less some of the “fancier” hotels even LESS, since breakfast is not included at most higher-end hotels unless you have status)

There are other bloggers out there that focus on family travel. There’s BoardingArea’s own Mommy Points, as well as the Deal Mommy, Pizza in Motion, and I’m sure I’m forgetting some as well

So to support those of us with families, Dia at The Deal Mommy has set up a conference called Family Travel For Real Life (#FT4RL). The purpose of the conference is

Travel with kids is not only possible, but necessary. By sharing the world with our children, we expand both their minds and our own, creating a lifetime’s worth of wonder that can come no other way.

Confirmed Speakers and Schedule:

9:00-9:45: Registration and meet your fellow travelers
9:45-10:00: Welcome from The Deal Mommy
10:00-10:55: Shawn Coomer, Dad, from Miles to Memories on the topic of extended travel with your kids (with an assist from The Deal Mommy on Camp Mom).
11:00-11:55: Phil, Dad of 2, from Miles Abound on how to earn miles without opening 10 credit cards in one day or spending 20K a month and which programs are best for families.
12:00-12:55: Lunch (be sure to use this time to meet new friends and chat travel!)
1:00-1:55: Jason Steele, Dad of 2 and well-known points expert, on using those points on family travel (Have you ever tried to book 4 award tickets?)
2:00-2:55: Susan DeBruhl, Mom and Grandma, from Carolina Travel Girl on lodging options when a regular hotel room just isn’t gonna cut it. I’ll have lots to share on this topic as well, including how I rent condos worldwide for $35/night!
2:55-3:10: Afternoon Break and snack
3:10-4:05: Debra Schroeder, Mom of 2, from Traveling Well for Less on how to keep saving once you get to your destination.
4:05-5:00: Ask the Speakers session. Make sure to bring your specific travel questions!

I’m excited to go and hopefully pick up some new family related travel tips!

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7 Comments

Leslie H (tripswithtykes) on July 5, 2014 at 12:02 pm

Wish I could come but have a kiddo starting kindergarten on Monday. Shame when real life gets in the way of attending something that would help for real life! 😉 Anyway, take some good notes and be sure to give those of us who can’t go a full report. And definitely count me in for a West Coast version of this.
- pointswithacrew on July 5, 2014 at 2:34 pm
  
  I will definitely take good notes! And depending on how things go, I think it would be awesome to try another one of these somewhere else next year.
Nicole on July 6, 2014 at 5:14 pm

Hi- I’m planning on going and am from Cincinnati too. Can you find me and my husband Matt? Would love to meet you. Twitter handle is tepenm. Thx!
- pointswithacrew on July 7, 2014 at 6:51 am
  
  Great! I think it’s a small conference so hopefully it should be easy to find each other. I’ll be on the lookout!
Have Child, Still Travel on July 12, 2014 at 8:41 am

I did not know about this. Thanks for sharing. I wish it was happening 2 weeks earlier as I will be in BWI for a wedding! Not sure I can swing this, but I might think about it.
Sam on August 2, 2014 at 7:39 pm

Would love to attend,please tell more about it
- pointswithacrew on August 2, 2014 at 8:10 pm
  
  Sam – details are in the link in the post if you want to attend. I think there are still some seats left