A first hand experience about everything you need to know about the Wedding MBA.
If you’re coming across this post wondering what in the world is Wedding MBA, we’re here to tell you! - Wedding Merchants Business Association. If you’re already familiar with what the WMBA is, then even better! Two months post returning from LAS and I’m here to share our experiences as first timers at the convention.
My first day at the WMBA in Las Vegas was purely overwhelming. Where do I go? Who do I see? How do I prioritize? Where’s the bathroom? Where’s the gosh dang coffee? I get to meet Sasha Souza?! And David Tuterra?! What?!
The conference is 3 days of non stop wedding info overload. Yes, overload! SO.MUCH.info! AND SO WORTH EVERY MIND BOGGLING SECOND. The days are filled with seminar after seminar with wedding professionals from all over the country. Experts in everything wedding, from flowers to coordinators. Not only did we get to meet the people who have risen to the highest ranks in the wedding industry - we even got to rub elbows. The Knot threw a large invite only party to introduce the two largest wedding networks, The Knot and Wedding Wire and we were lucky enough to snag an invite. It was an elaborate mock wedding reception filled with the up and coming trends and names of the industry. SO much food, and of course all the drinks one could possibly want. This event, styled by the ever so lovely and brilliant Andrea Eppolito, showcased trends from moving food stations (ranging in raw tuna to bread pudding), to live entertainment - from a live band to a woman playing a guitar with a hand saw? Yep, you read that right.
Everyday I do this little life exercise with my daughter: high and low. What was your high of the day and what was your low of the day? So, naturally I applied this to my Wedding MBA experience. Below you’ll find the highs and lows from our conference experience and SOME of our advice on how to navigate this bad boy if you decide to take on this adventure in the future!
Highs
- Rubbing elbows with the wedding world elite such as Sandra Souza, Andrea Eppolitto, Bron The Flower Guy, Jove Meyer, Two Bright Lights, the Knot World Wide Team, and Timeesha Duncan just to name a few.
- The never ending knowledge. We attended 5-8 seminars a day. Each seminar included a 10 minute Q & A portion (many of which we didn't get to attend because we were getting to our next room to secure a see)!
- There were a lot of options to choose from so you could attend what appealed to you. Each industry professional had at least 8-10 seminars to choose from so you could plan your perfect day.
- There were several food options onsite if you needed to refuel between seminars.
- We took advantage of networking opportunities with high level event planners and industry professionals that would not be available anywhere else.
- We were able to expand our affiliation programs.
- We even learned about the best software in the industry (and even joined Aisle Planner)
A few other things that made it a positive experience was that transportation was easily accessible by Lyft and Uber. There were people stationed at the front entrance to answer any questions you had about the event. There were also custodial staff throughout if you needed help navigating the convention.
Lows
- “But first, coffee” wasn’t always an option because there was only one coffee cart for over 500 people.
- The bathroom lines were long. We typically waited about 10 minutes to use a restroom and there was no attendant. Luckily they were well kept but a map providing other onsite bathroom options would have been very helpful!
- While we loved all the options offered, it sometimes made for difficult decisions if there were several seminars that we wanted to attend at the same time.
How to Improve for 2020
The overall experience was PRICELESS and the list could certainly go on. Chaos can sometimes be expected at such a large event; however, there are a few things that could be adjusted to make the whole convention go smoother. - MORE COFFEE stations are a must
-SCHEDULED BREAKS... There was less than 5 minutes in between each seminar to get to the next one. That meant no time for bathroom and definitely no time for coffee in between unless you left early or went late.
- MORE SEATING.... There was not enough seats for a big name speaker which meant you had to make some sacrifices if you wanted seat.
Despite the highs and lows, the knowledge and networking that was supported by this event is something that cannot be replaced. Our tickets are already purchased for next years event and we cannot wait!!!
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