BASH Conference 2016 Recap || Part I - #PositiveVibesOnly

Dear Royal Followers,

Wondering what all this #BASH talk has been all about? You’ve come to the right place! Here’s a recap of my experience at the BASH Conference 2016 held in the beautiful, sun belt metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona at the Arizona Grand Resort & Spa!

As I’m writing this blog post, I’m reminded of all the laughs, the tears of joy, the inspirational stories/quotes, and the knowledge sharing I received over a course of just a few days! From my understanding of what BASH represents is that it is a community of “creatives” that come together to be empowered, to be inspired, and to develop lasting relationships & friendships!

#PostivieVibesOnly

I define “Creatives” as anyone who is not ordinary, although you find beauty in the ordinary and can transform that ordinary into something extraordinary. Ohhh you like that? I just came up with that of the top of my dome!!!! Okay, Staying focused…..someone who is a visionary. Someone who acts like and feels like a boss. You are numb to rejection and find inspiration in things that most cannot seem to figure out. Anyways, there were a bunch of these types of individuals (including myself) all together for one fun, slam packed weekend!

From wedding professionals, to specialized party planners, to bloggers, crafts & stationary specialist, no matter whom I spoke with, I felt the same vibe. I knew I was in the right place!!!

Day 1

Now that I’ve finished my long winded introduction, the welcome camper’s reception (sponsored by Jelly Belly’s) set the tone for the entire weekend full of activities & workshops. The moment I entered the longue where the event was taken place, I was immediately greeted by some of the most bubbly individuals. I sashayed myself around the room since there were strategically placed activities in all corners of the room to promote networking.  

There was a “Create your own name tag” station where we had the opportunity to be creative and literally create a cute button from scratch. There was of course a candy buffet with unique flavored jelly bellys, chocolate covered almonds, and so much more! Super cute set up, might I add! Next to this station, was a candy necklace station and lastly, there was an area to grab a notebook and decorate the cover. I felt like a kid again- I loved it!

              

            

         

                                     

Mid way thru this evening, we were all advised to transition to a different room which was also nicely decorated keeping the same campers theme. We were officially welcomed by BASH founder Michelle Burt (who is the dopest, most genuine person, I may have had the opportunity to have met!) She greeted us , acknowledged her team and key speakers that we all were looking forward to hearing over the course of the upcoming weekend, and lastly concluded by introducing the entertainment for the evening. She shared her story and one key point she made on how she had the opportunity to meet Preston Bailey and get him to be the keynote speaker at this conference was the statement she made about “Figure out how to do what you’ve got to do, to meet people you want to meet. “ I will leave that statement right here and continue….

In light of the Dream Catcher theme, we were all in awe of the amazing, inspiring, talented native hoop dancer who shared with us his culture and how women are cherished in his tribe. 

Hearing this story was very profound and spoke volumes! He concluded his segment by leaving us with a traditional hoop dance which is a form of story telling in itself. 

When I tell you my mouth dropped, I had never seen anything like this! It absolutely was touching as each hoop was symbolic and once interlocked and aligned, formed a powerful entity!  

Here is a quick clip I captured from my phone (please forgive me for the quality….darn android!!!!)

Day 2

The following morning, I believe we were all anxious to meet the beautiful & talented Kathy Romero, CEO of Preston Bailey Designs in a segment labeled “Coffee Talk” being hosted in the main ballroom.

As I entered this room, my mouth dropped! I felt like such a nerd geeked up as if I was standing in line to see the premiere of Star Wars. I got my ENTIRE life in the blink of an eye... in a matter of minutes. The Dream Catcher theme was prevalent through all the beautiful décor, furniture,  & accent pieces. The first thing my eyes gravitated to was the HUGE paper flower wall by Tania Fischer designs. 

OMG! Words cannot describe and pictures almost do it justice but not quite. It was absolutely break taking and OHH-mazing! Other décor elements that immediately captured my attention were the hanging handmade dream catchers and the handpainted/decorated globes by Savannah Ashely. Everything was just BEAU-TI-FUL!  Take a look a look at some of the images captured below here:

  

While indulging in a light breakfast, we were listening to this inspiring woman speak . She shared her story and there were so many times I wanted to do a “hallelujah shout.” 

From her Finance background, to starting off as a one woman show, many of us could sooooo relate! She shared with us images from her first events and to see how far she has come, was truly OHH-mazing! She also provided 10 tips that can help us thrive in every market which I have since put on my bulletin board as a daily reminder.  All of the tips were eye openers however two of them resonated and impressed me: 1). “Templates do not work! Luxury is not template. Its customized!” This statement is so true. Clients wants and expectations all vary. Each client is unique and we as wedding professionals must continue to customize each client’s wants and desires. 2). “Establishing trust starts with establishing value.” Clients want to know they can trust you not by just what you say but by our actions.

I really enjoyed hearing Kathy speak.
Other key points that moved me were her comments on “your origin does not dictate your story!” Yessss!!!! It reminds me of the saying “it’s not how you start, its how you finish” We all have a dream and we all must continue to push forward so we may thrive. It doesn’t matter if you started off as a volunteer to making a decent living; it doesn’t matter if you came from poverty; it doesn’t matter if you never completed your degree or higher learning. These things do not have to define you! Keep pressing forward! You don’t have to be perfect. Just be better than you were yesterday! To conclude Kathy’s speaking points, I will end with one statement that many of us in this industry seem to be afraid of.  “Don’t be afraid to ask what you are worth. This spoke volumes to me because many of us are struggling with this concept, more so because we are fearful of loosing clients. Sometimes its the risks we take that provide us the greatest reward. I've learned many lessons from Kathy's session that I will use to continue to build our brand. Thanks Kathy Romero for being an inspiration to many!!!!

As I conclude Part I of the BASH Conference 2016 recap, I will end with some images of the beautiful resort. I got lost on my way back!!! Although this resort is stunning, it sure is one  huge compound!!! Be sure to check back on the blog to read more from my BASH 2016 experience and this three part post. Thanks for stopping by!