Inman Real Estate Connect San Francisco 2009 got off to a great start yesterday.  With even more attendees than last year's event, each room is filled with folks excited about learning, networking, and the real estate industry.

The first half of the day was filled with the workshops.  Each of the workshops experienced packed rooms of folks eager to learn and hear about the innovation sweeping through the real estate industry.  Attendees walked away with heads spinning from all the information packed into the workshops.

The afternoon saw the start of the main conference, including the opening address by Inman News Founder and Publisher, Brad Inman.  Later in the afternoon the audience was treated to what has become a staple of Inman Connect SF-- the always interesting discussion with Craigslist Founder, Craig Newmark.  

The exciting first day was wrapped-up with Cocktails at Connect, a premiere networking and social event where attendees get to share ideas, business cards, and a few drinks.  

Many of the people I spoke with said that the hallways and sessions are filled with more energy and optimism than ever before.  Attendees are excited not only about the event itself and connecting with other passionate professionals, but also what Connect SF '09 is all about-- the bright future of the real estate industry.

For more stories and interviews from the floor, head on over to the News page.  You can also follow all the social media buzz by checking out our Connect SF '09 social media dashboard.

Inman Real Estate Connect San Francisco 2009 is only a few days away!  The entire event is kicked-off by the start of Blogger's Connect on Wednesday morning.  We've got an awesome schedule lined up for Blogger's Connect, and it is sure to be an information-packed event.

I know that some of you out there really wanted to attend, but couldn't make it.  Don't worry, we've got you covered! 

For the first time ever, Blogger's Connect will be broadcast LIVE on Inman.com.  The live-stream of Blogger's Connect is available to Inman Premium members.  You can find the live-stream here on Wednesday at 8:30am PST.  

This first-ever live streaming of Blogger's Connect is being provided by the guys at Dakno Marketing.

The live-stream is available to Inman Premium members only, so if you're not a Premium Member yet, this is just one more reason why you should consider upgrading now!

And when you're done watching the Blogger's Connect Live Stream, you can catch all of the happenings at Connect SF '09 by checking out our social media dashboard.  The dashboard provides central access to all the tweets, pictures, and blog posts about Connect SF '09-- LIVE.  

Inman Connect San Francisco 2009 is just around the corner.  Response the stellar program we've got lined up has been tremendous.  So good, in fact, that the Palace Hotel is almost completely sold out already!  The good news, though, is that there is still time for you to register so that you don't miss out on. . .

3 Incredible Pre-Conference Workshops--  Bloggers Connect, ConnectTech, and the Internet Marketing Summit.

A chance to see the hottest startups in the real estate space at Startup Alley.

The sure-to-be valuable welcome address by Brad Inman highlighting the importance of grassroots innovation in the real estate industry.  

A completely redesigned program format that will give you more hard-hitting, valuable information than ever before.  

Not one, not two, but THREE killer keynote presentations--  Nick Bilton of the New York Times; Alfred Lin, Chairman, COO & CFO, Zappos.com; and Jeremy Stoppelman, Co-founder and CEO, Yelp Inc.

Those are just the highlights of what is sure to be an amazing gathering of the world's best and brightest of the real estate industry.  So what are you waiting for?  You've still got time to register and get a room, but you better hurry!   

See you in San Francisco!

The program for Blogger's Connect SF '09 is filling out very nicely.  The entire day is jam-packed with information and tips that everyone from the novice to the expert will find useful.

As Blogger's Connect continues to evolve in order to meet the needs of the audience, there have been all kinds of changes.  This year, you'll notice that some of the time slots have two sessions.  This will help people maximize their time and learning potential by choosing the session that best fits their needs and level of expertise.  

The Blogger's Connect Keynote is gonna ROCK!

Another big change to the program this year is the rebirth of the Blogger's Connect Keynote.  We didn't want to bring the keynote back unless we could find someone who we knew would blow away our audience with knowledge and useful takeaways.  There was much debate and discussion over who could do this the best, and when all was said and done, we were thrilled to announce that Sonia Simone, Senior Editor of Copyblogger.com, will be this year's Blogger's Connect Keynote speaker.  

Copyblogger was one of the first blogs that I found when I started blogging a few years ago, and am I glad that I found it.  On a regular basis the writers at Copyblogger share their insights and expertise on how to make dynamic, compelling content that will not only attract new readers and customers, but get them to act, so that you can grow your business.  

