Over the summer we were blessed to attend the tenth annual #SweetSuite. Sweet Suite is an opportunity for media and toy brands to connect. Honestly, it is a HUGE party where those of us fortunate enough to get an invite are able to play with what will soon be everyone’s favorite toys. It is just an amazing evening that really serves as a reminder of how much I love what I do. Normally, I would just share a few of my favorite finds from the event with you as I did here last year but since I have been slacking on sharing the fun we’ve been having we have already gone to three other toy showcases since attending Sweet Suite! So, rather than choosing favorite finds from this event I want to share something a bit more personal with you. I want to share the reasons I truly attend these types of events.
Friends – I’ve been blogging for almost four years now. I’ve gotten to meet more people than I can count during that time. Now, many of those faces will be forgotten. Many of those business cards will stay at the bottom of my tin waiting to be organized and uploaded to my directory. Many of those social media accounts will be followed and later unfollowed when I realize that we don’t have anything in common other than both being bloggers. Yet, in these past four years, I have also built relationships that surpass social media and blogging. I have found friendships with bloggers, vloggers and brand reps that I truly value and cherish. These people have become part of my life and community. They have become important to JustaBXgirl. They have become those I turn to for advice and laughter. They are the people that I choose to follow on and offline. And it isn’t just me. JustaBXgirl has created her own friendships and community. Sweet Suite is an opportunity to catch up with these people. Sweet Suite is a chance to celebrate these relationships.
Inspiration – You cannot be at Sweet Suite and not feel inspired. This year, The Toy Insider (event host) had us greeted by many of our favorite superheroes. Last year, we entered through a balloon maze. Toy brands use the event to create magical activations that have to be experienced to be believed. This year one of our most favorite areas was the Jakks Pacific booth which had a six-foot pinata to celebrate their new Fiesta Pinatas which you know we are fans of. Yet, it isn’t just the toy brands and The Toy Insider that bring the magic. Being in a room with so many content creators you can almost feel the creative buzz in the room. Everyone is there to help each other find the perfect angle for their shot. Everyone is planning how each item in the room can be used for upcoming content creation. Being in a room with our favorite vloggers and bloggers makes me want to work harder and create better content for you.
Toys – I know that I started this post by saying I wasn’t going to focus on the toys because I can do that anytime but I can’t ignore the fact that this event helps to decide which toys will be the most wanted for the holiday season. I love seeing the new items coming out and trying to figure which will be the biggest trend. I love finding favorites and watching how entire worlds grow where there was once only a spark of imagination. A lot of the prototypes that I have seen earlier in the year are now ready to hit store shelves. This year, Sweet Suite was also the first time that JustaBXgirl had the opportunity to see some of the items and I love watching her choose what will be her favorites.
If you’re like me then you are already working down your holiday shopping list and I want to make sure to get you the info you need to make smart decisions when it comes to gift-giving. This event is tons of fun but I take attending seriously as well. You trust me to share my opinions on what I see and I am working on putting those lists together. I’m thinking of starting those guides earlier this year to give you more time to shop. Stay tuned as I catch up on everything sitting in my inbox I promise it is worth the wait.
