If you follow me on Instagram, you know that a couple of weekends back, I went to The Blog Societies Conference in Atlanta, GA. If you happened to miss my stories on insta, don’t worry… I’ll catch you up!
The Blog Societies is a group for bloggers, all over the US. To be accepted, you must have a blog (duh) + meet some requirements. After reading over all the requirements, you fill out an application and sit back and wait to be excepted.
Once accepted, you pay your annually dues, and have access to workshops, TBScon + tons of other helpful tips + tricks when it comes to running your blog.
This was my first Blog Societies Conference, so I had no idea what to expect, but let me tell you.. I was so glad I went. From over the top tablescapes to tons of advice on how to properly run a blog, this conference was loaded with so much knowledge.
I had so much interest from my followers on Instagram, that I thought I would break down each day so you could see what takes place.
| Location: The Avalon in Alpharetta, GA. |
TBScon was held in Alpharetta, GA (right outside of Atlanta) at a beautiful boutique hotel called The Avalon. I seriously can’t explain how gorgeous this hotel is, but here are some pictures to get a feel for all its beauty.
| First Night: Welcome Party |
Upon arriving + checking in, we got ready and went to the welcome party that was at 7pm. We were fashionably late, because the weather delayed our trip. Sadly, the party was scheduled to be out by the pool, but since the rain was not cooperating, they had to move it inside. I honestly don’t know how they managed to pull it off so fast, but they did and it looked amazing!
La Croix nailed it on their station. I loved all the colors they incorporated + the girls outfits were adorable! Some other favorites were the Vera Bradley flower wall, the goody station where they monogrammed your pick of any hair tool, Dry Bar’s hair station and the girls from Kendra Scott with the new Fall line.
(All photos were taken by: Colleen @xxiiiphoto)
The swag was so good this night! Only con was that there wasn’t any real food, and after traveling and settling in, I needed something. Especially after a mixed drink.
| Day 2: Started with Breakfast Hosted by the Avalon |
We arrived downstairs at 8AM for breakfast with all the girls before a long day of workshops. Prior to the conference, we filled out a questionnaire about what classes we wanted to take. For my four classes, I chose SEO, Accounting, Social Media and Contracts.
We took our first two class after breakfast, then all met up again for lunch around noon.
| Lunch: Hosted by MudPie + Goody |
I was so happy when lunch rolled around! ha! I just had some fruit for breakfast, so my eating schedule was way off track and by this point I had a major headache.
When we walked into the room where the lunch was hosted, it was decorated in beautiful Fall decor. From the throws on the chairs, to the white classic centerpieces on the table, I knew this lunch was going to be amazing… and that it was!
Everyone was placed by people they didn’t know, so it gave you a chance to get to know so many new faces. Everyone at my table was so sweet, and I walked away with some new friends!
The lunch was great! For an appetizer we got pimento cheese, crackers and some yummy spicy pickles. For our main meal, you got the option between a Chicken Caesar salad or a Bean salad. If you know me at all, you know I def went with the chicken. Mama was starving, y’all!
I still have no idea what the desert was, but it was delicious.
| Afternoon Classes + Swag Bags |
After lunch was over, we headed back for more classes! Classes were over around 4:15, and then we headed to a room that was filled with more swag bags.
The amount of swag you get is crazy! I seriously don’t know how some girls flew back home with everything!
After all the swag, my roomie; Riley and I headed back to our room to put on comfy clothes and relax. I still had a pounding headache and we were both exhausted, so we ordered in Italian food and ate it in bed! Around 7PM, we went on a quick run to Walgreen’s for headache meds + ice cream.. and headed back to the room to watch tv and veg out.
Bedtime came super early for us that night!
| Day 3: Started with Breakfast hosted by La Croix + Ball |
Breakfast was at 8AM, and YALL… this breakfast set up was amazing! La Croix went ALL OUT AGAIN, and man oh man… their marketing team has it figured out! I really don’t think I ate much at the breakfast, because I was so fascinated by the set up!
If you love pink, you would have been in heaven!! I know I sure was!
Breakfast ended around 9am, and then we headed into a big room where we listened to a couple of great speakers talk about their journey through blogging. We also learned about FTC rules, which was something I knew nothing about prior to the conference.
| Lunch was hosted by Joules |
This whole day was seriously my favorite. Joules is another company that just nails it with their marketing.
The food was amazing, too. All of the tables were set up like you were at a fancy tea party and this girl came to eat! From pimento cheese + cucumber sandwiches to the best tomato soup I’ve ever had, I left with a full stomach and a happy heart! ha!
| Flower Crown Session |
When I say I left with a full stomach, I really did. I could barely move + was so uncomfortable in my jumpsuit that I just talked with some friends while I watched the girls make their crowns. I know that probably sounds a little dramatic, but it was a jam-packed weekend and after the headache from hell (which I’m 100% certain was my first migraine) + all the chaos/excitement from the weekend, I was exhausted and ready for a nap.
So, Riley + I mingled for a little while, then took a couple of photos outside and headed up to the room for a quick nap. Afterwards, we did a little shopping and then met up with some other bloggers for dinner + laughs!
The weekend was super busy, but I’m so glad I did it. It was my first time away from Riley, so that was pretty hard, but we all survived and I’m glad I went. Depending on where it’s at next year, I might go back! It was def worth it for the opportunity to learn + plus meeting a lot of great people was an extra bonus. I seriously walked away with so many new friends that I’ve actually kept up with.
I asked everyone on Instagram if they had any questions about the conference.. so I thought I would answer them real quick, most I already answered above.
Q: Can anyone go to the conference?
A: No, you have to be an active member of The Blog Societies to be able to go. Anyone that’s a member is allowed to buy a ticket and go.
Q: Was it expensive to attend?
A: For everything you get, no. I think it was around $325 for the tickets +the cost of your hotel stay. Some girls roomed 4 to a room, so that helped a lot with the room cost, but Riley and I liked that we were the only ones in our room. Plus, it’s all a tax right off, so that helps!
Q: Is this only for new bloggers?
A: No! It’s for all types of bloggers. New/Old… Big/Small! Fashion/Food! You name it! That’s one thing I loved about this conference, it didn’t feel competitive and everyone was there to learn. Even if they have blogged for years.
Q: Who runs The Blog Societies?
A: Believe it or not, this group is ran by only two people. Which I still don’t understand how they do it all, but they seriously put their heart and soul into it and it shows! Make sure you check them out! Cathy and Jessica.
In case you missed my Instagram post, here are some of the outfits I wore at the conference! I hope everyone is off to a good start this week! Check back on Friday, where I’ll show you how I organized my fridge!
I hope y’all have a wonderful day!
-Lauren