UnGagged.com
Regular Member
- Jul 10, 2014
- 336
- 295
Ok, I've seen too many questions about UnGagged and what it offers and whether you should go and whether the mods will be there and.. sigh.. too many to count really. So, here's an FAQ that should answer all your questions. If I haven't covered anything, post it below and we'll add it.
tl;dr summary:
If you haven't got your UG ticket, you've got less than a week to take advantage of the Early Bird Sale. And as a member of BHW you get an EXTRA 15% off when you use the promotional code 'BHW'! Rectify that here: http://www2.ungagged.com/vegas-tickets
Don't forget your accommodation - we're offering rooms at the tropicana for a ridiculously cheap price - $79 per night - although 95% of them have now gone so you'll need to be quick to get this price.
FAQ:
Should I go to UnGagged?
Yes. Of course. Why would you ask me that?
Why should I go to UnGagged?
It offers something different to all the other conferences out there. We close our sessions and there's no recording which means that speakers can say what they want without any consequences. Just as one example, last year one of our speakers told people how to get do-follow backlinks from a DA100 site. Because it wasn't recorded it took months for that loophole to get blocked and you can be sure our attendees made the most of it.
Is it worth the money?
Can't answer that for you. But, to use the above example, how much would you have paid for one of those backlinks? How much would you have paid to learn how to do it yourself for free? Another of our speakers had inside knowledge of G's weighting on certain aspects of site performance. Some of these were surprising to say the least. It's been interesting keeping this in mind while watching the latest update bounce off some sites and hit others.
But it's not even a blackhat conference and this is a blackhat forum. What gives?
The conference isn't black hat itself but a lot of the speakers have the same sort of background as many of the people here. As a result, they go into more technical details than you'd normally see at a conference and have a fairly analytical mindset. So, instead of going down the corporate, white hat route, there's more emphasis on deconstructing accepted SEO practices, measuring results and discussing what actions are worthwhile vs cost/risk.
It's too expensive, I can't afford it. Can I get a free ticket?
No. Well, unless you speak for us. We're always looking for good speakers who can provide something unique and actionable for our attendees. If you think that's you, then why not apply for next year. Be aware that we're very fussy - if you think you have what it takes, make sure you bring your A game to the application.
Vegas is full of cheap, nasty hotels - what's the point of booking at the conference hotel if I can get it cheaper?
Your standards are obviously lower than mine - I'm not judging. But there's a lot more to UnGagged than the sessions. The after-hours networking alone is priceless. Our speakers are very sociable, there's lots of drinking and arguing about SEO and coding (with the odd tangents going off on movies / science / fireball shots etc). Last year was a blast and some of the stuff I've picked up from the drunken conversations has been.. eye-opening. I've watched joint enterprises get started over a shared love of cinnamon whisky. I saw someone get offered a dream job on the basis of a drunken (albeit eloquent) rant about technical seo.
So, you might be able to shop around and find something for a few dollars cheaper, or you can stay with us and be in the centre of the action and take advantage of these types of spontaneous meetings. Although you might need to pay for the occasional round of drinks. Which reminds me - stay with us and after a full-on evening, you just need to navigate the elevators to fall into your hotel room. If you bump into anyone useful, it'll be an elevator pitch they'll never forget.
tl;dr summary:
If you haven't got your UG ticket, you've got less than a week to take advantage of the Early Bird Sale. And as a member of BHW you get an EXTRA 15% off when you use the promotional code 'BHW'! Rectify that here: http://www2.ungagged.com/vegas-tickets
Don't forget your accommodation - we're offering rooms at the tropicana for a ridiculously cheap price - $79 per night - although 95% of them have now gone so you'll need to be quick to get this price.
FAQ:
Should I go to UnGagged?
Yes. Of course. Why would you ask me that?
Why should I go to UnGagged?
It offers something different to all the other conferences out there. We close our sessions and there's no recording which means that speakers can say what they want without any consequences. Just as one example, last year one of our speakers told people how to get do-follow backlinks from a DA100 site. Because it wasn't recorded it took months for that loophole to get blocked and you can be sure our attendees made the most of it.
Is it worth the money?
Can't answer that for you. But, to use the above example, how much would you have paid for one of those backlinks? How much would you have paid to learn how to do it yourself for free? Another of our speakers had inside knowledge of G's weighting on certain aspects of site performance. Some of these were surprising to say the least. It's been interesting keeping this in mind while watching the latest update bounce off some sites and hit others.
But it's not even a blackhat conference and this is a blackhat forum. What gives?
The conference isn't black hat itself but a lot of the speakers have the same sort of background as many of the people here. As a result, they go into more technical details than you'd normally see at a conference and have a fairly analytical mindset. So, instead of going down the corporate, white hat route, there's more emphasis on deconstructing accepted SEO practices, measuring results and discussing what actions are worthwhile vs cost/risk.
It's too expensive, I can't afford it. Can I get a free ticket?
No. Well, unless you speak for us. We're always looking for good speakers who can provide something unique and actionable for our attendees. If you think that's you, then why not apply for next year. Be aware that we're very fussy - if you think you have what it takes, make sure you bring your A game to the application.
Vegas is full of cheap, nasty hotels - what's the point of booking at the conference hotel if I can get it cheaper?
Your standards are obviously lower than mine - I'm not judging. But there's a lot more to UnGagged than the sessions. The after-hours networking alone is priceless. Our speakers are very sociable, there's lots of drinking and arguing about SEO and coding (with the odd tangents going off on movies / science / fireball shots etc). Last year was a blast and some of the stuff I've picked up from the drunken conversations has been.. eye-opening. I've watched joint enterprises get started over a shared love of cinnamon whisky. I saw someone get offered a dream job on the basis of a drunken (albeit eloquent) rant about technical seo.
So, you might be able to shop around and find something for a few dollars cheaper, or you can stay with us and be in the centre of the action and take advantage of these types of spontaneous meetings. Although you might need to pay for the occasional round of drinks. Which reminds me - stay with us and after a full-on evening, you just need to navigate the elevators to fall into your hotel room. If you bump into anyone useful, it'll be an elevator pitch they'll never forget.