I received a discounted stay at Beaches Resort in exchange for promotion. All opinions are my own. 

If you’ve been following my social media or the other 100+ mommy bloggers, you know that we just wrapped up the Social Media on the Sand 2019 conference. So what is social media on the sand? And who are these Beaches Moms?

Started five years ago, the Beaches Resorts by Sandals hosts a group of 100 moms from all over. The majority of the moms are U.S. based, but there were also Canadian moms and some other moms from other countries.

I first learned about the conference back in 2017. There is an online application process to be selected for the conference. There is a dedicated website where you can apply to be accepted. I was accepted in 2017, but there was a hurricane that year, so they had to cancel the 2017 conference. I attended last year’s conference – if you’re interested in reading more about my experience, I have a few stories about my first trip to Turks and Caicos.

My first conference experience was so wonderful that I knew I would apply to come back again this year. I also knew that if I was accepted, I would definitely bring my kids this time. Last year, I missed them so much and knew they would absolutely love the Beaches property. There is so much for kids to do here – I’ll write another post about that later this month.

Social Media on The Sand 2019

The 2019 Social Media on the Sand conference did not disappoint. Just like in 2018, there were amazing parties, inspiring speakers, lots of great brands to meet, and a lot of opportunities to network with other bloggers.

For me, the highlight of the 2019 conference was two-fold. I really adored the keynote speakers. Daymond John, Jamie Kern Lima, and Rebecca Minkoff were all excellent speakers. Although each provided unique content, one common theme weaved throughout their talks. They all had moments of failure, but rather than quitting, they used those failures to keep going and they ultimately accomplish truly amazing things.

The other major highlight of the conference for me was all of the networking with other bloggers. I had the chance to get to know some bloggers I met last year a whole lot better. (Like my friend Ramona from Fab Everyday, pictured above). I also made some new relationships I’m really excited to explore further. The Beaches Moms community is truly so supportive and encouraging. I felt a renewed sense of purpose with my blogging and have a lot of new ideas of things I can do to improve my blogging business. I’m also so excited that I know a lot more bloggers with whom I can discuss the business of blogging, and I look forward to seeing a lot of them at upcoming conferences, and hopefully, next year again at a Beaches Resort!

Social Media on the Sand Cost

So one question a lot of people have asked me is whether this conference is free. It’s not. It’s actually pretty pricey, even though we do receive a significantly discounted rate on our stay. The conference fee this year was $550 for each blogger. There is also a fee for each family member who attends. I also extended our stay an additional three nights, so I had to pay a pretty high fee for each of those additional nights.

On top of the stay and conference costs, there are also the flights for my whole family. I was lucky to find fairly inexpensive flights from Los Angeles, but international flights are not that cheap and you also have to consider baggage and seat fees too. In total, I spent several thousand dollars to bring my family to the Beaches Turks and Caicos resort. However, I also got to stay at a gorgeous all-inclusive resort for an entire week.

The total cost of the trip is still significantly discounted from the standard Beaches rate. I heard several bloggers say they would never be able to afford this type of vacation for their whole family if it was not for the Social Media on the Sand conference. That’s definitely true for me too. It was a lot more costly to bring everyone, but it was still a lot less than if I tried to come outside of the conference.

Beaches Resorts Locations

Despite the cost, a trip to Beaches Resorts is totally worth it. I can’t say enough about how gorgeous the Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort is. It is truly a family vacation paradise. If you have kids, this is a place you will want to go. I’m going to write a longer post about why it’s so great for kids.

There are three different Beaches Resorts. One is in Negril Jamaica, one is in Ocho Rios Jamaica and then there is the Beaches in Turks and Caicos. I’ve only been to this resort, but I’ve heard the other two are amazing too!

Book Beaches Stay

If you want to learn more about the Beaches Resorts, you should definitely call their customer service line to learn more. I can’t say enough what amazing staff they have. Everyone goes out of their way to make sure you have a good experience. I’d also read the Trip Advisor reviews so you can learn more.

I hope this post helps you feel more educated about what is Social Media on the Sand and who these Beaches Moms are. If you’re curious to see more about the 100+ mommies who came, you should check out #beachesmoms and #socialmediaonthesand hashtags to learn more.

 

Photos via Laura Dee, C. Morris Photography, and Catie McDade Photography