It’s hard to believe we’re t-minus one week until the commencement of our first-ever Boutique Summit! In case you’ve missed out on The Summit, it’s the first-of-its-kind, business conference for the boutique world. Hosted in Dallas, we’re bringing in experts and professional in almost every field relating to boutique fashion–be it, social media, marketing, blogging, photography, merchandising, or inventory management.
The event is sold out in person, but online viewing will be up two weeks following the event, go here to grab a ticket!
If you were lucky enough to snag a ticket before the sold out, you’ll want to pay attention to what’s next! So you’ve got your ticket to #TheBoutiqueSummit and you secured your flight & hotel; but now, you’re anxiously counting down the days and don’t know what to expect! Well, you didn’t think we’d leave you upstream without a paddle, did you?! Of course, we’ve got you covered!
Let’s chat about how to prepare for The Summit and some beloved vacation time #BoutiqueBoss!
Before #TheBoutiqueSummit
- What to pack and wear? Girl, we are a community above all else. This is not a place of judgment–it’s a place of excitement and celebration. Be you, and be comfortable! If you need some ideas, check out this blog post!
- Make sure Dallas Market Center has your BUYER REGISTRATION form, emailed out last month, you’ll need to fill this out for your guests also, please find the form here, fill out and return to DMC directly.
- What’s the plan, Stan? To help y’all out, we have a printable PDF version of our Summit Schedule on our website, but you can also print it here. There are some updates to take note of, but most importantly, don’t forget about our Monday night dinners, Tuesday Partner Marketplace with smokin’ deals for you, our trip to Harry Hines Blvd, complete with discount shopping at L&B Apparel. Grab the schedule so you don’t miss a thing!
- Have questions any time this week? Ask them inside of our Summit Facebook Event!
Now, we can’t pack your bags for you, but we can help you out by reminding you of a few key items to bring.
- Business cards
- Phone chargers (they will die quickly in DMC)
- Something to take notes with
- An open mind
If you’ve filled out our Typeform questions about breakout session choices and can’t remember which ones you picked, don’t worry. We needed those to plan for space, so feel free to choose new ones if you need to at The Summit, we only ask that you try to even out among all speakers. You will all have access to videos of ALL of the sessions and speakers when you get home so you won’t miss a thing!
When you’re at The Summit, try to “unplug” as much as possible, so plan ahead. Make sure your employees, customers, family, and friends know that you’re out of town & maybe even set an out-of-office reply on your emails! You’ll have downtime to check all of your notifications so put the iPhone away & take it all in!
Another important thing to do (possibly on your trip to Dallas) is to plan your own “elevator speech”! This is the tidbit you use when you introduce yourself to others. Make it 3-4 sentences & tell them about who you are, your business, where you’re from, & what’s your style.
And last, but certainly not least, plan to be well-rested before The Summit. You’re probably thinking, “I’ve got three kids, my own business, six dogs, two hamsters, and a house full of dust – I’m not even sure what well-rested means!” Try to grab a couple of ZZZ’s on the airplane & don’t be hitting the bar too late Sunday night. Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of drinks during our events!
During #TheBoutiqueSummit
- Write notes on business cards as you get them, either during The Summit or at Market while shopping (that way you can help remember who is who when you get back home)!
- Relax and have fun! Don’t expect to do a complete overhaul of your boutique in one single day! Make a list of things you’d like to potentially change about your business, and prioritize them in order of importance! Keep in mind that small changes add up quickly, and in a great way!
- Even though it’s a swoob-athon outside, you’ll want to wear comfy shoes and layers, because it can be a bit chilly inside of DMC.
- Don’t forget, professional photographer Heather Marie is joining us for headshots, so if you’d like to update yours, plan on wearing something you don’t mind seeing yourself in until you take your next headshot!
- Come grab some extra #BoutiqueBoss Swag from the Registration Table, we’ll have tee’s, tanks, coffee mugs, wine glasses, and stationery just for Hub fans, of which, proceeds will go to the charity of our community’s choice!
- Be authentic and be you. It’s easy to listen to the speakers and think “Wow! She’s so beautiful & amazing – I’m never going to get to be like that,” but we both know that’s bull. Stay in your own lane, we can only eat an elephant one bite at a time, only slow and steady wins the race, Rome wasn’t built in a day, need we go on here? You’ve got this sister.
- Stay organized! At night, write down notes from the day before going to bed (helps you unwind and retain.) Stats say that we only retain 5% of what we hear at a conference UNLESS we write it down, and start taking some action, or making plans for it within 72 hours. Use it or you’ll lose it!
- Use #TheBoutiqueSummit or #BoutiqueBoss and be sure to find our filter on Snapchat! We will be taking many photos, and pulling those you take, to feature you on all of our social channels throughout the week!
- Please, do not record our speakers! We have a professional videographer who will be recording all of our speakers and to share ALL speakers with those of you who have a ticket, or those who have purchased digital tickets.
Last, but certainly not least, this event would not be possible without the WONDERFUL sponsors who have donated, supported and built this event. Please support them in return, and tell them THANK YOU!
Dallas Market Center
Denim & Velvet Marketing
Bling A GoGo
Aspen Lane
Rebel Roots Boutique
Crazy Consuela
Long X Trading Co.
Sweet Caroline Boutique
Owen & Ceme Boutique
Frogstones
Texas Sweet Tee’s
Sticker Mule
OFFPRICE Show
One Word Designs/Frey Boutique
Pink Panache
Southern Mess Wholesale
Sweet Texas Treasures
Pine Apparel
Makeup Junkie Bags
Naughty Monkey & Not Rated Shoes
Rock-N-Mama Designs
Sugar Sweat Cosmetics
We can’t wait to see you all in Dallas! If you have any questions whatsoever or any last minute changes in your attendance plans, be sure to let us know in our Facebook Event, or visit the Summit website!
Hero Image Credit: Branded Envy Boutique