Mom 2.0 Summit at The Ritz-Carlton – Thoughts, Opinion, and Recap from a First Time Attendee

First thing first, if I have to summarize everything about my experience of Mom 2.0 Summit in one sentence I’d say it was a “definite resounding success.” — in fact, I have no idea where to start. I figured I’ll be breaking things down into multiple posts to make it easier for everyone. Especially for those who have been considering to go and needs a little more convincing. This post is definitely a perfect fit and will serve as your guide and walkthrough.

I’m telling you this now, I had an absolute blast. I’m not just saying that because I went. Trust me, no sugar coating on my end. I literally had been suffering from severe morning sickness, and I am so glad the meds I got switched to helped a lot. Because if it didn’t, I would miss out on a whole LOT of learning, connecting and entertainment. I did, however, miss the Iris Awards as I was already feeling very nauseous and had to prepare for a really early morning flight the next day. Had to get up at 3:30 am to check out at 5 am.

First thing first, I flew out from New Jersey and arrived in Orlando Florida with a ride from Kia waiting at the airport. No booking needed! Just find the guy holding a red umbrella and that was it.

Kia Optima Hybrid

I arrived at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes and right away I was floored. The hotel looks grand, and I felt like royalty stepping into a world of fairy tale. Checking in was a breeze. They even offered to have my luggage delivered to my room so I can get started with my conference registration. That, by the way, took just a few minutes, and I received my badge and a welcome booklet with detailed info as far as the event schedule. Afterward, I went back to my room to relax before heading to the SunFest Welcome Party. Here’s what my room looked like …

Yes, the view from my room is phenomenal! More details about my room and what I think of at The Ritz-Carlton in a separate post. The party area was held by the pool, the ambiance was very relaxing. At first, I felt a bit shy and didn’t know if I should say hi to the other attendees … Here’s a major tip: a simple HELLO is enough to break the ice! Everyone is there to communicate, connect and network! So if you’re attending the next one, just know that you’re definitely at the right time and place.

About the brands/sponsors of the event … they’re there to educate, inform and connect. There are more than 20+ sponsors altogether so I can’t really recap each and every single one. If you’re wondering which brands you missed for not attending this year’s conference, you can check them out at Mom 2.0 Summit 2017 Sponsors. Of course, we each have our own favorites! As for me, my top 10 brands that I can’t get enough of are:

• Best Buy » gotta love all the latest tech and innovations!
• Dove » I love and swear by their #RealBeauty campaign. I advocate after their mission and embracing who and what we are.
• Baby Dove » discovered this at the summit and after seeing the demo first-hand, I now know what I want for our little angel. Mommy’s going to be ready to keep the little one fresh, clean and well cared of!
• Munchkin Grass Fed » Munchkin’s baby products have everything I could want for our little one. Now they even have 100% grass fed milk which is GMO-free, rBGH free, and antibiotic free formula!
• Similac » I love their StrongMoms program where they share their expert advice for a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies.
• Kia » with our growing family, we totally love that every Kia is designed technology, grace, safety and its users in mind. At the end of the day, our family comes first, and Kia knows that!
• Prudential » we can never prepare too early for our future, with a baby coming this November and a big move to Las Vegas in less than 3 years, taking charge of our finances is crucial. Prudential helps take guess work out of all that.
• Toca Boca » I literally download one of their apps to check it out and see the gameplay first hand. I wanted to find an educational way to stimulate my little one’s imagination without having to worry about certain dangers. I definitely approve of their service and highly recommend it to fellow parents.
• Fresh Wave » as an expecting mom and with a little one on the way, having “CLEAN” natural odor-neutralizing products to remove certain smell is welcome in our home!
• Smarty Pants » as someone who had been struggling with all the medications I am taking, it is refreshing to find prenatal vitamins in gummy chewable form and also very delicious!

Mind you, this isn’t just my first time at Mom 2.0 Summit, altogether this is my very first blog-related conference. Since I am new in the “mommy blogging” industry, it was totally refreshing to get to know and meet fellow bloggers who are also expecting (like me!), new moms and veterans! I never imagined I would feel so welcomed, wanted, as well as appreciated.

Before attending the event, I researched, googled and read a lot about the previous Mom 2.0 Summit conferences. I was prepared to have a great time. What it turned out to be was way better than I imagined, and more.

Overall, if you’re one of those who’s on the fence about attending, I hope that this post has helped you change your mind to check out the next Mom 2..0 Summit. The next one is their 10th Anniversary!!! Oh, and if you are a blogger, this is the best investment you could ever do for yourself and your blog to take things to the next level. Let me know your thoughts! xx

XOXO