Last Spring, when the Sweet Book Tour was in full swing and I was traveling quite a bit, I attended a conference where I had the chance to finally meet so many party girls that I had befriended on-line in person! One of those attendees was Michelle Burt from Maddycakes Muse, who is not only amazingly talented {and a retired Marine!}, but incredibly fun and determined. As several of us discussed the need for a conference geared specifically towards the party industry, we could see Michelle’s wheels begin to turn and there was no doubt in any of our minds that she was the one with the expertise and determination to pull it off. Fast forward to January 2015, less than a year from when the idea was born, and I have just returned from the inaugural party conference called BASH ~ an amalgamation of entertaining and lifestyle bloggers, entrepreneurs and event planners looking to network, learn, meet and develop relationships with sponsors and, of course, par-tay!
Set in beautiful Phoenix, AZ at the charming Wigwam Resort, it was truly such an incredible experience that is practically impossible to put into words. From the awe-inspiring keynote speakers Amy Atlas and Eddie Ross to encouraging and uplifting talks from from the likes of Jennifer at Hostess with the Mostess, Kim from TomKat Studio, and Loralee from Loralee Lewis {just to name a few!} to attending educational classes and bonding with so many of my party girls, it was such a special, unique and life-changing experience that I will value forever. I truly appreciated the opportunity to meet and connect with sponsors, including the marvelous Wilton team. Not only was I inspired by each and every presenter and speaker I had the absolute pleasure of hearing and learning from at BASH, I was also so fortunate and honored to be a speaker and have taught a class on book publishing, alongside my friends Mindy from Creative Juice and Alejandra of The Marshmallow Studio!
One of the most valuable experiences at conferences is centered around the people you meet, bond and forge a relationship with and BASH most definitely did not disappoint in this arena! My roommates Mindy {Creative Juice}, Bethany {Auntie Bea’s Bakery}, Donna {Swish Printables} and Kirstin {Kojo Designs} are not only incredibly sweet and fun, but they are so creative and talented!!! I’m so grateful for the adorable and thoughtful roomie gifts they gave me, all their support throughout the conference and our fun times.
I had a fab time meeting the amazing Amy {Amy Atlas} and Kim {TomKat Studio} and soaking up their wisdom ~ it’s passed on through osmosis, right?! Jenny {Jenny Cookies} and I have chatted and worked together for awhile now, but had never met in person until the conference and she was just as sweet and gorgeous as I expected! Not only are Eddie and Jaithan {Eddie Ross} jaw-droppingly talented, but they are incredibly kind and an absolute hoot! I had also heard so much about Alison {The Alison Show} and she is as fun, original and awesome as promised! And finally, listening to Chris {Celebrations at Home}, Jen {HWTM} and Kim {The Celebration Shoppe} was super informative and informational and it was such a great opportunity to catch up with them and let them know just how much I have appreciated their support throughout the years! It’s such a humbling experience to meet and speak with the women {and men!} who are not only icons in your industry, but who have in one way or another, helped you along the way. What an invaluable opportunity it is to be able to say thank you… or rather, MERCI!!!
I’m proud to say that these stunning BASH cookies were made my roomie, Bethany {Auntie Bea’s Bakery} ~ gorgeous AND delicious… just like Bethany herself! And that marvelous ARIZONA craft table was styled by the dynamic duo of Rebecca and Shannon {Petite Party Studio} for the opening night celebration. These ladies are absolutely fab… and hilarious! I was beyond excited to finally see my loves Tonya {Soirée Event Design} and Lindi {Love the Day} again and give them a much anticipated soul-sista hug! And as you can see, a bunch of us were so warmly welcomed by Kim and her staff at the her beautiful and brand-spankin’ TomKat Studio STORE!
I really tried to take every single moment in, from singing karaoke Livin’ on a Prayer with my girls {which included Amy Atlas, of course!} to chattin’ it up with SO MANY friends, old and new, to admiring all the unbelievable tables styled by attendees for the tabletop competition, including my roomie, Donna’s dazzling Singin’ in the Rain table, among many others that were truly works of art. I took it ALL in… so much so that I feel like I barely have any pictures that truly capture the entire experience. I wish I could tag every single person with whom I connected because every single one was ah-mazing!!! If you want to see more, I strongly suggest you check out #BashConf15 on Instagram!
A special shout out goes to the entire BASH team that worked tirelessly to put this incredible conference together. I mean, they truly worked their behinds off to execute the event so seamlessly. And once again, merci beaucoup to Michelle for having the vision and perseverance to bring soooooo many of us together to ultimately promote the need to support one another. And yes, I bawled at Michelle’s closing speech. ♥
Will I be seeing you at BASH Conference 2016?!
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