CultureCon-2022

CultureCon recap!

CultureCon 2022 was an event! One for the books!

The day of CultureCon started off on an odd foot. Because, instead of it being nice and warm here in Atlanta.

It was kind of cold and muggy! This was immediately concerning because all the interactive events and displays were outside while the actual speaking events were inside.

I had a VIP pass, so I was able to go to a different line that gave us direct access to the event instead of waiting until they were ready to let general admission in.

THE VIBE

It gave off the vibe of the state fair when you first walked in and looked around. All that was missing were the rides.

CultureCon-2022

DO YOU HAVE A WRIST BAND?

A little bit about the VIP passes and what they include! You were given a red wristband with a free bag and shirt, but also, we were given free entry to all the events they had during the week leading up to the actual conference.

One of the best events I saw and that I wish I could have attended was skate night! Skate night at Cascade, sponsored by Red Bull and Grey Goose.

Hundreds of adults fulfilling their inner childhood dream of skating like New-New from the ATL movie.

CONFERENCE DAY

Let’s fast forward back to the actual day of Culture Con! As this was my first time at one of these conferences, I had no idea what to expect.

I was super excited about the overall experience. The schedule was so organized and jam packed with information that they actually instructed us to download the app where it gave you the complete schedule of events. This app included the times each speaker was speaking, what they were talking about, and how to contact or follow the speakers on their social platforms.

culture con-2022-stacy-abrams

The speakers were awesome! The speakers included everyone for the culture from Stacey Abrams, Olori Swank, Yrbenka Arthus, Omeretta, Maya Watson, Mz. Skittlez, Carlos King, Jay Ellis, Kandi Burress, and of course, Saucy Santana and Jayda Cheaves! And many, many others.

It was so refreshing to see all these people in person. The opportunity to llisten to them share gems with us and pour back into us creatives. Many of which are burnt out or just need a moment of inspiration.

The culture showed up!

Not only were the speakers extremely influential, but the attendees were as well!

I was mingling and drinking with some of the best writers, creators, influencers, directors, strategists, you name it! It was like a dream!

culture con-2022

Being a digital marketing strategist and publicist, myself. It was a wonderland. Never in a million years did I think I would be in the same space as them. Let alone actually share what I do and have an interest in wanting to work with me! It was mind-blowing.

I found myself fan-girling every 5 minutes when I saw people, but I kept my cool! The networking was authentic and just natural.

PANELS & SPEAKER SESSIONS

Now let’s get into the panel and the speaker sessions! The speakers and what they talked about were extremely valuable for any type of creator, at any stage; business owners, strategists, and anybody who is interested in growing in this space.

I loved how inclusive the panel speakers were! They really took the time to break down each social platform. They even explained to us platform updates, the future of content creation, monetizing your platforms, and just general information we needed!

We even had entertainment lawyers and managers there, telling us about contracts and protecting yourself as a business owner.

We had speakers from everywhere: Twitter, Facebook (META), Pinterest creators, HBO Max, and Strong Black Lead. From reading the schedule, you would think one would be overwhelmed, but they really had it organized beautifully.

I can only imagine what CultureCon would be like in New York, where it originated!

THE SAUCE

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Saucy Santana discuss social media and how to use it to your advantage! This was so important because he was discussing going viral and what that meant for him, but also how he was able to quickly monetize.

I also loved hearing Jayda talk about her clothing brand and how she’s always been an entrepreneur.

She was very transparent with her business! Jayda explained how things are indeed not glamorous and it’s okay to go back to the drawing board.

THE EXPERIENCE OF CULTURECON!

My other favorite part of Culture Con was how interactive things were. I loved the vendors and seeing their spaces. My only note would be that I wish there were more out there because there wasn’t enough, and people were mentioning that. People were out there wanting to spend money, so showcasing more businesses would have been perfect.

CultureCon-2022

HBOMax and Scene in Black brought all the photobooth set ups, the panel, totes and the VIP set up!

The décor was beautiful! I took so many selfies and videos that my phone was overheating! They also had really dope brands that helped different interactive stations. Activation Alley brought a cool foot to Locker Bodega, Grey Goose sponsored drinks, and the VIP afterparty at Traffik Bar and Lounge was extremely turnt!

Other interactive stations included one from Toyota where they allowed us to sit in and view their new 2022 Toyota Rav4 and had a 360 photobooth! Who doesn’t love that? Then META hosted interactive experiences where you could play around with virtual reality. It’s like, what didn’t they think of?

COUSIN?!

The food vendors were amazing.

There were about 3 food trucks there, so there were literally options for everyone! There was a vegan option, Caribbean food, and American food.The whole experience felt so homey and like family because there was literally someone’s family frying fish out there for us. The music, the people, it was a joyous black affair. I would attend CultureCon again, especially if it’s in New York next.

We the culture-meta

I was in a creative funk or standstill before attending CultureCon and I was just burnt out from being an overworked creative. However, attending, listening to their stories, and listening to their success really recharged me and pushed me to not give-up on myself, and I think this was the purpose of the event. To be a teaching experience, but to also empower all creatives and pour back into them so that they can leave, take all that information and pour into others and their potential clients! I am so appreciative of my tribe for granting me the ability to attend and network with so many that I look up to!

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