Ever wondered what attending the Social Media on the Sand conference looks like? Check out our experience at Social Media on the Sand in Beaches Turks & Caicos. We are sharing the day to day events and fun that we experienced.
A Dream Come True
Last year we were invited to Beaches Turks and Caicos for Social Media on the Sand. It was a dream invite that I had worked towards for 5 years. I never thought it would happen and when that invite hit my inbox, we were elated. Dreams and hard work do come true.
I can’t believe it has taken me 3 months to write about our experience. A lot has been going on for us personally and I want to give this post my everything. I honestly, did not feel like I could do that these past 3 months, but I am finally feeling like I am in a place to share this amazing experience.
Our Experience at Social Media on the Sand Turks & Caicos
We took off from Denver on the red eye, nervous and excited. After a little layover in New York, we landed in Turks and Caicos. Holy moly flying in was beautiful. Those beaches were everything I imagined and more. The water is really so clear and blue and the beaches are so sandy white and perfect.
Once we deplaned and got through customs at the airport, we then jumped into the provided transportation to Beaches Turks & Caicos. We arrived to the resort and as we pulled up to check in, we were greeted with delicious drinks and cool towels. It was HOT. I wasn’t expecting the humidity so that cool towel was greatly welcomed.
Check-in was smooth sailing and we quickly changed into some lighter clothing and found a place to eat. After eating, we toured the area of the resort we were staying at, called the French Village. It is set back from the beach and is a quiet, but beautiful area with stunning architecture, a massive pool and walking paths. Everything is so well maintained and clean and it was just nice to have a few moments before the events began.
Day 1: Sun-Sational Playground & Sea The Future Welcome Party
Social Media on the Sand keeps everyone moving and allows guests to really experience the resort at its finest. There are events planned for nearly the entirety of the trip and there really is a ton to do and see. We started our conference experience at the Sun-Sational Playground.
We were able to check in for the conference and then walk around the pool area, snack, take in some photos and grab some swag from the awesome sponsors. It was also really great to catch up with some friends and get a glimpse into what the week ahead would hold. The theme was 5 senses and boy were our senses beginning to be loaded up.
We finished day 1 out as a couple by walking the rest of the resort and finding a nice place to eat. I am certain I found some incredible fish and chips at The Cricketer’s Pub that evening that we definitely went back for a couple more times during our stay.
Everyone was so nice and helpful as we navigated this massive resort and it was just nice to spend time together the first day, checking everything out and learning about our home for the next 5 days. However, day 1 was not over for me, I still had the “Sea the Future Welcome Party”. There are some events at the conference that are for invitee’s only and this was one of them.
We were greeted with horderves and drinks at sunset, while we were able to bid on some awesome items for the silent auction to benefit the Sandal’s Foundation. We were able to learn about the Sandal’s Foundation and their focus on environmental awareness and preservation. The biologist in me loved learning about how they are helping local communities and ecosystems. The night concluded with a local children’s choir singing beautifully about their island and really just giving us a taste of their rich culture.
Day 2: Social Media on The Sand Conference
After a great night’s rest, I hit the floor running for the 5th Annual Social Media on the Sand Conference. I have to admit that I was REALLY nervous about this. I felt like a fish out of water. There were 97 other bloggers there that were incredible and I still feel like I am small peas compared to these amazing women and men in this space. I listened to some amazing speakers like Rebecca Minkoff and Jamie Kern Lima and just learned and were so inspired.
It was truly just a wonderful experience. We were able to learn about Beaches, get some insider information from a few social media platforms and then track ourselves into some sessions with some of the very women that I have look up to for years. It was really a good experience, but I was also a bit jealous of the fact that my husband was able to hang out in the ocean and enjoy a little relaxation.
After the main conference, a few of my friends and jetted over to Key West Village to check out the health and wellness village. We were able to get some quick spa treatments from the Red Lane Spa, and even get our hair done by Drybar and make-up by the amazing women of IT Cosmetics. I was finally able to meet up with my husband at the pool and relax for a bit before dinner at Kimonos and the Silent Discglow.
