I just recently got back from a two day conference in Vegas. I had such a great time! I'm also linking up with The Elementary Entourage to share my experience.
The Teachers Pay Teachers Conference took place on July 9th and 10th. I was a little reluctant to go due to the conference fee, flight, and hotel costs, but I'm really glad I did. I learned so much from my 4 day trip to Vegas. I'm a very independent person, but I have to admit it was a little weird to go somewhere by myself. Luckily, I wasn't by myself very long.
Cool Kids Meet and Greet in Vegas
Before the conference even started, there were two meet-ups that were scheduled a day before the conference along with a few more that I didn't go to. The first one I went to was the Cool Kids Meet and Greet. The meet and greet was at the B&B Burger and Beer restaurant at the Venetian and hosted by Kayse and Literary Sherri.
Luckily, I was one of the first 30 people there, so I got to pick where I was sitting. There was around 100 people that went. It was the perfect amount of people because you really got a chance to talk to people at your table and walk around to introduce yourself to other sellers.
Teacher/Blogger Meet-Up
As soon as the Cool Kids Meet and Greet was finished, it was time to go to the Teacher/Blogger Meet-Up. The Meet-Up was held at the Venetian with 1100 teachers/bloggers in attendance. Being a shy person, I have to say it was a bit overwhelming, and I was glad to have a group of friends that I met beforehand going with me. The evening was very informal with drinks and a place to make friends. I have to say the organizers did a great job with organizing this event with over 50,000 dollars worth of prizes that they gave away. Even though I didn't win one of the bigger prizes, I still got some swag. Each person got a bag full of goodies, and each person that didn't win, received a bulletin board set for their classroom.
TpT Conference Thursday
The day started with a networking opportunity. Each attendee got to pick which networking room they wanted to join, by grade level or interest. The options were pre-k and k, grades 1st-2nd, grades 3rd-5th, grades 6th-12th, and International, clip art, special education, foreign language, and homeschool. Since most of my background is from k-2, I went to grades 1st-2nd. What I liked about this networking opportunity is that this was an opportunity to make connections with teachers teaching similar grade levels. I met numerous teachers from around the country and discussed different topics ranging from Teachers Pay Teachers, Common Core, teaching strategies, and etc.
TpT Welcome and Sessions
Tpt started off the conference with introducing the attendees to all of the TpT staff. As attendees, we learned more about the company and where the company is going in the next year. The welcome was a short presentation leaving the main event for next morning.
I attended the Fix Your Brand and Take Your Store to the Next Level, Blogging Panel, and Advanced Marketing Panel. All the classes were very beneficial to helping my TpT store in the long run. Not only did the classes cover TpT related material, but information on Blogger, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
Secondary Meet and Greet
After the conference on Thursday there was a meet-up for all secondary teachers, but it was open for all as well. This meet up was held at one of the restaurants at the Venetian. Again, it was very informal with teachers just networking with other teachers.
TpT Conference Friday (Keynote and Sessions)
TpT started the day with a free continental breakfast for everyone before the Keynote Presentation. Once the breakfast was over, all 1100 of us went in for the Keynote Presentation. We heard from the founder, CEO, Director of Seller Happiness, and Rachel Lynette. Every speaker was amazing. We heard how TpT got started and where they plan on going in the future, but the best speaker was Rachel Lynette. She shared her amazing story on how she got started by answering an ad on Craigslist. She needed extra income to help her two kids. Almost 9 years later, she's one of the top sellers, and an inspiration to us all.
On Friday, I attended Unlock the Code-Secrets of Seller Success, Did I REALLY Sell That? Improving Out Products With a Critical Eye, TpT Marketing: Do This, Not That, and From Teacher to Teacherpreneur. I really enjoyed all of my sessions, and I learned a lot from each of them. What I did learn from each of my sessions, is to be myself, be original with my products, and take time for yourself too.
I was so lucky to be able to meet Deanna Jump, DeeDee Wills, and Rachel Lynette. It's been a dream of mine to meet all of them, especially Deanna Jump. I'm so thankful that they took the time to meet with all of their fans like me.
I especailly loved From Teacher to Teacherpreneur presented by Erin Cobb from Lovin Lit. She was too funny, and she had a lot of great advice. I also loved the Seller Planner she gave to each attendee.
Closing Remarks
I was really sad once the conference was over, but luckily, I had TpT Happy Hour and the Primary Meet and Greet left.
I had an amazing time in Vegas, with very little time to explore, which was a good thing. If you are just starting out with TpT or have been selling for awhile, I would recommend that you should go to the conference in 2016. If I'm free, I will be going for sure!
Little School the Range, and Making Meaning With Melissa
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