Sonia Wants to Get to Know You a Little Better

After graciously accepting our invitation to be the keynote speaker, Sonia asked if she could get to know a little bit more about the Blogger's Connect audience.  Like any good presenter, she wants to make sure that the content she is delivering is not only relevant, but also valuable.  She asked if we could send her some examples of real estate and mortgage blogs so that she could get a feel for the audience.  

I could have picked 20 or so and sent them to her, but what fun would that be?  One of the great things about being the Community Manager for Inman News is that I get to engage our community and watch it grow.  I thought it would be kinda presumptuous of me to send a list of blogs to Sonia, so I'm asking for a little help from the community of Blogger's Connect attendees.  

If you are planning on attending Blogger's Connect SF '09, and you have a blog, leave a link to the URL as a comment on this post (NO KEYWORD LINKING! SERIOUSLY.)  

I'll make sure that Sonia reads the post, and she can see for herself the kind of bloggers that will be in San Francisco.  How's that sound?

So, do yourself a few favors-- 1) Head on over to Copyblogger.com so that you can make yourself a little more familiar with Sonia (you can follow her on twitter, too), and 2) Leave your blog URL in the comments so that she can get to know you better.  

Don't Miss Out!

And hey, if all of this sounds like great fun and and awesome opportunity to learn from the best in the business-- that's because it is!  Don't be left out of the fun.  Register for Connect SF '09 right now!

See you in San Francisco!

In case you might have missed it, the schedule for Blogger's Connect SF '09 is up in our Events section.  Whether you have attended previous Blogger's Connects, or you are thinking of making this one your first, there is sure to be content you will find exciting and valuable.  This year, there will be an opportunity to choose different sessions during Blogger's Connect.  So, whether you are new to social media and interested in getting started, or if you have emersed yourself in social media for years, we've got you covered.

Another exiciting feature is the "Live Lab."  During this time, we'll break out the laptops and everyone can help eachother by answering questions, working through difficult problems, or just helping however they can.  The best part is that it will all be hands-on and on the fly.  You'll walk out of the room in better shape than when you walked in. Pretty cool.  

One thing you'll notice about the schedule so far is that we haven't slotted any speakers or presenters.  This has been done intentionally.  To be quite honest, we haven't sent out a single speaker invite to Blogger's Connect-- yet.  Before we start inviting folks, I want to hear from you.  I want to know who YOU want to see at Blogger's Connect.  Take a look at the program, and let me know if you know of someone that would be perfect for leading the discussion on any of the topics.  Heck, the person you have in mind could be YOU!  That's fine, too.  

Then, just send me your suggestions:  Daniel@Inman.com  

 I'll put them all together, we'll discuss them, and then we'll begin inviting presenters.  Is there someone you really want to see present a topic at Blogger's Connect, or does one of these topics just jump off the page at you?  LET ME KNOW! 

The feedback that I heard as a result of my previous post about the Blogger's Connect schedule was extremely helpful, and we were able to integrate some of it in oder to produce this dynamite program.  I know you've still got some of that awesome feedback and insight left in the tank, so get to sharing!

I don't know about you, but I'm already very excited about what we have in store for Real Estate Connect San Francisco 2009.  The program is shaping up to be not only interesting and exciting, but innovative in its own right.  There will plenty of great speakers, live debates, collective brainstorming, and live innovation.  Even if you have been to a previous Connect, this one is sure to be a different, exciting, and rewarding experience unlike anything you will get from any other industry event.  The best part is, you're still in time for early bird registration pricing. 

One of the major components of any Connect are the workshops.  This year, there are three-- the Internet Marketing Summit, ConnectTech (brand new for this year), and my personal favorite, Bloggers Connect.

I am, as we speak, working on finalizing the program for Bloggers Connect, and I want to make sure that it is the best Bloggers Connect ever.  This is the 5th consecutive Bloggers Connect, and is the industry's longest running event of its kind, I want to make sure that it stays on the leading edge.  In January, we made some major changes to the Bloggers Connect program, tried out some new things, and got really great feedback.  I want to keep that momentum going, so I'm looking for your input.  Tell me what topics, speakers, or program elements would really get you excited about social media.  All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, or send me an email:  daniel@inman.com  

I'd love to get tons of great input from you.  Our audience is filled with super intelligent and insightful folks, and together, I know that we can make Bloggers Connect SF '09 the best Bloggers Connect ever.  

So, don't hesitate to share your ideas, I'd love to hear them. And, don't forget to take advantage of the early bird pricing, you only have a few more weeks. See you in San Francisco!

