If you’ve been on Instagram this past weekend I’m sure you noticed that a lot of bloggers were in Dallas at the Reward Style #rStheCon blogger conference. Each year rewardStyle invites 200 top-performing digital influencers to a invitation-only educational event in Dallas, Texas. rewardStyle is the company behind LIKEtoKNOW.it, and is a monetization tool bloggers use to create shopable product links. This was the 5th Annual rewardStyle the Conference and something I’ve always dreamed of attending. I’ve seen other bloggers attending the conference and was always so curious to know what all they did during the event. Last year I made it my goal to get invited–when that email came in a few months back I was over the moon excited.
The conference is an educational event where we can learn and network with the best in the industry. It’s also an opportunity for all of us bloggers to get to know each other and meet one-on-one with brands. I was super excited to finally meet some of my favorite blogger babes that I’ve been following for years. I’ll take you through the weekend day by day.
—Surprise giveaway!!—
I’ve teamed up with a group of bloggers to give one luck winner a $1000 Nordstrom gift card [there’s also a cash option]. Be sure to enter at the bottom of the post!!!
DAY 1
Thursday 4/20 Schedule:
Travel
Check-in & Welcome reception
Rooftop Pool Party with Sole Society
Check-in & Welcome reception
Rooftop Pool Party with Sole Society
Travel:
Thursday morning I had a 8 am flight from Tampa to Dallas with my blogger bestie Christian (@christianblair_style). I am always a last minute packer and found myself up until 3am packing–not smart! I got about 2 hours of sleep. Yikes! After rushing to the airport I missed bag check by 7 minutes and had to catch the next flight which didn’t go out till 11am. Definitely not ideal, but it gave me time to catch up on emails and get some work done before the busy weekend ahead. Christian made her flight and was waiting for me when I finally got to Dallas.
Check-in:
The conference was held at Hotel Crescent Court. Christian and I checked in and headed to our rooms to get situated. We got 2 rooms for the weekend, I roomed with Bailey (Here’s The Skinny) & Lindsey (Weekend Wishing). Christian (Christian Blair Style) roomed with Lindsey (Life Lutzurious). The hotel was soo beautiful and the perfect location for the conference.
Welcome Reception:
The hotel lobby was full of bloggers when we made our way down to check-in. We were handed a glass of champagne as we checked in and grabbed our schedules for the weekend. After meeting a few friendly faces we headed back to the rooms to get ready for the party.
Pool Party:
The rooftop party was hosted by Sole Society and was an “Escape to Tulum” theme. It was so fun to meet up with all of the other bloggers. The party was amazing but soo hot. A few of us even took our shoes off and cooled our feet in the pool–it was necessary!
Dinner:
After the party, a few of us headed to Stephan Pyles Flora Street Cafe in the Dallas Arts District. We took an Uber from the hotel and literally had the world’s WORST driver. He turned in front of traffic almost causing an accident 1 min into our ride. Then tried to drop us off at the wrong location–really dude?? [Just wait, it gets worse.] Then after insisting he put the address in again to find the restaurant, he does an illegal U-turn on a 3 lane one-way street, then continues to drive the WRONG WAY down the one-way. We were freaking out!!! Caroline (Currently Caro) finally decided to map it herself and give him directions from the backseat, which he still struggled with. Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to get out of the car and finally eat. The restaurant was beautiful and had the prettiest mural on the wall. We ordered a bunch of small plates and shared–all of the food was so unique and delicious.
Pic via LIKEtoKNOW.it
DAY 2
Friday 4/21 Schedule:
Breakfast
Main Stage Education
Uptown Picnic with Banana Republic
Classroom Sessions
Cocktail Party with Bumble BFF
Dinner
Breakfast:
Our first full day of the conference started with delicious acai bowls and lots of coffee.
Main Stage Education:
Each blogger received a separate schedule for the weekend with classroom sessions, brand meetings, and rep meetings. The Main Stage Education was the only time that all of us were together in the same room. We heard from some of the most knowledgable people in the industry including the Co-Founder and CEO of rewardStyle, Baxter Box. It was so inspiring and the perfect way to kick off the weekend.
Uptown Picnic:
Lunch was held at Shake Shack in Dallas’ Uptown district just a short walk from the hotel. It was hosted by Banana Republic and was seriously the perfect spring picnic. The burgers were amazinggg! They also had the BEST Mud Pie ice cream–it was coffee, fudge, and marshmallow flavored. Yum!!
Classroom Sessions:
The rest of the day was filled with class room sessions, I had 3 classes scheduled. We learned all about SEO, website upgrades, and marketing. The marketing class was lead by Courtney Kerr–she is so much fun and kept the class laughing. I took lots of notes and I’m excited to make some upgrades to my site over the next few weeks.
Break:
We snapped a few pics before the party and ran into Rach Parcell in the garden. She was doing a photoshoot right next to us. Rach has always been a huge inspiration and someone I’ve always admired. It was so nice to meet her and to be able to chat for a bit. She is seriously the sweetest person ever!
