5 Takeaways from TBEX Ireland & Book Passage Conferences: Storytelling (Always) Matters

Last week, I had the honor of giving my second speaking session at TBEX Europe in Donegal, Ireland—a gathering of travel creators, brands, and industry professionals. (My first was last year at the TBEX Summit America in Anchorage, Alaska.)

In mid-August, I was also teaching a weekend-long morning workshop on travel blogging at the Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference in California—a smaller, more intimate event that brings together some of the most inspiring travel writers, editors, and creatives I know.

Two very different conferences—one with hundreds of bloggers, YouTubers, and creators buzzing with traffic and income strategies and brand partnerships, the other a panel-style gathering in a bookstore focused on the craft of travel writing and photography. Both left me feeling similarly: reset, reinspired, and re-committed to my creative practice.

These events remind me that the heart of what we do isn’t just about traffic, engagement metrics, chasing the next big trend, algorithm updates, byline, or even income.

At its core, travel writing/photography—and travel blogging—comes down to stories, generosity, connection, and the sharing of those experiences and memories.

Here are a few of the key takeaways I took away from these conferences.

Takeaway #1: Create Stories, Not Just Content

In the blogging industry, “productivity,” output, and engagement metrics often get prioritized over creativity and storytelling.

SEO best practices, TikTok/Instagram trends, and “content calendars” dominate our daily to-dos.

I’m guilty of this myself—going days sending emails, replying to my course students, drafting social posts, or getting sucked into pouring over my analytics and income stats while ignoring the real, impactful work.

And while those things are useful and must be done to keep the business running behind the scenes, they sometimes distance us from the very reason we started creating or writing in the first place: the desire to share our authentic experiences.

As Sally Murphy (@welltoldsally) reminded us in her keynote at TBEX, we need to “be the keeper of stories.”

Storytelling is one of humanity’s oldest traditions, and lately, I keep seeing content online about storytelling as if it were another “trend” to boost growth and engagement.

When we reduce our work to regurgitated guides and keyword-stuffed posts or rehashed social content, we lose sight of the bedrock: damn good stories that inspire us to transform, to act. Shared experiences. Collective memory.

Rephrasing Sally, stories are how we process our experiences and pass them on to others. They’re how we remember (it’s scientifically shown that storytelling improves memory).

And when we choose not to lean into storytelling, we miss the opportunity to truly connect with our readers, to allow them to feel the impact and transformation we ourselves lived from our travels and diverse experiences.

Takeaway #2: Generosity Over Gatekeeping

One thing I always notice at these events is how much of the magic happens in between the “big stuff”: over coffee breaks, booth conversations, and late-night dinners and parties (and TBEX knows how to throw a party!).

At TBEX in Donegal, none of the sessions, parties, or networking moments would have been possible without people being more generous than they were asked to be.

Speakers freely gave advice between meetings. Participants engaged their time generously to help one another and promote local businesses.

Great things are created not because of contracts or transactions, but because of generosity in sharing with each other—ideas, experiences, memories, industry insight, and so on…

The same is true at Book Passage, where writers and editors—people who have been in this craft for literally decades—show up to mentor, encourage, and push the next generation forward, including me!

Even though I teach a morning workshop on travel blogging at Book Passage, it wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t first been encouraged and supported by the generosity of others who gently invite me to take up space and share my voice.

These moments remind me: when we give freely, without keeping tabs on how much “free advice” we’re giving, we end up creating something MUCH bigger than ourselves.

Takeaway #3: Relationships Are What Matters, Not Transactions

Over the years, I’ve built brand partnerships that have helped pay my bills and sustain my full-time travel lifestyle. However, I’ve also learned that the most rewarding partnerships are those rooted in relationships and respect, rather than just revenue.

My long-time collaboration with Travelpayouts is one of those.

What began as an affiliate relationship in 2022/2023 has evolved into friendship and mutual support. This week at TBEX cemented that for me when I had the opportunity to meet and spend a lot of time in person with my partnership and account managers.

