What is Blogger Bash? Speed Pitching, Care Bears and More!

I was over the moon excited when I was selected to be a Blogger Bash Ambassador this year, and my husband agreed to watch the boys so I could fly to New York City and participate in this exciting event. As a mom with two young children under age six, I can only attend two or three blogging conferences each year. Visiting New York was an unforgettable experience and Blogger Bash is definitely at the top of my list for conferences to attend if you want to meet brands and network with blogging professionals.

Now, if you’re a reader and fan of HappyandBlessedHome.com, my trip to New York is great news for you too! Many of the brands I met with are interested in connecting with readers and fans of HappyandBlessedHome.com. They’re offering giveaways and the inside scoop on new products – it’s exciting for me as a blogger to share all these great details with you. Please keep reading for a behind the scenes look of what it’s like to be a blogger AND in future posts I’ll be sharing some great info on toys and household items and some possible upcoming giveaways thanks to all the great connections I made at Blogger Bash!

The Leadership behind Blogger Bash

Here I’m pictured with (far left) Laurie Schacht of The Toy Insider. She regularly appears on television sharing the latest and greatest news in toys. She’s a highly sought after speaker and contact for the toy industry.

To my immediate left is my friend Amee of RealAdviceGal. If you’ve never stopped by her web site please stop by and tell her I sent ya! She’s a talented businesswoman and a good friend.

Laurie and Amee were just two of a long list of amazing people I was able to meet with at Blogger Bash.

Below: Charlene DeLoach (to my immediate left) is an inspiration to me as a mom and blogger. Charlene’s kids are the same age as mine, ages four and six. And she was the mastermind behind many of the behind-the scenes activities that took place aboard the ship where many of the Blogger Bash activities were held. Charlene is a blogger and you can find her at Charlene Chronicles, Clever Luxe, and Metro West Mamas.

I have a deep respect for Charlene and I am so thankful for her leadership and sacrifice to make Blogger Bash happen. In fact there was a huge team of professionals working behind the scenes working hard on blogger bash, and all of them have earned my deepest respect.

Above, we are pictured with Jude Connally, an amazing women’s clothing designer and entrepreneur. Keep reading for more on Jude.

Overall Impression of Blogger Bash 2016

I was throughly impressed. From the ambassador cocktail to the closing party, every detail was considered. The two and a half day long event was like attending the wedding of a celebrity with nearly 1,000 persons in attendance. As an Ambassador, here is what the schedule looked like:

Tuesday Evening

YOTEL Party Deck – Cocktail Party

Wednesday

Volunteer Work (styling set up)
Dress and styling event with Jude Connally
Attendee Check in
Care Bears Share Your Care Brunch
Blogging Concentrated
The Ride | 42nd St. & 8th Ave.
Speed Pitching Session (there were four to choose from – selection was mutual)
Sweet Suite – The Biggest Night of Play (I’ll post on this and the other activities below in future posts)

Thursday

Volunteer Work (setting up easels and setting out doughnuts)
Sponsored Breakfast by Kate and Mim Mim
Babypalooza
All-Day Expo
Lunch Sponsored by Peanuts
Bloganthropy Awards
Shop Ireland
Closing Party

A Photographic and Video Virtual Tour

Would you like to see a quick virtual tour of the event? Keep reading for a few snapshots of some of the most popular events from Blogger Bash! Woot!

Tuesday Evening – YOTEL Party Deck – Cocktail Party

The YOTEL offers a gorgeous view of New York from the fourth floor where they offer dine-in services and ample entertainment space for conference attendees. We named this the Blogger Bash buddy bench. Featured here are many of the talented ambassadors and Blogger Bash attendees.

If you book a room as the YOTEL, you can expect a clean room and soft bedding. On the 23rd Floor we also enjoyed some gorgeous views!

A quick video from the Blogger Bash Cocktail Party featuring the Organizers, Ambassadors, and Brands in attendance at Blogger Bash.

Wednesday

Dress and styling event with Jude Connally

Jude Connally is an amazing woman. Her inspiration for her clothing line came from a run she made in a half-marathon. She looked up and saw a sea of black and noticed a colorful, stylish skort worn by one of the runners. In that moment she knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her life – create a line of women’s clothing that was comfortable, and highly stylish. The fabrics are thick and the patterns are gorgeous. She and her husband risked every penny of their retirement to start the Jude Connally clothing line, and I think the world of women’s clothes is all the better for it!

Her dresses are made to fit women of all shapes and sizes. Jude outfitted the entire group of Blogger Bash Ambassadors and I highly recommend her line of women’s clothing. She even offers matching sets for moms and daughters – perfect for family photos! You can browse the stylish dresses and pantsuits on her site here: JudeConnallyOnline.

At 4′ 10″ It’s often hard for me to find dresses I like, but I absolutely loved every one of the styles that Jude’s team picked for me.

Care Bears Share Your Care Brunch

Now, it’s not every day you get to eat breakfast with Funshine Bear. The Care Bears Share Your Care Brunch was a delightful way to start Blogger Bash! The food was delicious and the speakers were enlightening.

Care Bears is celebrating decades (nearly 35 years) of caring and sunshine and just announced the premiere of The Netflix Original Series Care Bears & Cousins and the launch of Care Bears at Build-A-Bear Workshop around the world.

Plus, #ShareYourCare Day on September 9, 2016; is a great way to get kids involved in helping others throughout their communities. This young girl (pictured below) gathered thousands of stuffed Care Bears and other plush toys and provided them to first responders in her community to help kids traumatized by unfortunate events.

Blogging Concentrated

Dan R. Morris and Rachel Marie Martin, the masterminds behind Blogging Concentrated spoke at Blogger Bash on July 13 from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m..

Dan and Rachel spoke of a new method of growing your web site called Escape Velocity. This new approach was created to help digital influencers through the use of practical, hands-on examples, strategic marketing plans, and in-depth discussions.

Blogging Concentrated courses and materials help bloggers with tips to create more revenue, better utilize social media, and helps bloggers design websites for optimizing flow for readers and fans.

If you are looking to get your blog on the path to success, Blogging Concentrated is a resource you’ll want to check out!

The Ride | 42nd St. & 8th Ave.

The Ride is an awesome way to tour New York City. The company provided a free tour to many of the attendees at Blogger Bash.

The bus features a side panel made of windows through which you can view the many city sights of New York.

Speed Pitching Session

One of my favorite features of Blogger Bash was the opportunity to meet brands face to face in one-on-one interviews known as Speed Pitching. Each meeting only lasted four minutes but I can honestly say it was the high point of Blogger Bash for me. I loved so many of the brands I met with, and I’m excited to start working with them. Working with brands means more opportunities for HappyandBlessedHome.com readers and fans. And, it’s a great way to connect families with brands we can all love.