The Second Congress of the Brazilian Bloggers in Porto & my first-ever speech in Portuguese!

Basically, it all started like this.

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Here I am, my video taken in the beautiful city of Porto, visiting my friend Rita Branco, of OPortoEncanta.com on the occasion of the World Food Tourism Summit as well as the Adegga WineMarket earlier this year. “Elena .. Você já fala tão bem o nosso português .. Quer ser uma das nossas palestrantes no Encontro Europeo dos Blogueiros Brasileiros?”

Of course I do want to be one of the speakers at the annual Brazilian Bloggers Congress here in Europe, taking place in another host city every year, and Porto in 2015. Rita Branco is all ears ever since our friendship started to grow and develop around this time last year, and decides to put me on the prestigious speakers’ list.

Finally now, the moment has come. Suddenly, I am one in a bunch of happy, handsome and overly heartwarming Brazilian bloggers in Porto, where Rita & the city of Porto have put together a five-star conference & discovery programme.

It really means something if you are asked to speak at a conference like that. The participants are Brazilian bloggers with large audiences living in different cities of Europe, telling tales about fashion, travel, everyday life and more from Dublin to Rome, from Stockholm to Lisbon, from Berlin to Barcelona. In Portuguese, that is. Naturally. Hummm … I am, just a little nervous, ahead of being asked to give this first-ever speech of mine in beautiful “português”! But then, my many speaking experiences help and I get focused again, soaking up some magic and inspiration in Porto’s most well-known bookshop, Livraria Lello ahead of time. Check this out.

Entering Porto by means of the city’s famous Lello Bookshop …

… is a means to relax, train some Portuguese, in my case, and be inspired.

Meeting my dear friend Tilda, who does a great job of developing and managing tourism here …

… is one way to share the magic of my own recently published book, “The Creative Traveler’s Handbook”.

And does it not look pretty on a shelf of books?!

Thank you sooo much, dear Rita Branco, for giving me this wonderful opportunity to be back in town for a unique congress indeed.

At the congress, my fellow speakers and I share with our colleagues, the virtues of a professional (travel) blogging business, tips & advice common to all of us and some inspiration about “Turismo Criativo”.

The avant-garde ambiance of Porto’s “Casa da Música” (House of Music) provides the perfect frame to our networking & speaking sessions. Together with the team of the local tourism board and other attendees, more than sixty people have gathered in one of the most spectacular conference venues I have ever visited.

Off we go …

… at the so-called “Casa da Música” …

… and the Brazilian Bloggers Congress with lots of lovely people from all over the world.

The stage is ready, as Rita Branco is set to speak and finally, after many hours of hard work, open up her very own conference here in Porto: Well done Rita …!

Tips ranging from how to optimize “Instagram” for bloggers …

… as well as managing the “digital attention span” in general …

… are shared among this very emotional, enthusiastic crowd.

I just love to be here, and so does my dear book. 😀

The book I shall be presenting heaps more …

… and of course give as a present to dear Rita, my friend and very professional conference organizer here in Porto.

Success Rita! You deserve it …

… and I am glad to be here in order to entertain, and inform, about the many virtues and opportunities provided by “Creative Tourism” – Turismo Criativo.

Here is the video I am showing as part of my speech at the Brazilian Bloggers Congress in Porto, broadcast to an international audience for the first time. Check it out for learning more about this growing global travel trend:

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I do believe it says it all. “Touching … Feeling … Understanding … Learning.” You do really enter a new form of travelling when you start shifting your travel lens for the more intimate, close-up and hands-on meetings with the local people provided by creative travel. And gladly enough, the Brazilian bloggers around me have received it very well. After all, they are one of the most emotional people on the planet, aren’t they? 😉

#ItsAllAboutTheInspiration, my dear friend Sarah Lee. As you know !!

Brazilian bloggers meeting-gathering in Porto …

… with a great team of conference organizers 2014, 2015 and … 2016 in Berlin! …

… are really, really, really (!) emotional, also (or especially) when it comes to a business congress like that.

I am proud to hand ten lucky winners a personally signed copy of “The Creative Traveler’s Handbook”, acknowledging their interest for creative travel all over Europe and Brasil. Thank you so much – OBRIGADA! – for all your enthusiasm and interest! Vocês são demais !!!

More photos, infos & emotion here:

Thank you all for coming! See you next year for the Brazilian Bloggers Congress in Berlin !!!