Videos of the general sessions from Inman Connect NYC 2009 are now available.  The videos are available to Premium Members as a member benefit.  If you're not yet a Premium Member, now would be the perfect time to upgrade your membership. 

If your experience at Connect NYC 2009 was anything like mine, you probably attended a whole lot of sessions, but couldn't make it to all of them.  These videos will help you fill those gaps.  The vidoes are also great even if you did attend the sessions, because you can visit them as many times as you want to reinforce your knowledge and beef up your notes.  

The videos include the keynote addresses by Robert Shiller and Gary Vaynerchuk, the very popular and informative "Bulls vs. Bears" panel, "25 Websites to help you find customers and save money in the downturn," and so much more!  If you weren't able to attend Connect NYC 2009, these videos are a great way to catch up on much of what you missed.

Another option for those who want to be able to revist the entire Connect NYC 2009 conference is to purchase a USB key loaded with the audio from ALL of Connect NYC 2009.  That's right, on one USB key, you'll get all of the audio from the main conference, PLUS all of the audio from the breakouts, workshops, and sponsored intensives.  The entire conference, complete and portable!  Check out the details and place your order today!

 And if attending Connect NYC 2009 has you excited for San Francisco, I've got good news--  early-bird registration for Connect SF 2009 is NOW OPEN!

Blogger's Connect kicked-off Inman Real Estate Connect NYC '09 one week ago.  I think it is only fitting that we share with you the blog posts from around the net from bloggers who attended Connect NYC '09.  This list probably isn't every post out there, but it should give you a great taste of what went on at Connect.  

Wendy Forsythe from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate shares her Connect takeaways.

Poppy Disney, of Globrix, gives us an international perspective on AgentGenius.

Steve Jagger, of Reachd and Ubertor, caught Keynote speaker Gary Vaynerchuk for a 60-second interview.

Phoenix-area REALTOR Richard Rector started a discussion about Brad Inman's top-10 list for the Road to Recovery.

From north of the border, Susan Harrison gives a run-down of Day 2 of Connect NYC '09

Maryland REALTOR, Meyer Leibovitch, shares his Connect experience.

REALTOR Magazine covered Gary Vaynerchuk's keynote.

C Tann-Starr takes us for a walk in the Rain (the ActiveRain).

Jay Thompson, the Phoenix Real Estate Guy, offers his take on the Gary Vaynerchuk keynote.

Morgan Brown and Derek Overbey caught up with Gary Vaynerchuk after his keynote for an interview of their own.  

Pennsylvania REALOTR Kim Wood plays Connect NYC '09 word association. 

What happens when you return home after all the fun and learning at Connect NYC '09?  Inman News columnist Kris Berg helps us process all that information.  

If you have written a blog post about your experience at Connect, please share it with everyone by leaving it in the comments.  If you are looking for pics of Connect, check out the over 400 photos submitted by attendees in the Real Estate Connect Flickr group.

It seems that everyone who attended had a great time, learned a lot, and made some new connections.  If all of this talk of Connect NYC '09 has you excited about Connect San Francisco '09, you're not alone.  Registration for San Francisco will begin soon, so be on the lookout for announcements.  New York was awesome, and San Francisco promises to be even better.  

See you in San Francisco!

(photo credit: bhgrealestate via flickr) 

There is little doubt that the real estate industry professionals attending Inman Connect NYC '09 have gotten their year started on the right foot.  The conference kicked-off yesterday with information packed workshops about Blogging, Internet Marketing, and Video.  The afternoon was highlighted with an address by Inman News Publisher Brad Inman, and a series of very informative panels and presentations.  Attendees ended day one informed, enlightened, and wanting more. 

Today, attendees were treated to an energetic and dynamic keynote presentation by Gary Vaynerchuk.  Gary shared his own personal story and his insights on the need for real estate and mortgage professionals to focus on personal branding.  It was a presentation that will surely be talked about for many Connects to come.  

It is hard to believe that there is still more program left.  I know that many attendees share the feeling I have-- one of being stuffed with information that has left me energized and inspired.

In case you weren't able to attend Connect NYC '09, you can still follow along.  You can see what folks have been talking about on Twitter, or check out the first round of Flickr photo uploads.  Of course, if you are a premium Inman member, you can look forward to all of the great video and audio content from Connect NYC '09 in a few weeks.  Keep checking back to the blog and the Flickr group, as there is sure to be a flurry of activity once attendees have time to process everything they've learned and share their experiences. 

Gary Vaynerchuk of WineLibrary.tv spoke at Real Estate Connect earlier today in New York City and offered the following advice on how to embrace social media.