Posts Tagged "The Orlando/Orange County CVB"

Though I couldn’t stay for the whole event (disclosure: I did squeeze in 45 minutes at the pool and 5 in the hot tub), I was thrilled to have the opportunity this weekend to connect in  person with the wonderful mom bloggers I’d invited for a tour of  Orlando’s theme parks, courtesy of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. I met  Miranda, Keeper of the Cheerios,  Amy, Mom Advice; Amy, Mom Spark,  Mindy, The Mommy Blog and Jamie, Travel Savvy Mom and reconnected with Jill, Musings from Me,  Carol, NYCity Mama  and Stacie, The Divine Miss Mommy.

OOCVB had a really outstanding itinerary planned. My son (CollegeBoy) and I had loved both Universal Studios and Seaworld when we’d visited in the past. From what the moms tweeted during their trip, I’m sure he would have adored Gatorland as well, and everyone  seemed to have fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At the end of each full day, the group rested at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando.

Random learnings:

• Travel Savvy Mom should not be left alone with spiders.
• Shrek should not be left alone with The Mommy Blog (She did what?)
• Group organizers who offer tips on getting quickly through airline security can get pulled over for a random search (Yup. That was me.)
• Group organizers can be jealous of mom bloggers who preview the Harry Potter ride (Me again.)
• Rain cannot dampen this group’s spirits.
• Some children really, really like chicken fingers.
• Eight mom bloggers now have a special relationship with gators — as in holding, kissing and sitting on. I kid you not.
• There is much more to Orlando than Disney.

And one more thing: Despite the fact that these women were from all different parts of the country, from West Coast to East, they all seemed to get along  beautifully and have a rollicking good time.

Here’s a look at some of the posts they wrote before their trip:

KEEPER OF THE CHEERIOS: http://keeperofthecheerios.com/2010/03/my-daughter-and-i-are-heading-to-orlando/

MUSINGS FROM ME: http://www.musingsfromme.com/making-my-youngest-sons-day/

MOM SPARK: http://momspark.net/going-to-orlando/

THE MOMMY BLOG: http://themommyblog.net/blog/comments/orlando-how-i-look-forward-to-thy-attractions-in-a-purely-platonic-sense/

MOM ADVICE: / http://momadvice.com/blog/2010/03/we-are-ready-for-orlando#comments

NYCITY MAMA: http://nycitymama.com/2010/03/adventure-to-orlando-fl/

THE DIVINE MISS MOMMY: http://thedivinemissmommy.com/places-to-go-people-to-see-orlando-here-we-come-orlandomom/

To check out their  tweets, search #OrlandoMom and #OrlandoMoms on Twitter.

For post-event updates, stay tuned….

I am SO excited about this coming weekend! As mom-blogger liaison for the Orlando/Orange Country Convention & Visitors Bureau, I had the  pleasure of inviting  eight fabulous mom bloggers and their kids to town for three days of sun and fun that will  include a tour of Disney Hollywood Studios, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Seaworld and Gatorland, plus a trip to a Blue Man Group performance — and lots of good food and good chat in between.  While I won’t be there for the whole event (darn and double darn!), Friday I am flying down  to meet everyone I’ve been connecting with over the past few months as we’ve pulled this exciting event together. I’d like to introduce you to the Orlando Moms (#OrlandoMom on Twitter) and invite you to  keep an eye out for what they have to say about their experiences.  I’m very much looking forward to seeing:

Stacie, The Divine Miss Mommy, a member of the Child’s Play Communications Team Mom blogger network, whom I met  at our November 2009  Bloggers Brunch in New York City; Miranda, Keeper of the Cheerios, another wonderful Team Mom-er; Amy, Mom Advice; Amy, Mom Spark, also a Team Mom-er; Jill, Musings from Me, who also attended our NY Bloggers Brunch;  Carol, NYCity Mama, another Brunch guest; Mindy, The Mommy Blog; and Jamie, Travel Savvy Mom.

To those of my blogger friends who may wonder why they weren’t on the list: There were very specific OOCVB criteria for this trip, including the child’s age and the blogger’s location, so let’s just say I hope to contact you for the next one!

In the meantime — everyone stay tuned for pictures!

We did it! We held our second annual Bloggers Brunch earlier today and based on the feedback from guests and sponsors alike, I think we can say that a good time was had by all! Thanks so much to everyone who joined us for this special event.

The Bloggers Brunch, held at a private club in New York City, was designed to enable bloggers to connect in person with our clients and each other — as well as to enjoy a lovely brunch (complete with “momosas”), great giveaways and raffle prizes that could not be beat.

I would like to say a special thanks to a  long list of folks who joined us today:

First, to our panel of leading mom bloggers, who addressed the topic “What Does a Mommy Blogger Want?” offering insights into the issues and trends that affect the momosphere today, as well as advice on how best to interest mom bloggers in your brand. Major kudos to: Debbie of Mamanista,  Kimberly of  Mom in the City, Liz of Cool Mom Picks, Jo-Lynne of Musings of a Housewife, and Melissa of Real Moms Guide. Great job!

Second, to the members of the Child’s Play Communications review network, Team Mom, who joined us for the day. What a pleasure to see everyone in person.

Third, to the folks who traveled from out of the NYC area — New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Boston, Virginia, Maryland and even Florida! We hope you found the journey worthwhile.

And almost last but not at all least, to all the sponsors who helped make this possible. In alphabetical order: Cuisinart, FujiFilm, Goddard Schools, Good Housekeeping, Joy Berry Enterprises, Nickelodeon, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Toy Industry Association. And, of course, to Lord & Taylor, which arranged for Louis, of Laura Mercier, to provide makeovers for our guests.

Love you all. Can’t wait until next year. Photos and video soon to follow.