Wedding MBA is almost here, and we couldn’t be more excited! I am very pleased to be speaking in the Wedding Planning track, and I’ll share all the details of that a bit later on.
But first, here are my top Dos and Donts for a Successful Wedding MBA Experience.
Let’s start with the positives.
Things to DO at Wedding MBA
- Make a plan. Wedding MBA has so many opportunities for education and networking. Aside from the general education track, they also have specialty tracks, bonus sessions on Monday during badge pickup, meet and greets with the speaker’s during badge pick up, and the Expo Hall. So much great stuff over the four days of the conference! It can be totally overwhelming if you don’t make a plan. I like to download the full conference schedule (you can do that here) and make my notes for what I’d like to attend. I also find it helpful to carry this with me at the conference, so I know what’s next – and to make sure I’m in the right room. Sounds silly, but I assure you, by Day 3, you are going to need the extra info.
- Wear your name badge. There’s a reason conferences give out name tags. Make it easy for people to learn and remember your name. Wear your nametag where people can easily read it. (You can shorten the lanyard strap by tying a knot at the nape of your neck.) Also, Pro Tip: Stash extra business cards within the plastic sleeve that holds your name tag. It saves you from digging around in your bad every three minutes.
- Go to the Parties! Yes, the reason you’re in Vegas is for the education. But…Wedding MBA is known for the parties. Every night, you can find extra-curricular activities of the wedding professionals variety. Typically, The Knot & Wedding Wire throw the two largest parties, usually on the same night. And many, many other groups (facebook groups, networking groups, etc) take advantage of the off nights to host their own smaller gatherings.
Speaking of smaller gatherings, this year you can join Amber Anderson of Refine, Christina & Rob Farrow of Aisle Planner, Heidi Thompson of Evolve Your Wedding Business and ME and on Monday, November 5th at SLS Las Vegas, 5-7 pm for a Meeting of the Minds MBA Mixer! FREE tickets here.
Things NOT to do at Wedding MBA
- Ignore the Expo Hall. It might be tempting, especially for the introverts in the crowd, to skip the huge, loud and potentially anxiety-producing Expo Hall. But that would be a big mistake. HUGE. The Expo Hall is full of new innovations, products, and services for Wedding Pros, and some old friends too. Curious about Honeybook? Walk right up to their booth and chat with someone. Want to know more about Aisle Planner? Well, the creators are right there! Ask them anything!
- Stay in your Lane. Even though Wedding MBA offers specialty tracks for their seminars, that doesn’t mean you need to stay ONLY within your track. Wedding Planners might find value in classes for florists, venue owners, or entertainment…who knows? Do your research ahead of time and read through all of your many options beforehand.
- Skip lunch. Y’all. Don’t skip lunch. In fact, you need to make a plan ahead of time for lunch, or you’ll spend the whole break waiting in line for a sad, cold sandwich. GrubHub, UberEats, and Postmates are your friends here! Grab a friend or two and order yourself lunch. You’ll thank me for this one later.
Ways to Connect with Me at Wedding MBA
Monday, November 5th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm | Meet and Greet at Las Vegas Convention Center
I’ll be at badge pickup so come to say hello and get a hug and a selfie!
Monday, November 5th, 5:00 – 7:00 pm | Meeting of the MBA Minds Mixer at SLS Las Vegas
See above for co-host info and get your free tickets here
Wednesday, November 7th, 8:00 am | Presentation: “Sunrise, Sunset” aka The Myth of Day-of Coordination
Join me for my presentation at 8 am – Free donuts to the first 200 people in the room! Seriously. Y’all are gonna be a bit hungover and you’ll need the sugar.
And check out this week’s Rock Your Wedding Biz podcast all about How to Make the Most of an Industry Conference!
