UKBAevening

First of all, I would like to thank you all for voting for me and giving me the chance to get to the final stage of the UK Blog Awards 2014. Unfortunately, I did not win the title of best travel blogger but I can proudly say that I have been “recognised as one of the top 10 travel bloggers in the UK out of over 900 entrants” according to UKBA14 organisers. It is a very big achievement I have accomplished after only 9 months of blogging.

The UKBA14 nomination has been highlighted on various newspapers, radios and social media networks. The ceremony that took place in London put all bloggers under the spotlight during a glamorous party tailored to celebrate the best of UK blogging. Read more for details about the experience being nominated as well as the suit and tie ceremony.

The competition started when applications opened for the UKBA14 around November. All started slow, at this time I did not realise I would end up being on newspapers covers. The second stage of the competition was the public vote where people choose their favourite blogs, my very first achievement for the blog at that time around January when I was shortlisted among 10 travel bloggers.

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On 25th April 2014 took place the Awards Show at the Grange Hotel St Pauls in London. It was not only a ceremony to get your prize and go home but way more than that. It was a networking event where I had the chance to meet fellow travel bloggers and others from the blogging industry. I also had the chance to meet people from the BBC and big organisations in the UK. Moreover, dinner and drinks were served all night until I went back home taking my goodie bag with my favourite item, the passport cover! The evening finished with a live band playing some famous hits.

But now, I want to tell you about my UKBA14 nomination promotion… On January 2014, I wanted everybody to know about my achievement in the competition when I got shortlisted. So I contacted few newspapers in Morocco and I got my chance! Aufait, the daily urban newspaper distributed in main Moroccan cities has written an awesome article about my blog and encouraged its readers to vote for me. This article has generated a huge traffic and has given me the chance to show myself to a new public. Following this, L’internaute shared with its readers a whole page with a very nice interview to know more about me as a Moroccan “geek” very active on internet and now one of the only few travel bloggers in Morocco. In the UK, I have written my first printed article for Kalimat Magazine where I share my story about Amsterdam.

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During my travels in Saudi Arabia, another buzz has been created around the blog when Aufait wrote a new article followed by various online newspapers and the big break an exclusive interview with Radio 2M a huge Moroccan radio channel. Hear it below, in Arabic though. Moreover, I have got my first press trip finalised for the start of the summer holidays, details will follow soon but if you want to know the destination look left at the “Coming to a city near you…” widget.

Since then, my blog is growing as well as my confidence and I owe this to the UK Blog Awards. It has been a great and rich experience that has given me a great exposure in the UK and Morocco. Since the public vote phase until the last goodbyes to all the nice people I met at the ceremony, I had a blast. I think that matters most as I feel like I won something more than an award.

Photos credits: http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/