Cocktail Party:
After a full day of classes we were all ready to wine-down at the Bumble BFF cocktail party. We all walked in on a gorgeous yellow carpet into the oval atrium at Hotel Crescent Court. The party was So. Much. Fun. A group of us headed to Nobu [inside the hotel] for a yummy sushi dinner after the party. It was seriously the best sushi I’ve ever had–so fresh and full of flavor.
DAY 3
Saturday 4/22 Schedule:
Breakfast
Brand Meetings
Garden Lunch with Topshop
Rep Meeting
Classroom Session
Official LIKEtoKNOW.it App Launch Party
Breakfast:
Saturday’s schedule was packed, so I loaded up on coffee, fruit, and breakfast burritos to get me through the day. We woke up to cold windy weather. The temperature dropped 30 degrees overnight. We definitely weren’t prepared for that!
Brand Meetings:
There were lots of brands present at the conference. They were all set up in a large banquet room where we got to sit down and meet with them individually. I had meetings scheduled with Bumble BFF, Sole Society, and Abercrombie. It was so fun learning more about each brand and letting them know more about Styled Adventures.
Garden Lunch:
The Topshop garden lunch was beyond amazing. They had a super fun floral wall set up in the garden for pictures. Every table was set with the most beautiful centerpiece and the cutest clear menu. The food was incredible. We had seared salmon, coconut lime chicken, kale salad, and the most delicious quinoa I’ve ever had. The strawberry lemonade mocktails were soo pretty and even yummier than they looked.
Rep Meeting:
After lunch I has a one-on-one meeting with my rewardStyle rep, Jenna. We met at Ascension coffee house across the street from the hotel. They have the best chai lattes.
Classroom Session:
My last classroom session was the one I was most excited about. The session was about brand extensions and was hosted by Rach Parcell. She shared all about starting her Rachel Parcell clothing line and what she learned along the way. It was so inspiring!
LIKEtoKNOW.it Party:
The black tie LIKEtoKNOW.it app launch party was held at Wyly Theatre in Dallas’ Arts District. It was a progressive party that evolved each hour. The party started on the rooftop which had amazing views of the city. After getting my heel majorly stuck in a crack [thankfully it survived] and eating lots of yummy hors d’oeuvres, the party started to move. We all headed into a giant freight elevator that took us through the theatre to the next part of the experience. After spending an hour at that spot the final surprise arrived. The LIKEtoKNOW.it drum line set up outside and performed. All the sudden they stopped, turned around, and started marching up the hill. The whole party followed. It was so much fun! We ended up at a giant tent set up right downtown with a super cool DJ, mini burgers, and fry cones. We danced until we couldn’t feel our toes. Seriously the best night and perfect way to end the weekend.
Pic via LIKEtoKNOW.it
DAY 4
Sunday 4/23 Schedule:
Packing
#Startedwithascreenshot Wall
Brunch
Travel
Packing:
We woke up exhausted from our busy weekend. My feet were still numb from the LTK party. I was a little sad getting packed up and ready to go, but we we’re all so tired and ready to be home.
#StartedWithAScreenShot Wall:
Christian, Lindsey, and I headed to The Standard Pour to get some pics on the super fun LIKEtoKNOW.it heart wall. The wall art is so fun and the perfect spring backdrop. I heard a rumor that they would be adding these in cities across the US. I hope it’s true, cause I want one in Tampa!!
Brunch:
After visiting the wall, Christian and I headed to Ascension to grab brunch before catching our flight home. I ordered a veggie omelet and hot tea. The food there is sooo good! We relaxed for a bit then headed to DFW.
Travel:
Our flight home was super quick. It’s about a 3 hour flight but this one flew by, literally. [ha!] The hubs was waiting at the airport to pick us up with flowers in hand. He had a dozen roses for each of us–seriously the sweetest man on earth!! How did I get so lucky?!?
The rewardStyle conference was such an amazing experience, and I am so thankful I was invited to attend this year. I learned so much and met so many incredible bloggers. I hope you enjoyed following along and getting to experience it with me.
Don’t forget to download the new LIKEtoKNOW.it app. It allows you to shop all of my Instagram outfits with a simple screenshot. SO quick and easy!!
Also, be sure to check out the #rStheCon hashtag on Instagram to see more pics from the conference.
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Sizing reference:
I’m 5’1″. Typically wear 6.5-7 in shoes. XS/0 in tops and dresses. 24 in Jeans.
-SHOP THE POST-
Such an awesome opportunity! Your outfits are always impeccable.
KATE|| KATE KOUTURES
Sounds like you had a blast! I've always wondered what happened at these events so thank you for sharing!
– Stevie
Irresistibly Petite Blog
This comment has been removed by the author.
Thanks for sharing! This is super cool and you are such a babe! I seriously hope i make it to RStheCON 2018 #GOALS
Erica Valentin
http://www.ericavalentin.com
A dozen roses for each of you?!? SWOON!!!! He's amazing! Such a wonderful weekend with you. Can't wait to do it again!
The staff here is actually competent and friendly, unlike other places with their pretentious staff guys. The event space NYC was magnificent and modern, and the seating was comfy. Truly, the food was heavenly and as a visitor I am glad for finding this one.