Hi, I'm Rita, and I've been to ten BlogHer conferences, from the teeny one by the pool in San Jose to the one where Obama totally Skyped in and said the word "BlogHer" to the one last year with Gwyneth Paltrow, Ava DuVernay, Christy Turlington Burns and Boyz II Men.

Everyone else may have very good reasons for why they go to BlogHer, but if you're still sitting on the fence about registering for #BlogHer16 on August 4-6 in Los Angeles, please allow me to walk you through my visuals.

When you hit the Expo, either via Evening at the Expo (my personal favorite way to kick off the conference) or during one of the scheduled breaks, don't just sail through the aisles filling your bag. I mean, it's fine to fill your bag, too, but if you spend a few minutes listening to the sponsors you might find your next paid writing gig or a website you love or a puppy you absolutely have to hold. (The ASPCA was there in 2015.)

There is always somebody walking around in an insert-random-thing-here suit. I've seen suits made of upholstery material, 10-foot-tall robots, the Energizer Bunny in the elevator and more over the past ten years at BlogHer conferences. And you know what? That's fun. That doesn't happen on Friday afternoon at my house.

I've often said all the good things that have happened in my blogging career have resulted from face-to-face conversations. I'm now working on several decade-long friendships and cherish the opportunity to put people I've met via social media with an in-person face (though you'll have to tell me your name six times because I have a problem).

And I got this job from meeting my future employers in person and instigating a relationship that resulted in many projects and finally fulltime employment -- all from a BlogHer conference.

This is a photo of Casey Brown's daughter, Roozle, meeting author, #RedPumpProject co-founder and overall Internet rockstar Luvvie Ajayi (I met both Casey and Luvvie for the first time years ago at a BlogHer conference). See Roozle's face? You can feel like that when you meet your hero.

Every year we survey. Every year we call for speakers. Every year we rejigger the BlogHer conferences to make sure we're bringing you information you need and can actually use once you get back home and in front of your computer, phone or device.

Every year we make sure more than half of our speakers are new to BlogHer and that they represent the amazing diversity of our community. With seven tracks and hundreds of speakers, you're sure to find the information you want to bring home with you.

Don't wait! #BlogHer16: Experts Among Us will take place from August 4-6, 2016, in Los Angeles, CA.

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Rita Arens is the author of the young adult novel THE OBVIOUS GAME& the managing editor of BlogHer.com.