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Greetings everyone ~

Eight hundred bloggers later -- 800! -- BlogHer Conference '07 in Chicago lives on in thousands of blogs (see "blogher07" and "blogher_07" on YouTube, Google and Flickr) and in the memories of those of us who attended.

We are excited and inspired to dig into the coming year. We've been busy -- redesigning our Web site, re-opening our ad network and planning the locations (multiple!) for BlogHer '08. Here's what we're up to:

1. BlogHer Conference '07 hits 800! Tell us: What - and where - should our conferences be in 2008?

2. You're invited: BlogHerAds.com is accepting applications from bloggers who want quality advertising

3. Our new Web site: How to use BlogHer.com as a showcase for your blogging and a news service for getting your word out

Here are the details:

1. BlogHer Conference '07 hits 800! Tell us: What - and where - should our conferences be in 2008?

Photo credit: Elizabeth Edwards, blogger and wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, at the BlogHer '07 closing cocktail party

I never thought I'd have a favorite BlogHer conference -- but I agree with many blog posts I've read that BlogHer '07 was special. In addition to 800 attendees in Chicago, BlogHer in Second Life, led by Erin Kotecki Vest sold out and had more than 500 avatars at the Elizabeth Edwards keynote alone. In spite of the size, however, BlogHer '07 felt...real. Cutting-edge smart. Honest. Meaningful. This fantastic mojo is due to two things: First and always, the extraordinary women who attended and made the conference what it is. Check out the BlogMe2007 initiative and CoolMom Picks' Great BlogHer Scavenger Hunt and BlogHers Act and the Election '08 Voter Manifesto for the examples of all we BlogHers do for each other. And second, I must congratulate BlogHer Co-Founders Elisa Camahort, who leads this event with Kristy Sammis, and Jory Des Jardins, who leads all our sponsorship and business development efforts with Kristin Darguzas.

Our next step is to plan BlogHer's annual conference in 2008 -- and we also are considering whether to hold regional events next year, in addition to the annual conference. We'd love your recommendations: Please voice your opinion in The BlogHer '07 Post-Conference Survey. Thank you!

2. You're invited: BlogHerAds.com has re-opened to applications from bloggers who want quality advertising

After a seven-month wait, BlogHerAds has re-opened our doors to new member applications. If you have an excellent, regularly updated blog, we welcome your new applications and those of other bloggers you recommend for the network. BlogHer's ad network is unique, because we welcome bloggers with the most varied content and traffic of any size. We exist to empower and promote our members, and we are committed to providing the best support, publicity and revenue possible to our members' excellent blogs.

Our invitation to join the ad network is here: http://blogherads.com/for-bloggers

3. Our new Web site: A showcase for your blogging

You made it happen: As of July 23, BlogHer's new beta site is now live with a number of the features requested by this community. All our members have some exciting new superpowers, including the invitation to blog on BlogHer and add your own blog RSS feeds to your profile. (Not a member? Register here) For the full list of new features, you’ll find much more in our new section, Using this site, authored by the amazing Denise.

Opening the site to all bloggers to promote their blogs has helped me personally discover some amazing bloggers -- here's a sample of favorites I found from going to the BlogHer.com homepage and clicking "All blog posts":

If you've blogged something you want others to read, come on over. You say it. We share it. We're working together to deliver on the same mission we wrote at a kitchen table in 2005: To create opportunities for women who blog to pursue exposure, education, community, and economic empowerment.

I'd love to hear your thoughts -- comments are open here, and my email is always unorganized but open to you: lisa-at-blogher-dot-org.

Look forward to hearing from you. :)

Best,
Lisa

for Elisa, Jory and Lisa

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AOL Body thanks you for attending BlogHer '07!
Thanks to everyone for making this year's conference such a success! For those who attended our AOL Life Lab Luncheon, we hope you enjoyed your coaching session. Our experts were delighted to meet each of you and had a great time.

See more great AOL Coaches content at coaches.aol.com and don't forget to tell us about your blogs at weloveblogs@aol.com. We add new features and stories daily, so continue to check out all of the robust health, diet & fitness and healthy living content on AOL Body at body.aol.com.
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