My Reflections on #BML16

Like I was with my “I’m going to #BML16” post I seem to be a little late with my post about the event! Yet, I am still thankful that I was able to go thanks to my sponsor Salisbury Parenting.

I loved the event last year. Despite finding elements of it hard physically I found a few of the sessions really interesting and came away feeling energetic for my blog and where I wanted to go with it.

I found the format of being over 2 days incredibly useful because it gave me the option to miss a few sessions and to socialise but to still learn.

This year, even with my physical safety precautions in place, I left feeling a little less energetic.

However, I am not going to spend this whole post discussing my views on it all because, let’s be honest, everyone is pretty much all saying what I felt about it.

The one day format didn’t work for me. I knew the importance of taking some time out and resting from last year and in doing that I missed a few of the sessions and even then I didn’t feel like I was missing out. Yet, even with the sessions that I did attend I didn’t feel like I directly learnt anything new or I just didn’t connect and come away feeling enthusiastic.

One positive that I felt made a difference was the brands present. Last year I felt that they were all pretty much aimed at Mum bloggers yet I felt a much greater family feel to them this year. The stalls that I did approach were either generic on gender, like the Coca-Cola stall, or aimed at families, like the Noddy magazine subscription.  

I can imagine that getting brands to be there can be a difficult task in many ways and to provide a range of mixed parental ages as well as gender would be a tough challenge but I did feel that it was an improvement on last time; I especially like the little competitions that were being held on some.

The biggest positive was the social side and meeting some of my favourite bloggers for the first time and reconnecting with the ones that I have met before.

Some of my social highlights were meeting Donna, Stevie, Sassy, Faye, Deborah, Laura and Ami for the first time. It really made my day connecting with people that I have spent so long chatting too!

Then there were the regular faces like Carla, Tim, Dave, Emma, Tony, Tom, Chantal and Jade who I have met a few times before so really made me feel like I was having fun with friends.

I originally planned to stay in my hotel room on the Friday night and get some work done but instead ended up joining a few over at AB1 where I met the lovely Clare and Jaime and all I need to say about that is #MartynsBetter

On the Saturday Carla came over and then decided to give me a push around (I will post about this tomorrow) which was great. She is one of my all time favourite blogging friends so was nice to spend the day, even if unplanned, with someone so cool.

I also stuck around in the evening for the keynote speakers which I skipped last year. So pleased I did just so I could listen to the musical genius that is Tim!

When it came to the evening I had arranged and organised for 2 groups of bloggers to have dinner. 20 blogger headed off to Pizza Express and 15 others, including myself, went to Nando’s.

I loved this! It was great to be sitting at the table with so many lovely bloggers and with that everyone having a great time; to sit and see the enjoyment amongst them whilst they stuffed their faces knowing I had helped with it really topped the day off nicely.

(Nat is so going to kill me for this!)

Would I do #BML again?

I think I would but mostly for the social aspect again. However, I hope that they would take on board what everyone has been saying and make a few tweaks and changes in a positive direction.

For everyone that I met, spent time with and haven’t mention I am sorry! But It all flew by rather fast but I love you nonetheless!