Ever since the first Blogapalooza held way back in 2011, several bloggers have already been eagerly waiting for the next big event. If you attended Blogapalooza 2011,  then you would have noticed the changes between the two events. There was however a few things that remained the same, and that was meeting not only fellow bloggers but a variety of inspirational business owners with amazing ideas.

This year’s event was also very different for me as I barely got to sit down and listen to any of the speakers. As a member of WhenInManila.com, and…well Vince’s sister… I had no choice but to help. (haha kidding!) In just one day, I got to be one of the organizers, part of the registration, a secretary, a photographer, and a blogger. I was everywhere that day! haha It was very tiring but also a lot of fun. One of the most tiring things I did was to help  the people behind Piggy Bank Movement ask for donations to give to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. It was a very humbling experience. Anyway, enough about me, let’s talk about Blogapalooza 2014!

The ribbon cutting took place at around 11am to officially start the event. As soon as the doors opened, bloggers all rushed in to get to know each of the businesses a little bit more.

Blogapalooza 2013 was held at SMX in SM Aura. There were several stalls , each represented by different business owners who wanted to show bloggers what they had to offer. I wasted no time in getting to know each of them. More about them on a separate blog post.

While some bloggers were busy roaming around, other bloggers found a seat in front to listen to the different speakers that day. The speakers ranged from successful entrepreneurs and business owners to famous radio and online personalities! They shared some of their secrets and gave bloggers tips on how to reach the level of success they have.

Well known vloggers Bogart the Explorer and Mikey Bustos. – yeah, we’re close like that!

The guys of Boys Night Out talked about starting a podcast

Sexy FHM model Karen Bourdador shares tips on how she made it big!

…and of course, my good friend and fellow WhenInManila.com writer Jason Cruz taught everyone a thing or two about social media

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Besides those mentioned above, Blogapalooza 2013 was also graced by several other famous personalities such Tim Tayag and company from Comedy Cartel, Philip the Lifestyle Guy, Niña Terol-Zialcita, Ana Santos, and Nikka Sarthou of Writer’s Block Philippines and more. Apologies for not having pictures of these guys as I was at the registration booth outside the event area during their talks.

Now the event was not just all about the talks and the goodies, there were also a lot of food companies serving bloggers with overflowing meals the entire day. Hungry Juan gave out some isaw and barbecues while Gavino’s showered us with chewy and tasty Japanese donuts. Café France Corp. which houses companies such as Tempura Japanese Grill, Congo Grill, Karate Kid and Flavors of China had their buffet open the entire day for bloggers.

Café France Corp. buffet at Blogapalooza 2013

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Chef Noodles also served bloggers with a variation of maki! I immediately fell in love their Japanese meats. They were really good. Moreover, the chef worked really fast! So you can expect quick and quality service anytime you visit Chef Noodles.

The team of Chef Noodles preparing delicious maki for everyone at Blogapalooza 2013

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Chooks-to-go on the other hand decided to challenge bloggers before giving away any of their juicy chickens. Their game was challenging but a lot of fun! I played a round with WhenInManila’s managing editor, Mae Ilagan and MRM director Jason Cruz.

The Chooks-to-Go game was A LOT of fun! “Stressful”….but fun! hehe

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Grab-Taxi was also there to let bloggers know more about their mission and vision. Riding a cab is one of the most convenient ways to get around, however, with all the robberies and scams going about, it just doesn’t feel safe to ride one anymore.Well, Grab Taxi aims to build a better relationship between drivers and passengers through their app. With Grab Taxi, you’re able to see exactly where you’re going, and even share it online. You can also simply contact  driver near your area through the app instead of waiting under the pouring rain all day. Grab Taxi makes commuting more convenient and safe for anyone.

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I had a lot of fun meeting all the bloggers and business owners, but I guess the highlight of my night would be helping out the Piggy Bank Movement raise funds for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. It was not easy to go around asking bloggers to spare a little cash, especially when some would stare at me from head to toe and not even say a single word. In the end, all our hard work prevailed. We were able to gather around 32,000 pesos from bloggers while organizers Vince Golangco, Francis Simisim and Anton Diaz topped it off with 50,000 pesos more.

Vince, Francis and Anton with Ms. Mikhaela de Leon

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Before weturned over the Piggy Bank Donations to World Vision and JCI, Ms. Mikhaela de Leon took the stage to share her story. Mikhaela is an active member of World Vision Philippines. However, during the weekend that typhoon Yolanda hit, she became one of the victims. She went home to Tacloban that weekend only to be greeted by the angry winds of Yolanda. Check out the video below and listen to her story.

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Blogapalooza 2013 was one of the biggest blogging events of the year. I was glad to be part of it. Check back here for a more detailed article on the different businesses I met that day!

I’m already excited for the next Blogapalooza. Aren’t you?