Recovering From Mom 2.0 Summit Conference

This past weekend, I attended Mom 2.0 Summit in New Orleans.  While I didn’t have to travel far, it seemed like I was many miles from home.  I spent three amazing days connecting with other social media leaders, powerful brands, and learning from other people’s experiences.

While this wasn’t the first work related conference I’ve attended, I felt like a newbie.  Two years ago, I thought Social Media meant updating my posts of Facebook; now I see the impact it has on brand marketing, consumer perception, and the positive impact it can have for the companies that embrace it.  Lucky for me, I wasn’t the only one who was there soaking it all in… my new friend Allison Alexander from aMomKnowsBest was there having a great time with me!

Mom2.0Summit had some amazing sponsoring brands.  Among them: New Balance, Claritin, Microsoft, Truvia, Huggies, Almond Accents, Johnson & Johnson, Zatarains, CLR, Similac, Let’s Play, McDonalds, Whirlpool, American Cancer Society, California Black Ripe Olives, Community Coffee, DailyBuzz Moms & Federated Media, IKEA, Intel, Lego, MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center, PBS Parents, Tide, Dole, Aden + Anais, Egglands’s Best, Epiphanie, Got Milk?, HP, Lansinoh, Nintendo, PBS Kids, Sunsweet Growers and a few others.

It would take me days to recap all that I learned and the people that I’ve met.  Yet, there are a few that are worthy of special recognition.  I spent two days enjoying amazing food thanks to Zatarains.  If you don’t know about Zatarains, they are a local company that brings the taste of authentic New Orelans food into your kitchen.  Ya’ll know that I don’t cook much out of a box; but their Creole mustard is a staple in my kitchen, I use it for everything.  To top it off, my friend Allison won their Jambalaya recipe contest!  The first night Zatarains sponsored a “Let The Good Times Roll” welcome party with a special appearance and meet & greet of Chef John Besh. I don’t know about you, but it’s not every day I meet a Food Network chef!

Another favorite was New Balance. They sponsored morning workouts with a celebrity trainer and a New Orleans walking tour.  I was grateful to be the recipient of TWO new pairs of sneakers!  I just LOVE my NB WW850 and my NB WX871s! They are amazing!  The first pair are those “toning” walking shoes. I’ve been using them for the past two days and they are mega comfortable.  Unlike other “toning” sneakers, you don’t feel like you are trying to balance yourself on a ball while you are walking.  The second pair are fantastic cross-trainers.  They are perfect for my kind of workouts!

The final thanks goes to TRUVIA.  Truvia comes from the natural stevia plant and it’s a safe alternative to zero-calorie substitutes.  I am really excited to do some research and recipe testing in my kitchen in the upcoming weeks (stay tuned).  At Mom2Summit, they were extremely informative about their product, friendly, and threw a fantastic cocktail party!

Overall, I’ve learned a lot, made new friends, and met face to face with representatives of some pretty amazing companies.  Unfortunately, I came home to a sick little boy with strep throat.  Two days of holding him and loving him back to health has definitely hit the “pause” button on productivity.  Worth it? Absolutely.