A couple of weeks ago I co-hosted our second annual Magical Media Retreat. This Anaheim blogging conference is a small-scale retreat for bloggers and content creators. It’s not only a chance for a group of creatives to come together and learn new skills and gain knowledge, but it’s also a great opportunity for team building. Content creation can be so lonely sometimes because some people still don’t really understand what’s involved or how it works. Today I wanted to share all the details of our retreat with you–from our sponsors to our activities! Some links contain affiliates, all opinions are my own.
our second annual Anaheim blogging conference
Friday evening welcome reception & headshots
The Hilton Anaheim was fantastic and hosted an evening reception for us. However, before I get into the details of that magical evening, I want to share about our photographer for the retreat. Amanda from Captivating by Amanda was our photographer for last year’s retreat and we knew we wanted her back. All attendees are invited (and encouraged!) to sign up for headshots. These are so valuable to have for anyone at any level of their blogging journey. I’ve used my images from Amanda for new headshots, blog posts, and social media images. There’s nothing like professional photographs–especially if you’re the type of person that doesn’t like to have their picture taken.
After our headshots we had an evening welcome reception in the Vista Lounge at the Hilton Anaheim. The Vista Lounge is located on the 14th floor and overlooks California Adventure. The Hilton Anaheim catered the entire feel of the lounge to fit with our pink theme–from the up lights on the walls to the pillows on the couch. They also worked with us on the perfect menu for our guests, paying special attention to our concerns about having gluten free options. We were also able to choose a custom mocktail and cocktail for our attendees to enjoy! From beginning to end it was the perfect evening, thanks to the service and attentiveness of the Hilton staff. Towards the end of our welcome reception for our Anaheim blogging conference we played some ice breaker games and then passed out the swag bags from our generous sponsors!
our sponsors and partners for the retreat
We could not pull off a retreat like this (especially at the price point we have set) without generous sponsors. For our Magical Media Retreat we had both gift and financial sponsors, as well as partners for the weekend. The Hilton Anaheim, Splitsville Anaheim, and ART were all partners of ours for the weekend that helped everything run smoothly. June Care and Get Away Today were financial sponsors that helped offset the cost of the retreat by covering a delicious brunch during our Anaheim blogging conference and our food and drinks at Splitsville. And of course, as already mentioned, Captivating by Amanda was there to capture it all!
| Read: The First Magical Media Retreat |
Our swag bags from our sponsors this year will be hard to top in future years! Jenny, Kim, and I all worked hard to think of brands we loved and wanted to share with attendees. We had beautiful organizational products from Erin Condren and equally gorgeous bags from Ruby Jade. Parent company, Lily Jade, even sent one of their Caroline diaper bags in Old English Leather to raffle off. Lesser Evil Snacks sent the most delicious popcorn, and small shop Olive and Emma sent glass cups that are perfect for your favorite drinks. Some sponsors that will help us look good are MarsQuest sunglasses, Pink Desert clothing, and Twirl in Pink jewelry. Everybody’s phones got an upgrade with a new Walli case, and Tubby Todd sent along some of their best products for everyone too.
Saturday blogging conference sessions & brunch
The main bulk of our conference took place on Saturday. This was a big change from our first year and we made that change due to feedback from attendees saying that they wanted more time. We started Saturday morning with a introduction to our sponsors and then our keynote speaker, Amber from Global Munchkins, spoke to us about how to lead with heart to build your brand and your community. It was so wonderful learning from her and it was very inspiring! Other topics covered in our sessions were: Blogging 101, Pitching to Brands, Diversifying and Monetizing, and SEO. We were also able to hear from two of the sponsors for this year’s Anaheim blogging conference–Get Away Today and June Care.
| Read: All About the Magical Media Retreat |
Brunch during our conference sessions was absolutely delicious. We are so thankful to Get Away Today for sponsoring the whole spread! Again, the Hilton Anaheim worked with us on a completely tailored menu and made sure our guests with dietary concerns were taken care of. I really cannot recommend this Hilton location enough for your conference needs. Every request was quickly and efficiently handled and we really appreciated having them on our team. From the room setup, to the food, to the AV, everything was perfect.
girls night out at Downtown Disney
After a full day of conference sessions it was time to relax and have some fun together! We were able to work with ART again this year and the service was fantastic. ART is a part of the Anaheim Transportation Network, which also includes the ANNA and FRAN systems. All you have to do is download the A-Way WeGo app and then you can purchase passes and schedule your rides quickly and easily!
| Read: What to do at Downtown Disney |
After a short ride we walked over to the Splitsville Downtown Disney location. Splitsville is a fun, yet upscale bowling alley and restaurant. It’s perfect for groups, parties, and girls nights out like ours! Speaking of girls night out, Splitsville hosted us for our bowling lanes, while June Care sponsored our appetizers and drinks for the evening. Splitsville is a fun experience to add to your Disney vacation, or a great weeknight activity for locals! Due to high demand, I definitely recommend reserving ahead of time, if you can. Pro tip–don’t forget to snap a selfie with their cute Mickey and Minnie bowling balls, that are also available for purchase!
the end of our Anaheim blogging conference
Before I knew it, it was Sunday morning and we were meeting to do a quick group Reel and announce the winner of the beautiful Lily Jade Caroline bag. What a full and whirlwind Anaheim blogging conference! I think there were a lot of highlights, and a few places for growth. Overall, our feedback from our 2023 attendees has been incredibly favorable. The three of us hosts are already talking about next year’s retreat!
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors & partners for our Magical Media Retreat:
Other than Splitsville images, all photos in this post were provided by Amanda of Captivating Photography by Amanda. She is located in the greater Anaheim area.
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Host outfits provided by Pink Desert.
Want to join us next year? Message one of us hosts and let us know!