We dressed in all white and grabbed some headphones. We could tune them into one of 3 DJ’s and just dance and enjoy the party. It was really cool because your headphones would light up blue, green or red depending on which DJ you were listening too and you could dance with other people enjoying the same music.
To add a little fun to this, they also had a station where you could have your hand body marbled by BLVisuals in paint colors of your choosing. I got one hand done, but my husband had both hands done and everyone was just enjoying the entire experience. We had a blast ending out day 2 and were ready to see what day 3 had in store.
Day 3: Beach Day & Hunter Hayes
Honestly, I hadn’t even put my toes in the ocean at the end of Day 2 and I was pretty bummed about that. I knew we would be spending a lot of time in the ocean on Day 3 and was excited. We grabbed some breakfast at Guiseppe’s and then I ran over to the Caribbean Village for Match Up and Mimosas. I honestly did not take any photos while I was there and I truly have no clue why, but I rushed from there to those white sandy beaches to meet my husband for an afternoon of relaxing.
The water is exactly as you see it. It is SO clear and so warm and beautiful. I have never seen water this blue and clear and I spent basically the next 5 hours floating around, searching for the perfect sea shells and talking with my husband. It was bliss. We ended our beach day, but grabbing some wonderful sushi at Soy and then heading over to catch the Hunter Hayes concert.
I really enjoy Hunter Hayes music and I think I was one of the few that knew a large majority of his songs. He was also the cutest guy and told a bunch of fun stories while he put on a great show. After the show, I snagged a photo with Hunter. He was a seriously a super nice guy and I felt pretty cool getting to take a photo with him.
Jason rushed over to the Dad’s Den for a cigar rolling lessons and poker when the concert ended and I just hung out with a few of my friends while I waited for him to come back. The guys had a really awesome time and got to do a cool photoshoot there. The photos are fantastic.
Day 3 was in the books and we were on cloud nine. It was such a good experience thus far and we were really glad we decided to do this as just a couple. I remember saying to him that same night that I was glad that we were able to do this without the kids, but that I definitely wanted to have them with us if we were invited back.
Day 4: 5 Senses on the Sand and Willy Wonka!
With all the fun of the previous days behind us, we only had one full day left to truly take in the entirety of the resort. We started the fun out with the 5 Senses on the Sand instagram playground, where we were able to check out some fun photo opportunities and grab a bit more swag from the sponsors.
It was super fun and we grabbed some really fun shots. Some of the awesome sponsors for this were Air Esscentials, Spin Master Games, Coola and Hunter Hayes. They all set up some really great booths and we had a great time posing, laughing and making memories. After all the fun on the beach, we hit the water for more sea shell hunting, and you guys, I found a shark tooth too (not pictured, but I have it)!
The conference winded down that evening with the send off party. It was Willy Wonka’s Splendiferous Fun Factory and we were ready! We joined the rest of the conference attendees and their families at the French Village pool for food, dancing and a little more body marbling fun! An evening to reflect on everything we experienced, learned and our friendships was just what we all needed.
The Sandal’s Foundation was back with the silent auction and we placed our final bids on some of the goodies. Jason and I dressed up in theme (which BTW, no one else did, so that was funny). He was Slugworth and I was his Everlasting Gobstopper. There was obviously no contest, we were the winners. We ate some awesome food, had some tasty drinks and then watched the fireworks after an awesome video recap of our week.
We truly had the trip of a lifetime and I hope we are invited back again. It was truly unforgettable, but there is so much more that I want to learn and see and one trip just wasn’t enough. Social Media on the Sand was more than I was ever expecting and so overwhelmingly wonderful. We are thankful to Beaches Turks and Caicos for their incredible hosting and the team at Social Media on the Sand for putting together a beautiful and seamless event. We WILL be back!
What did you think of our experience at Social Media on the Sand?
This post is not sponsored. We attended Social Media on the Sand at a discounted rate, but were not asked to post any content. This is purely because I wanted to share.
