The Blog Societies Conference: 2019 TBSCon Recap

I recently attended TBSCon and had an amazing time and wanted to share a recap with you.

WHAT IS TBSCON?

Firstly, for those of you wondering what TBScon is:

TBScon stands for The Blog Societies Conference. It is an annual conference hosted by The Blog Societies for bloggers. It's an opportunity to learn from experts in the industry, network with some pretty awesome brands and spend time with other bloggers (old and new). 

I went last year for the first time and it was an incredible experience so I knew I wanted to buy my ticket for this year. 

This year, the ladies mixed it up and made the conference a little more retreat style which was super cool. 

LOCATION

The conference was held at the Barnsley Resort, a historic estate an hour and a half outside of Atlanta. The resort was so stunning and such a perfect setting for the weekend. We could not ask for better either. Not only were there English-inspired cottages spread throughout that were so cute, but they had a large golf course, horseback riding, beautiful gardens and even a fun little farm with the some adorable animals. I happened to get acquainted with Tucker, a mini horse and Sugar, the cutest little goat. It was the ultimate retreat and allowed us ladies to spend more time together, more than we did last year. 

DAY 1: WELCOME PARTY

The weekend was kicked off with a welcome party. We enjoyed drinks and small bites while we went around meeting all the wonderful brand sponsors. This is one of my favorite parts of the weekend because attendees are starting to come in for the weekend and everyone is so excited to see each other. I also love getting face time with brand representatives and introducing myself. And I will admit, the swag is not too shabby either! We ended the night with the most delicious macaroni and cheese bar! I went to bed that night with not only a full belly, but also a full heart. 

DAY 2: BREAKFAST, WORKSHOPS, LUNCH, DINNER & S'MORES OH MY!

Breakfast was hosted by La Croix at the enchanting Manor House Ruins on the Barnsley resort property. As we walked from the Inn to breakfast, the views were just breath-taking. We walked through the gardens and it was like something out of an Alice and Wonderland movie. Then, the actual Ruins was just a sight to see. 

After breakfast, we headed off to a busy day of workshops led by our peers that are really educated on the topics. The workshops I attended were Instagram Photography with Allie (pret-a-provost), The Art of the Perfect Pitch  with Erica (Coming Up Roses), Email Marketing with Kara (Politics of Pretty) and Branding with Abbey (Wayfarer Design Studio). I learned so much from each of these workshops and left each session with a list of to-do's. Stay tuned for a separate post of the nifty things I learned. 

Lunch was hosted by Marc Fisher. We got a little sneak peek from their Step & Repeat Collections and were all gifted a pair of the cutest Chang loafers at the welcome party. 

In the afternoon we returned to our remaining workshops and it ended with a creative breakout session- cookie decorating with High Waisted Cookie or Floral Design with Petal + Fold. 

A few of us ladies met up at the pool in our down time before dinner. It was so relaxing and nice to spend time just catching up with friends. 

Dinner was hosted by Yankee Candle. We were introduced to their new Farmer's Market Collection. I came away with the most amazing smelling candles. I cannot wait to light all my candles this fall! The ballroom smelled so good as we feasted on dinner. 

The night ended with the cutest S'mores bar. On the property of the resort are scattered fire pits. It was so fun sitting around and it made for a special ending to the perfect day. 

DAY3: CONFERENCE SPEAKERS AND GOOD-BYES

My roomies and I checked out of our rooms, packed the car and then headed to the last day of the conference. This year's speakers were Manu of Your Social Team. She presented on how to grow our Instagram. She has so many great tips that I have already applied (more to come). Matt of Podia spoke about how anyone can teach online courses and Brittany of Lawyer Lookbook got us up to speed on FTC guidelines. After the speakers were done, we said our good-byes to attendees as we all headed home. 

The whole weekend was just what I needed. I love being a blogger and there is something new to learn in this ever-changing industry. I came away feeling so re-energized. After a very stressful summer I realized I needed to take some time to invest in myself. It was incredible to be surrounded by other hard-working, innovative, creative and influential women. Everyone I met from last year to this year has been nothing but supportive and encouraging. 

If you have ever wondered about attending a blog conference, I highly recommend checking this one out. This year the invitation was opened for non-members for the first time so if they do it again for next year you should not hesitate. It does not matter if you 1 follower or 100K followers. You will not feel excluded or feel like you do not belong. The Blog Societies whole goal is to cultivate community and that is what you feel attending this conference. 

If you have any questions about the conference please feel free to reach out or leave a comment below. I am more than willing to chat! 

PS: I want to send a special shout-out to the amazing team that put the conference together and the brand sponsors I was able to get some face time with and introduce myself to. Thanks to Barnsley Resort for accommodating our bunch! We attracted a lot of attention, ha! Thank you to Jessica (My Style Vita) and Cathy (Poor Little It Girl), the co-founders of the Blog Societies. I know it takes so much work to put this event together and I am so thankful to be part of it. Until next year! 

Photography by: Hannah Lozano Photography (@hannahlozanophoto)