Pinners Conference 2017 – Atlanta; The Review
Hey there!
You may have noticed that last Saturday's post was a little bit late (24 hours). That was because I was at the Pinners Conference in Atlanta!!
“What is the Pinners Conference?” you may ask. Well you know all of the things that you go on Pinterest and like and save to boards? Imagine if all of those boards came to life. Well, that’s the Pinners Conference!! It’s full of DIY crafts, meal ideas, party planning ideas and just general “I can make that!” ideas.
I had such a great time. I wasn't sure what to expect. Some things were super fantastic. Some things a bit disappointing. Some things were learning points and some things were much better than I expected.
I only went for the Saturday portion of the event. I thought about 2 days (going Friday and Saturday) but I wasn't really sure what all they would have for that price point. You could go all fancy, high roller and pay $129 for the VIP pass; $49 for the two-day expo with all classes included (12 total I think); $29 for one day expo with all classes (6 for the day); $15 for one day and only 2 classes or $7 general admission (no classes). I went with the $29 ticket but found a discount coupon code online.
There were 6 stages with classes going at the same time so you could pick from a total of 36 classes (but of course, some would be happening at the same time so….). I only preregistered for 3 classes. I wasn't sure that I wanted to go to all 6. BIG MISTAKE. If you think you want to go to a class, preregister. Most of the preregistration is free and if there is an add on cost for a project, you can pay for that at the door. That's what I did for all my classes. I didn't pay for anything in advance.
I ended up taking….
"Make Your Planner Fun & Functional" by Tombow's Jennie Garcia
"Creating a Home You'll Love on a Budget" by Erin Spain
"Creative Messaging in Home Decor" by DCWV's Jesse Peterson
"Capturing Sweet Moments" by Live Sweet Photography's Lindsey Bonnice
"Successful Entertaining" by Sweet Pea Lifestyle's Ashley Elizabeth Berger
Find 6 classes and go to all of them! I only went to 5 because I took a lunch break. The one that I didn't think I needed was the one that I got so much valuable information from!
I talked to a VIPer while we were standing in line and she was very unhappy with her VIP choice. She said that she didn't feel like she got her $129 worth. She mentioned that the swag bag was mostly adverts, the VIP room was sparse as far as snacks, the VIP parties weren't anything special and she didn't get to go to the front of any lines. Now, I have no idea if her assessment was true, I can only go by what she said. I know that I did get my money's worth.
The show floor wasn't what I was expecting. It was more of a sales floor than a learning floor. I walked around the show floor in 45 minutes. Then, after a class, I made purchases from 2 places that I had been eyeing. Then I was done with the show floor. I had 3 hours between my preregistered classes! What's a girl to do?
Go to classes and stand in the stand by line (I got in all of them, no problem). This was when I discovered that classes I didn't think I'd like turned out to be very helpful. Look, you've paid for 6 classes, damn it, get six classes!
All in all, I had a GREAT time. Next year I will certainly purchase the same package and preregister for classes. I know what to expect so I'll be ready. Do you think you might go next year? Take a peek at their website and let me know what you think. Maybe I'll see you there!