For many bloggers and creators, the deal, invoice, and payout are top priorities. But not for me.

The best “deals” in this industry aren’t deals at all! They’re relationships and the connections you make and the memories you share.

I believe that in the travel blogging and content creator industry, you can choose to be a “business professional,” focused only on metrics and deliverables, or you can choose to be a human professional—creative, generous, collaborative. I much prefer the latter!

Takeaway #4: Are You Generating Abundance or Scarcity?

Walking into a conference, you can often feel the different energies in the room.

Not to point fingers, but truthfully, some people radiate abundance through confidence in their work, trust in their voice, and openness to opportunities. They’re not afraid to be seen as imperfect. To dance unabashedly, or to gladly be the underdog in the room.

Others, however, sometimes feel like they’re carrying the weight and fear of scarcity—fear of missing out, comparison, or competition.

Rarely, but sometimes, you can feel an “I’m better than thou” attitude due to years in this industry, or metrics being priority markers of success (for them). Those do not impress, however.

I would always, always prefer to be judged not by my success in numbers but by my character. If we engaged in conversation, even small talk, did I give you my full attention?

Was I living in the present, not distracted by worry or anxiousness about my upcoming session? Was I attentive during others’ speeches?

These are questions I tapped into throughout the conference and now, post-conference. Sometimes we can misstep, use a slightly sassy tone of voice, or unintentionally leave an unremarkable impression. It’s okay.

What matters more, to me at least, is that I put my best self forward, and that self is usually more generous, more joyful, more attentive toward others, because some people need that extra bit of you you didn’t think you could give. You can.

At both TBEX and Book Passage, the people who made the most out of their experience were the ones who leaned into abundance. They shared openly, celebrated others, and trusted that there is enough space for everyone to succeed.

It’s a reminder I try to carry with me: when we operate from courage rather than fear, scarcity loses its grip and we can float around and manifest abundance.

Takeaway #5: Like Calls to Like

Finally, a truth that always proves itself at these events: you won’t meet everyone. You won’t click with everyone. And you don’t have to! Not everyone will give back the energy you try to radiate.

You can be misheard, misunderstood, or misread in a room—easily. But it’s so important to trust in your nature and ability to be generous with your energy.

I deeply believe that the conversations and connections that find you are the ones meant for you.

The law of resonance/attraction, of “like calls to like,” is always at work, but it’s especially notable at conferences and in-person networking events like these.

The friends who sit next to you at dinner, the strangers you strike up a conversation with in the registration line or at the bar, the speaker whose words linger with you long after the session ends. Those moments are gifts and very targeted to each individual.

Everyone’s conference experience is unique.

And, I believe, there is an added bit of magic in noticing these “meant for you” moments in real time and leaning into them fully.

I have many, many moments to use as examples here from teaching at both Book Passage and TBEX conferences.

One that comes to mind from this week is when the seat beside me on one of the bus transfers became occupied and our conversation somehow dove into mindfulness, living in alignment, the Universe’s magic, and the Dao. ✨

Final Conference Thoughts: Walking Away Recommitted

Leaving these back-to-back conferences, I’m reminded of why I started writing in the first place.

Not for pageviews or algorithms at all, but for the transformative power of stories. To be able to simply share my experience and worldview through two passions: writing and photography.

TBEX gives me the tools and opportunities to keep building a sustainable blogging business and network.

Book Passage reminds me to nurture my craft, to write not just for traffic but for meaning.

Together, these conferences keep me questioning my next move and, more so, to keep showing up messily—not just as a blogger or entrepreneur, but as a storyteller!

Because at the end of the day, travel blogging is not just about where we’ve been and what we did when we were there.

It’s about what those places did to us, and how we carry that forward in all that we are, in all that we do.

Have you ever attended a travel blogging conference like this? Did it leave you with new connections, lessons, or creative sparks? I’d love to hear your experience in the comments!